Greg Wood

Artist Information

Biography

NEWS!!

In 2011, Canwest Global Communications featured the song “Wake Up” on “The Playlist” available for download via major newspapers nationwide, alongside Canadian music heavyweights, Johnny Reid & Bryan Adams.

Greg’s guitar playing was acknowledged early in 2011 with a Top 20 out of 968 finish in Taylor Guitars worldwide song contest; and #11 out of 1099 songs entered in the worldwide Shred or Alive.

Thunderstruck 10, an extreme snowmobiling film released August 2011 and distributed world-wide by USA based Thunderstruck Films, features 5 of Greg’s songs: Ride On, Old Dusty Road, Born to be Alone, Little While and Razorblades.

“Hope In Her Eyes” was recently chosen to be on the “AMAZING” compilation to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society, alongside songs by recognized artists including platinum artist Dan Hill.

Greg’s new album, his 3rd release, “GREG WOOD III” is now available on iTunes / other digital retailers and thru distributor www.indiepool.com world-wide! (Released August 2011). "It's a much bigger production than anything I've attempted before, my influences have changed and the experiences of success and sorrow over the past couple of years will all play a role in the sound of this album. I think people will be blown away, because it's not the Greg Wood they know from before…rather something bigger, darker, yet more hopeful. It's my most flat-out, adrenaline-pumping work yet."


EP Release!

Greg is a born storyteller and after spending the better part of 2008 travelling coast to coast across the United States, from California to Virginia, writing songs along the journey, he returned home to Alberta deciding to set his stories free, recording his debut singer-songwriter CD. " ‘Set You Free’ was a catharsis for me, I needed to get some things off my chest and at the same time it was an affirmation to my heart and the career direction I wanted to take..."

Radio Play!

The EP “Set You Free” (2008) and the "Greg Wood" album (2009) charted on several college radio stations from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Kamloops, B.C. They also had songs in light to heavy rotation on community radio, on CBC Radio 3, and several commercial stations also gave “Broken Hearted Girl” and “Pass Me By” adds and made them available for listener requests. Greg’s songs have also been featured on such programs as “Acoustic Planet”, and the program “Northern Spotlight” featured “Broken Hearted Girl” alongside releases from Nickelback and Mobile! Several songs received feature play on CAR ,AAA and Country radio in USA and Canada. Skopemag picked Greg as an “Artist to Watch”.


NEW!!!! Single "Razorblades" from "GREG WOOD III" album (Summer 2011) is now getting radio ADDS on ROCK & AC radio in Canada!!


Live shows!

By the spring of 2009 Greg Wood was playing music full time, forming his band and playing numerous live shows. He has captivated audiences as a soloist and with his bands, in venues both intimate as cafes, as large as theatres and festivals, performing at a multitude of events including, but not limited to the following: BOONSTOCK 2011, the WORKS Festival; Indie Night at the NEST - N.A.I.T.; Edmonton's Hottest Bands at the Urban Lounge; Hulbert’s Songwriter Showcase; The Taphouse – ALBS; Blue’s on Whyte Saturday Jam; “That’s Entertainment!” and “The Noon Show” in the Arts Centre at Red Deer College; “Axe City Guitar Challenge at The Skinny in Calgary; Lakeland Music Fest, an outdoor weekend festival; Talent Explosion during Edmonton Klondike Days Exhibition; Country Vocal Spotlight in the Edmonton Northlands Agricom Theatre; Country Opry at the Lyle Victor Albert Centre; Edmonton Event Center (formerly "Red's"); Finalist (2nd place) Jack Daniels Battle of the Bands - The Docks 2010; Finalist -South Country Fair songwriting contest '09 at the Slice; “Variety Talent Show ” Bonnyville Wetlander; multiple appearances at the “Lyle Victor Albert Centre”; Greg has also performed for music classes in local schools and at school assemblies/pep rallies/youth conferences. JET Nightclub, Axis Café – Metro Room; Filthy McNasty’s, and Wunderbar on Whyte.


