JUDY WOODALL
In her early works, Judy Woodall’s music invited listeners to the front porch of the Appalachian Mountains, with her stylized Americana Roots, rockabilly, twang, and gritty sounds, all sung with her soulful voice. Nowadays, listeners join her seemingly floating through an electronic exploration as she stretches pre-conceived notions of her skills and interests. What has remained consistent throughout is the innate musicianship and absolute fun that Judy displays in every piece she touches.
“My electric guitar is replacing my voice in new recordings,” says Judy. “I’m trying to pull emotions out of the guitar that I had previously done with my voice”. Judy’s sound has evolved and matured, showcasing her confidence in experimenting in new territories. Starting from when she mixed her traditional vocals and classic riffs with inspiration from songwriters like Elizabeth Cotton and Bob Dylan in her country-pep songs from i Hear Music in the Air to the traditional rags of MonkeyGoatSinnerman. Now, her sound has grown into an even more layered and moody realm, pulling inspiration from German icon Michael Rother’s music with Neu and his solo work. The new Skygirl album is an evocative, nuanced electronic album that mesmerizes as much as her mountain voice did on her earlier projects – inviting you once again to join her in the fun. “When I play, I envision a mule wearing a space helmet and playing a guitar,” Judy says, leaning in with a wide grin and twinkling eyes, checking to see if we see it too. Judy’s is a core member of the community of musicians and a constant in the Orange- and Durham-county area; over the last 20+ years, she’s played with Dex Romweber and Katherine Whalen, Jerry Kee, Stray Owls, Julian Weaver of The Pseudoscients, opened for North Miss Allstars, played rhythm guitar at an International Dance Festival in Mexico, while accompanying the Apple Chill Cloggers. She has invited such substantial artists as Joe Thompson and Beverly Evans Ferrell (Elizabeth Cotton’s granddaughter) to join her on stage. Judy has performed at the Eno Festival, Carrboro Music Festival, and Chapel Hill Farmer's Market, clubs in NC, Ohio, and W.Va. and busked on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. She also has played at private parties, art openings, radio stations, TV stations, and coffeehouses, and to special audiences like patients at UNC and Duke hospitals, Duke Coffeehouse, nursing homes, hospice facilities, and dementia care facilities. In those same two decades, Judy’s composed, recorded, and engineered six independent albums -- including the most recent and edgy one, Skygirl, released in late 2023. She’s also played on two Fledglings’ albums, on Tacoma Park’s album, and recorded a great number of local bands and musicians including Steep Canyon Rangers, Hooverville, Memphis, Penne Sandbeck, and Jimbo Mathus. Whether jamming with fellow artists, playing her guitar solo, or meandering into new spaces with her synth, it’s obvious that this gearhead is having fun with her music, and it makes listeners look forward to where she will take us next. |
SKYGIRL
CD / Digital |