Donovan Woods

Donovan Woods is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Sarnia, Ontario, born in 1980. His work sits in folk and country, with a strong roots influence, and he is known for writing and recording acoustic and indie-folk-leaning songs.

Recording career

Woods begins releasing albums in 2007 with The Hold Up. He follows it with The Widowmaker in 2010 and Don't Get Too Grand in 2013. That third album brings his first Juno Award nomination, for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo.

His fourth album, Hard Settle, Ain't Troubled, appears in 2016 and is longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. At the Canadian Folk Music Awards, he wins English Songwriter of the Year and the album is nominated for Contemporary Album of the Year.

Woods releases Both Ways in 2018. The album wins the Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year in 2019. He later issues The Other Way in 2019 as a companion record, with more acoustic versions of songs from Both Ways. It includes guest vocals from Tenille Townes on “I Ain’t Ever Loved No One”, while the original Both Ways version of the song is a duet with Rose Cousins.

His next full-length album, Without People, is released in 2020. The record includes guest vocals from Katie Pruitt and Rhys Lewis, and songwriting contributions from Ashley Monroe, Tucker Beathard, Thomas Finchum and Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies. Alongside the album, he launches the Donovan Woods With People Project, in which dancers and visual artists from several countries create work inspired by the songs; among the featured artists is Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Ariana and the Rose.

Later releases and collaborations

In 2021, Woods releases “IOWA” with Aoife O’Donovan. In 2022, he issues the EP Big Hurt Boy. He also opens for Matt Nathanson on the United States leg of the Some Mad Hope 15th Anniversary Tour.

In 2023, he appears on an all-star version of Serena Ryder’s “What I Wouldn’t Do”, released as a charity single for Kids Help Phone’s Feel Out Loud campaign.

In 2024, he releases Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now on End Times Music, a label he founds with Michelle Szeto. The album contains 11 songs and two bonus tracks.

Label work

End Times Music is the indie label Woods establishes with Michelle Szeto, and it issues Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now.