Album, Record Sales, Video, Compilations, & Producing!

2009 saw the release of Greg's self-titled album debut "Greg Wood". This album saw not only great reviews from publications across the country, but received regular radio play, and has sold thousands of copies alongside hundreds of digital downloads and earned him the title of being an "Untapped" artist from the Big Rock Brewery. The song "Old Dusty Road" was featured on Big Rock's “Untapped” compilation CD and over 20,000 copies were distributed at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, and at major summer music festivals across Canada. Several other songs from the “Greg Wood” album earned their spot on other compilation disks (one alongside a new release from Melissa Etheridge), satellite and internet radio, and in the hearts of Greg Wood's fans. A music video for the song "Broken Hearted Girl" was filmed with notable director Gerald “Jerry” Rainer Skibinsky (CBC's Heartland, Wild Roses). Greg's work as co-producer of the album alongside Stew Kirkwood gained the attention of local acts recording for the first time. Greg Wood produced Dead Reckoning's "Our Failed Resistance" (2010) on which he also played lead guitar. He has also been producing / recording several other local acts.


When asked about his philosophy on music Wood simply replies, “Music is vibration. Everything is vibration. Every song is in everyone, everyone is in every song.”

Greg is a member of SOCAN, Songwriter’s Association of Canada, Alberta Music, & Canadian Country Music Assoc.

Got Wood? Website: www.gotgregwood.com

For more information please contact:
Management: Sue Boisvert
E-mail: management@gotgregwood.com
P.O. Box 7701 , Bonnyville, Alberta, Canada T9N 2J1
Phone: 780-826-2969




Early Influences: Metallica, Pink Floyd, Pantera, Slayer, Jimi Hendrix, George Thorogood, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eddie Van Halen

Later Influences: Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson, Johnny Cash

Recent Influences: R.L Birnside, Mark Knoeffler, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Kris Kristopherson, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, John Lennon

Greg and his B.C Rich “Warlock” guitar were featured in an advertisement in an issue of the B.C Rich Guitar catalogue distributed worldwide.

Instrumentation

Greg Wood - All Music & Lyrics by Greg Wood, All vocals & Guitars by Greg Wood

Discography

NEW ALBUM!!! GREG WOOD III released August 2011!

2009 Self-Titled "Greg Wood"

2008 Acoustic EP "Set You Free"


Greg Wood's Music Available:

www.iTunes.com/gregwood
& other digital music and ringtone providers!

Mail order purchase:
www.indiepool.com (select "shop for music", and enter greg wood)

At HMV

CD Baby (2008/2009 releases)

Links

• Twitter
• Facebook
• got wood? (greg's website)
• MySpace
• Reverbnation page
• Youtube page

Audio

• Razorblades
  Listen  
• Little While
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• Fly Away
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• Infinity
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• Memories and Postcards
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• Hope In Her Eyes
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• Cocaine Lover
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• Whiskey Smile
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• Father's Touch
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• Greg Wood - Wake Up
  Listen  
• Simple Man
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Track #1 - "Razorblades"
• Wake Up
• LIttle While
• Infinity
• Fly Away
• Hope In Her Eyes
• Father's Touch
• Whiskey Smile
• Memories and Postcards
• Cocaine Lover

Video

Broken Hearted Girl (Life in Itself)

Photo Gallery

Press

• 4 stars out of 5 for "Greg Wood III" [+ Show ]
  

  Greg Wood takes plenty of opportunities to play his guitar with bloody-knuckled purpose on this self...Greg Wood takes plenty of opportunities to play his guitar with bloody-knuckled purpose on this self-titled album. But there’s more -- much more -- to this project, as Wood uncovers a series of complex, emotional thoughts.
  
