Photography by Joshua Black Wilkins


The Wood Brothers’ Oliver Wood has announced his debut solo record, Always Smilin’. The new album is due out on May 21. In addition to the announcement, Wood also released the record’s first single, titled “Fine Line.”

“The year before the pandemic, people would come through Nashville where I live and I’d set up a co-write or a jam in our studio, just to do some stuff outside of my own band,” Wood said in a statement. “There wasn’t an album in mind. I just wanted to be creative. But when the pandemic happened, the songs started building up.

“You’d be surprised at the music you write and the chances you take when there’s nothing at stake,” he continues. “The best art is an accident. You wind up accessing a different part of your brain and trusting your instincts, rather than relying on control. I’ve learned it would serve you well to be like that in everyday life, especially when you’re dealing with stresses and crises.”

Listen to “Fine Line” here, and pre-order Always Smilin’ here.