An editor has performed a search and found that sufficient sources exist to establish the subject's notability. (November 2018) |
Hilary Woods is an Irish musician born in Dublin.[1] She is a solo artist, previously a member of the alternative rock band JJ72, with which she played bass guitar from 1996 until 2003.[2] JJ72 had success with two Top 20 albums in the early 2000s with Woods as the bassist.[3] She quit the music industry until 2013, returning with her first solo album, The River Cry, and the EP Night the following year.[3]
Hilary Woods | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Republic of Ireland |
| Genres | Alternative |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, bass, piano |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels | Sacred Bones |
| Formerly of | JJ72 |
Woods' solo albums have a gentle, ambient folk sound with "nocturnal keyboard-based songs".[3] Her musical inspiration comes from filmmakers, electronic artists, experimental noise, and folk music traditions.[3] She is currently signed to Sacred Bones Records.[1]
Biography
editWoods was raised in Dublin by parents that fostered a musical environment, playing classical, folk and rock LPs in the home.[3] Her parents encouraged her to play music, and she began learning her main instrument, the piano.[3] Her brother was encouraged to play instruments as well.[3] As an 18-year-old, Woods joined the band JJ72 with singer/guitarist Mark Greaney and drummer Fergal Matthews.[3] Woods played bass in the band from the late 90's to the early 2000's.[3]
JJ72 was signed to Sony imprint Lakota Records and released their debut self-titled album in 2000, followed by their second album in 2002.[3] Both albums were successful and reached Top 20 charts in the UK and Ireland.[3] The group toured for a total of four years, after which Woods left the band and did not return to the music industry for more than a decade.[3]
A year after leaving JJ72, Woods started a family and focused on raising her daughter.[3]
Before returning to the music industry, Woods took college courses that sparked creativity and compelled her to continue making music.[3] Notably, she was inspired by filmmakers such as Wong Kar-wai and Chris Marker.[3] She also expanded her musical horizons by listening to electronic artists such as Jon Hopkins and Vincent Gallo.[3]
After her spell in fine art school and having studied literature and film in college, she returned to music under the name The River Cry for one confidential self-titled album in 2013,[4] then started to release EPs under her own name (Night in 2014 and Heartbox in 2016); leading to her debut solo record Colt in 2018[5] as a Sacred Bones artist.[6] After releasing her debut solo EP Night, Woods began touring again.[3] Her most recent album, Acts of Light, was released in 2023.[7][8]
Discography
editAlbums
editWith JJ72
editSolo
edit- The River Cry (2013)
- Colt (2018)
- Birthmarks (2020)
- Acts of Light (2023)
EPs
edit- Night (2014)
- Heartbox (2016)
- Feral Hymns (2021)
Singles
edit- "N.I.B." (2021)
- "In Heaven" (2022)
References
edit- ^ a b "Hilary Woods". Spotify. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "'I'm far more creative artistically as a mother' – former JJ72 bassist Hilary Woods". 18 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Hilary Woods Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "The River Cry : Review in GoldenPlec". 2 April 2013.
- ^ "press pieces – Hilary Woods". Hilary Woods. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Sacred Bones – Hilary Woods". Sacred Bones Records. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "press pieces – Hilary Woods". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/products/sbr274-hilary-woods-acts-of-light