  The opening “Razorblades” combines a crunchy guitar riff, at once hard and propulsive, with a snarled lyric full of similar-sounding recriminations. The singer-songwriter has, with only a moment’s notice, framed Greg Wood III as a darkly confessional offering, but one that doesn’t at first promise much in the way of melancholy wonder. Wood’s fleet solo, a burst of emotion, telegraphs a more direct response to life’s troubled times: Punching back.
  
  A similar riffy menace surrounds “You Wouldn’t Understand,” which only becomes more freewheeling with the addition of a swooning slide. Wood tries again, within the song’s scalding lyrics, to explain things: “I’m a life,” he sings, “that’s built on pain,” before seeming to give up on framing it all: “You wouldn’t understand.”
  
  Even Wood’s love songs, it seems, are going to be difficult expressions of broken passion, as on the soaring “Little While,” where his characters make gruff admissions on the fleeting nature of relationships. At the same time, though, Wood begins sketching out a very different storyline on the guitar -- one of hard-bitten perspective that only comes from being hurt one too many times. Drummer Byran Bueckert is, as always, a rattling engine pushing Wood’s heavy-rocking tunes into another gear, but already we get the sense that there is more to Greg Wood III than shredding.
  
  The subsequent “Fly Away” makes good on that promise, as Wood settles into a more contemplative groove, allowing himself to sing rather than growl for the first time on the project. His solo work this time is a perfectly proportioned, blues-drenched cry, rather than an angry retort. From there, Wood moves through a series of musical environments, and in some instances deeper, sentiment.
  
  First, comes the delicate acoustic beauty found on the intro to “Hope In Her Eyes.” Of course, before long, Wood and Co. come rumbling back for the crisply exciting chorus -- mimicking the narrative sweep associated with bands like Pearl Jam -- but not before showing a canny ability to perform in more considered surroundings. (Wood returns to this ebb-and-flow formula later, with “Memories and Postcards.”)
  
  Any questions as to whether Wood and Co. can handle the raw openness of a ballad are answered on the fully realized “Father’s Touch,” as Wood welcomes a pair of guest artists in organist Chris Andrew and vocalist Lindsey Ell. Multi-instrumentalist Stew Kirkwood, already heard on bass and piano, switches to pedal steel guitar, as well. The result is a country-tinged lament, this elegantly wrought story of missed opportunities in
  
  love. Ell’s vocal blends perfectly with Wood’s, and with Kirkwood’s weeping lines, to create this moment of hushed, heartbroken beauty.
  
  Then Wood plugs back in, as “Infinity” comes roaring out with a grungy Bo Diddley beat. In full howl again now, Wood’s character returns to complaining about his one-horse town and brushing off a girl who can’t see how he really feels -- all while Wood tears off a series of brawny licks on the guitar.
  
  “Cocaine Lover,” perhaps the most intricate musical offering on Greg Wood III, seems at first to be a showcase for a burst of Doors-inspired organ from Andrew. Soon, however, Bueckert begins working in a convoluted drum signature, and he and Wood deftly move the song from a mid-tempo lope into a dynamic, polyrhythmic groove -- and then back again. “Perfect Drug” finds Kirkwood (now on bass) and Wood bashing their way through an intensely desolate cadence, even as Wood’s offers his most blatantly catchy vocal. The lyric has more to do with the former than the latter, however, as Wood cautions against falling for someone who struggles to contain his welled-up emotions: “I should have never let you see … a darker side of me,” Wood sings over a shambling, stuttering music bed that perfectly underscores this collision of atmospherics.
  
  Finally, there’s “Whiskey Smile,” another urgently rocking fable about somebody who’s dealing with just a little bit more than she can handle. As Bueckert thrums along with dangerous intent, Wood offers a closing blast of guitar fury -- moving from quietly assertive to deadly serious then to a lusty shout, then back again.
  
  It’s a nice metaphor for Greg Wood III as a whole, this head-banging record that touches the heart, too.
  
