Woodpecker Wooliams

Woodpecker Wooliams was the musical moniker of Brighton, UK-based musician Gemma Williams. She produced music as Woodpecker Wooliams from 2009 to 2013, releasing the studio albums Diving Down (2009) and The Bird School of Being Human (2012). Williams has since worked on Becky Becky with Peter J D Mason.[1]

Woodpecker Wooliams
Birth nameGemma Williams
Instrument(s)voice, harp, analogue synths and noise
Years active2009–2013
Websitewww.woodpeckerwooliams.com

History

Woodpecker Wooliams, consisting of voice, harp, analogue synths and 'noise', began in 2009 after Williams' midwifery training was interrupted by "a sudden and severe illness".[2][3][4]

An album called The Bird School of Being Human was released on Robot Elephant Records in September 2012, co-produced with Marcus Hamblett.[5][6][7] It was described by The Sunday Times as "a stunning find",[8] and "musically and emotionally belting" in a BBC Music review.[7] In 2012 Woodpecker Wooliams was The Guardian's "New band of the Day".[9] Woodpecker Wooliams performed a live radio session in 2013 for Tom Robinson's BBC Radio 6 show.[10] Music from this album, and the earlier Diving Down (2009) was played on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction show, by Rob da Bank on BBC Radio 1, and BBC Radio 6 Music programmes including Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone and BBC Music Introducing.[11]

In 2013 Woodpecker Wooliams performed at the Yoko Ono-curated Meltdown festival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall supporting Cibo Matto.[12] Woodpecker Wooliams toured numerous headline tours around Germany, Denmark, Italy, Russia and The Baltics between 2010 and 2013.[3][13][14]

Woodpecker Wooliams collaborated with several other musicians, including lending featured guest vocals to the lead single "Meltdown" from Ghostpoet's sophomore album Some Say I So I Say Light;[15][16][17] harp on the track "Fire" for the Emanative album The Light Years Of The Darkness;[18] and guest vocals (with Rag'n'Bone Man) on Button Eyes' single "Simple Days", performed live for BBC's Radio 4 programme Loose Ends.[19][20]

The final Woodpecker Wooliams performance was at the End of The Road festival in 2013.[21] Williams announced the "death" of the project on her website in September 2013.[22][21]

Discography

Albums

  • Diving Down (Autumn Ferment, 2009) – CD
  • The Bird School of Being Human (Robot Elephant, 2012) – CD and vinyl[23]

Singles

  • "Gull" (Robot Elephant, 2012)
  • "Sparrow" (Robot Elephant, 2012)

EPs

  • Fledgling (A Beard of Snails, 2009)
  • Sleeping Under Dark Suns (My Dance The Skull, 2010) – cassette
  • Patryoska (The Woolshop, 2011) – CD-R, cassette
    • Patryoska (Full of Nothing, 2012) – re-release

Soundtracks

  • Anni (Love Lion, Chicago, 2012) – collaboration with OCDC, a score to the German film Anni (1948)

Live albums

  • Woodpecker Wooliams and Golden Cup meet Love Cult – In Russia (Full of Nothing, 2012)

Compilation album appearances

  • Expulsion Into Offering #4 (A Beard Of Snails, 2010) – Expulsion Into Offering Tape Series cassette album, includes "Mill And Moss" by Woodpecker Wooliams
  • Stranger Songs II (Stranger Songs, 2010)
  • Home Taping is Music 2 (Woodland, 2011)
  • Willkommen Foxswap (Willkommen Collective, 2011)

References
  1. "CD: Becky Becky – Good Morning, Midnight". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  2. 30 Seconds Interview: Woodpecker Wooliams - M Magazine M magazine: PRS for Music online magazine - PRS for Music Online Magazine
  3. "The Spirit of the Harp: An Interview with Gemma Williams of Woodpecker Wooliams". ANOBIUM. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  4. "Woodpecker Wooliams". The Argus (Brighton). Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  5. "Everett True | Song of the day - 485: Woodpecker Wooliams". Collapse Board. 29 July 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  6. Newbury, David (6 August 2012). "Ones To Watch: Eddi Front to Big Black Delta | | Independent Editor's choice Blogs". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  7. "Music - Review of Woodpecker Wooliams - The Bird School of Being Human". BBC. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  8. Davis, Mark Edwards, Dan Cairns, Stewart Lee, Clive (16 September 2012). "Pop, Rock & Jazz, Sept 16". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 3 January 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. Lester, Paul (6 September 2012). "New band of the day: Woodpecker Wooliams (No 1,345)". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  10. "BBC Radio 6 Music - The Tom Robinson Show, 05/01/2013, Woodpecker Wooliams in session for Tom Robinson". BBC. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  11. "Woodpecker Wooliams - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music". BBC. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  12. "In Pictures: Yoko Ono's Meltdown Festival". Londonist. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  13. "CONCERTS ARCHIVE". Tumblr. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  14. "Woodpecker Wooliams on tour with Fiona Sally Miller". Willkommen Records. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  15. "Fortitude Magazine | Ghostpoet Announces 'Meltdown' Single - Fortitude Magazine". www.fortitudemagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  16. "Reviews: Ghostpoet: Some Say I So I Say Light". The Quietus. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  17. Walker, Anthony. "Ghostpoet - Meltdown". DummyMag. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  18. "The Attic: Bandcamp pick of the week: Emanative - The Light Years Of The Darkness". The Attic. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  19. "New Noise: Button Eyes". Wonderland. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  20. "BBC Radio 4 - Loose Ends, Louis Theroux, Engelbert Humperdinck, Steve Brown, Tracy Chevalier, Arthur Smith, Button Eyes, LuAmi, Button Eyes perform 'Simple Days' on Loose Ends". BBC. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  21. "Woodpecker Wooliams - Crow". The Monitors. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  22. "Death". Woodpecker Wooliams. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  23. "Avian A Laugh: Woodpecker Wooliams". Clash. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
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