Willodean
The unique sound of this left coast band is due to the diverse musical backgrounds of its three members: the southern roots of front man Abbie Huxley, the smart, McCartney-esque songwriting of Randy Wooten, and the indie rock edge of producer/bass player Eric Holden. Wooten is fertile composer, and due to the band’s prolific output, Willodean released a string of four EPs in 2017 (28 songs!) in 2017. Now Willodean is back with a collection that shows off their love of pop music taking 7 songs classics in unexpected directions. From a dark take on Henry Glover's (Rivieras / The Ramones) oldie California Sun to an acoustic treatment of George Michael's Praying For Time. The record includes songs from INXS, The Beatles, Nick Drake, Pearl Jam & Phil Collins.
All of their own music is written by Wooten & produced by bassist Eric Holden, recorded in-house at Holden’s studio and released by their own label, Bigger Better More Records. In many ways, Willodean is a continuation of the partnership Holden and Wooten kicked off a decade ago, when the two formed Cheap Lullaby Records. Starting with their band at the time, The Bloody Lovelies, they went on to sign more than a dozen acts and release over 35 records for artists such as The BellRays, Joan As Police Woman, Silver Seas, Ivan & Alyosha, Teitur, Kathryn Williams and David Mead. The guys have turned a new corner with Willodean, blending their modern DIY production aesthetic and smart, lyric-based songwriting with singer Abbie Huxley’s Tennessee grit.
"Complete, catchy, dynamic, and authentic...we guarantee you’ll want to hit play over and over again."
- No Depression