  Review by Nick DeRiso
  
  Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
  

• Greg Wood has the talent....no doubt about it. [+ Show ]
  

  Not only does Canadian-born singer/guitarist Greg Wood pack a heartfelt crunch in his guitar/rock s... Not only does Canadian-born singer/guitarist Greg Wood pack a heartfelt crunch in his guitar/rock style, but his poignant, emotional voice is just as expressive as his string tickling. On Greg Wood III, the Albertan’s third release, Mr. Wood lays out eleven tracks of roots rock tunes with a bright, modern feel. Most noticeable is the energy and electricity that surges through these cuts; a mix of great chords, up-tempo choruses, and an amicable guitar flow…but does a little go a long way?
  
  Wood’s music is somewhere along the lines of Creed, Theory Of A Deadman, and Nickelback…a combination of rock-perfect vocals with a slight gruffness, and lyrics ranging from love to heartbreak to deception. The opening track, “Razorblade” starts off with a catchy guitar riff that builds into the chorus and then explodes with Wood’s soulful voice. The entire cut is engulfed with a wonderful rock backbone and should be listened to loud. Wood struts his guitar prowess with some rather impressive guitar playing about three-quarters of the way through the song. With all of these elements, this track should be the first released single. “You Wouldn’t Understand” packs the same kind of punch as it closely imitating the previous track, but sounding just a tad more commercial and familiar.
  
  The only downside to the album becomes apparent in the third track. “Little While” repeats steps one and two…sure, the energy is there and the guitar work is front and center, but there’s a little bit of redundancy in the chords, in the flow of the song, and the overall song as a complete package. “Fly Away” changes things up a bit, sparking a different tempo and chemistry while maintaining a sturdy, stable rock feel. The chorus is catchy, and the short riffs create a hook that really works.
  
  “Hope In Her Eyes “ spotlights Wood’s gifted voice. Wood can sound amazingly sincere and honest in his singing, and this track is evidence of this. The song itself is another mid-tempo rock tune, brought down just a notch by the familiar-sounding chorus. “Father’s Touch” is a well-written slower track, seemingly about a girl who died pregnant and the pain felt by her lover who never had the chance to be the father of her child…”a father’s touch never felt”. The song itself is a great change of pace, but at the same time it exhibits Wood’s ability to write a pretty decent story song.
  
  “Cocaine Lover” has a smooth rock flow with more colorful guitar work, yet it refreshingly strays from the other songs because of its less chunky, rather abbreviated rock flavor, which tends to work in Wood‘s favor in this case. “Perfect Drug” is another well-sung track that is made for radio with its quirky pace and hook-laden makeup. The album wraps up with “Whiskey Smile”, a song that’s weighted down with the burden of sounding like too many other songs played by aforementioned artists like Nickelback and Theory Of A Deadman.
  
  Greg Wood has the talent…there’s no doubt about it. He has the guitar-playing prowess, the ability to craft catchy riffs and hooks, and he’s capable of writing effective lyrics that are smart and attention grabbing. The only flaw in this album is the fact that he hasn’t yet broken away from sounding like many existing or pre-existing bands, and because of this, a few of the tracks sound too much alike. There’s a clichéd sound that veins through three or four of the tracks, causing the audience to stray slightly from any immediate listening only to focus on the question, “ Who does this guy sound like?” This is truly the only point against Greg Wood III. There’s great music here, and with just a little fine tuning, Mr. Wood will soon be distinguishing himself with a more original, distinct sound that bears his fingerprints, all done without falling too far away from the rock and roll tree.
  
  Review by Mike DeGagne
  
  Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)
  

• Genuine, Passionate and Creative [+ Show ]
  

  “Wood seems to get a grip on the real potential of his abilities here…genuine, passionate, and creat...“Wood seems to get a grip on the real potential of his abilities here…genuine, passionate, and creative….he should be proud…ambitious rhythms and heartfelt lyrics.”

