Ontario’s Donovan Woods Releases Pop Infused Single

Donovan Woods is no stranger to making music that tugs at the heart-strings. His single follows this tradition, but adds new layers to his sound. “Way Way Back”  is a raw, modern production combining his country and folk roots with sleek pop flourishes.

Written entirely by Woods, “Way Way Back” juxtaposes love — both new and familiar — and the peculiar space it occupies in one’s mind. Woods dives into the internal, emotional conflict individuals face when rekindling an old flame. Recorded in Nashville’s Mt. Eden Studios and produced by Clark, who also lends his musicianship on the keyboard, guitar, and vocals. The ambient track also features Woods’ guitar-picking, accompanied by the mellow percussion of Jerry Roe (Rodney Crowell, EmmyLou Harris, Luke Combs) on drums.

“My partner said something once about the idea when people get back together with past romantic partners,” says Woods. “You always go as far as you’ve gone. If you slept together back then, you’d sleep together again. I thought it was a funny thought, and definitely true. But, it’s not something I’d ever heard anyone say out loud. So, I took that idea and explored the peculiar space that old sexual partners seem to occupy in everyone’s mind. It can be hard to escape the comfort and nostalgia that memory lane offers, and that’s what Way Way Back is about. The whole song — production and arrangement — is indicative of this push and pull between the risky excitement of something new and the ease of something familiar.”