• Eddie Vedder Quality [+ Show ]
  

  “…a big rock sound with rich vocals that have a deep, Eddie Vedder quality and are equally as powerf...“…a big rock sound with rich vocals that have a deep, Eddie Vedder quality and are equally as powerful.”

• Guitar...voice...Wood...winning combo! [+ Show ]
  

  “…kick-ass, electric guitar…voice full of brashness, passion and soul. Wood offers a winning combo.”...“…kick-ass, electric guitar…voice full of brashness, passion and soul. Wood offers a winning combo.”

• "not a bad track on the album" [+ Show ]
  

  A growth as an artist has led to Greg Wood's third album, and his best effort to date. Simply entitl...A growth as an artist has led to Greg Wood's third album, and his best effort to date. Simply entitled, GREG WOOD III, it's a darker, yet sensual journey through the talent of this young musician.
  
  The lyrics and music on his latest album have a heavy hitting, kick you in the balls sound. Empowering vocals with crisp, clear, hot as hell guitar are rounded out by hard pounding drums that keep you entwined within the attitude that is this new distinctive sound. That's what puts Greg aside from alot of other independent artists today. It clearly reflects his past and present musical influences, from Metallica to Eddie Vedder, and emphasizes his continuous evolution as a musical artist.
  
  Most of the songs on this album are about relationships, love and sex, to which most of us can, to varying degrees, understand and relate to. Greg has stated that 'love' is universal, and his experiences of success and sorrow played a big part in creating this album. GREG WOOD III has been billed as a bigger production than anything he has attempted so far.
  
  He's continuously improving his skills as a song writer and musician by working in the best studios and performing to the best of his abilities not only in the studio, but also the multitude of live shows he performs at. His largest live show to date has been Boonstock, an outdoor festival, held just outside of Gibbons, Alberta. Greg performed alongside many other musicians in front of hundreds of fans that, regardless of the rain, partied to great music all weekend long.
  
  Despite his success, he hasn't forgotten his roots, performing a live show in his hometown of Bonnyville, Alberta, in June 2011, Greg made the time to autograph several posters and one lucky young fan's guitar, which happened to be the first one that he has been asked to sign. When asked how he felt about it, he replied, "It's great, that's the first time I've been asked to autograph a guitar! It's nice to know that I can have such a good impact on a young artist."
  
  With an artist as diverse as Greg Wood, it's easy to find favourites on the record. It simply depends on which of his vast array of influences you share. His use of the slide guitar on " You Wouldnt Understand" shows the maturity of his musicianship, while the lyrics in "Little While" are written from experience and a unique insight. Those are just two of the standout tracks on the album in my opinion. But you might adopt others as your favourites, as there's really not a bad track on the album.
  
  Five of Greg's songs are featured on the extreme snowmobiling film "Thunderstruck 10," released in August 2011 by USA based Thunderstruck Films. Two of those songs, "Razorblades" and "Little While," are from this latest album. What's next for Greg Wood? In his own words, "an unplugged album, co-writing in Nashville, writing the next rock album, building a new studio and a summer 2012 tour."
  
  
  
  

• Always intriguing and never disappointing [+ Show ]
  

  "The self-written, four track EP is a personal acoustic journey into a young man's life - often somb..."The self-written, four track EP is a personal acoustic journey into a young man's life - often sombre, always intriguing, and never disappointing."

• Wood's talent to shine through [+ Show ]
  

  “…the more mellow of the album’s track’s…really allow Wood’s talent to shine through…we are going to...“…the more mellow of the album’s track’s…really allow Wood’s talent to shine through…we are going to hear more from this guy. Or at least we should.”

• Vocals Similar to Chad Kroeger [+ Show ]
  

  “Greg Wood’s vocals are similar to Chad Kroeger, but deeper, throatier, and much sexier sounding…h...
  “Greg Wood’s vocals are similar to Chad Kroeger, but deeper, throatier, and much sexier sounding…he’s a phenomenal guitarist. Greg Wood could easily be on the same scale as Bon Jovi, and I’d love to see it happen.”
  

• Gutsy Roadhouse Rock
  

  “this is just flat out ka-chunk rock ‘n’roll stripped down…gutsy roadhouse rock...”

• Strumming ballads and driving rock [+ Show ]
  

  “For those of you who like the music of John Mayer and Kurt Cobain, Edmonton singer-songwriter Gre...
  “For those of you who like the music of John Mayer and Kurt Cobain, Edmonton singer-songwriter Greg Wood has just releases his first full-length self-titled CD. The collection contains a nice variety of strumming ballads and driving rock tunes.”
  

• Wood Cashes In [+ Show ]
  

  "Bonnyville's Greg Wood stole the show with his guitar and vocal appearance....looked like a seasone..."Bonnyville's Greg Wood stole the show with his guitar and vocal appearance....looked like a seasoned professional....commended by the judges for his superb stage presence, bluesy swagger, and exceptional low register..."

• Dysfunctional Love Child of Stapp and Kroeger
  

  “Wood’s …the dysfunctional love child of Scott Stapp and Chad Kroeger.”

Setlist

Live set list (Subject to continuous change)

Originals:

Razorblades
6am Blues
Hope in her Eyes
Angel in my Sheets
Cocaine Lover
Ride On
Empty Shell
Hold On
Old Dusty Road
I Want a Girl
Bedroom Eyes
Broken Hearted Girl
Set You Free
Pass Me By
About You
Infinity
Born to be Alone
Drunk in the Morning Blues
The Cheatin' Song
Canadian Rye
Sex Drugs and Rock n' Roll
You Wouldn't Understand
SLUT
Wake Up
Drift Away
Father's Touch
Little While
Fly Away


Various Electric Blues and Acoustic Instrumentals

Covers:

Much Too Young to Feel This Damn Old - Garth Brooks
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Whiskey Lullaby - Brad Paisley / Allison Krauss
Knockin on Heavens Door - Guns n Roses
Shooting Star - Bad Company
Roll Another Joint - Tom Petty
Turn the Page - Bob Seger
Blue on Black - Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Sex n Candy - Marcy's Playground
Wicked Game - Chris Issak
Staying Alive - Bee Gees
Shine Up My Boots - Corb Lund
One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer - George Thorogood
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Pride n Joy - SRV
Copperhead Road - Steve Earle
Simple Man - Lynard Skynard
Coulda Been a Lady - April Wine
Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
Cocaine Blues - Johnny Cash
Mary Jane's Last Dance - Tom Petty
Patience - Guns n Roses
Kriptonite - Three Doors Down
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
Black - Pearl Jam
The Seeker - The Who
Zombie - The Cranberries
Honky Tonk Woman - Rolling Stones
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
Time - Pink Floyd
Free Falling - Tom Petty
Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
Proud Mary - CCR
Blowin in the Wind - Bob Dylan
It Doesn't Remind Me - Audioslave
Redemption Song - Bob Marley
Dead Roses - The Rolling Stones
Don't Cry - Guns n Roses
Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
My Friends - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Snow - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sweet Child of Mine - Guns n Roses
Thunder Rolls - Garth Brooks
Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
Cumbersome - Seven Mary Three
The Joker - Steve Miller Band
Rockin in the Free World - Neil Young
House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
Glycerine - Bush
Foxy Lady - Hendrix
I Remember You - Skid Row
Thank You - Led Zepplin
Let it Be - The Beatles
Johnny Be Good - Chuck Berry
Midnight Rider - Marshall Tucker Band
Bird Without a Feather - R.L. Burnside
Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
New Orleans is Sinking - Tragically Hip
Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
Sweet Child of Mine - GnR
Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits
In this River - Zack Wylde
Picture - Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow

Basic Requirements

Calendar