By TOMASZ LESICZKA
Athens Insider contributor |http://www.theathensinsider.com|
January 12th 2006

Bringing out some of the best qualities in pop music, Woody Whatever has made a name for itself on the local music scene and is looking to expand in new directions.

After shuffling line-ups, (this is the fifth version of the band), Woody is ready to move forward and expand outward.

The band has just gotten back to Southeast Ohio from a brief tour of the Midwest where they got a taste of new audiences, and the not-so-glamorous aspects of the rock and roll lifestyle.

Bass player Josh Goldberg said that besides the music, the tour involved “a lot of waiting and a lot of fast food.”

The drawbacks are not enough to stop the band from making plans for more extensive touring.

Singer and guitar player Erik Schmall wants to keep on branching out in hopes of widening the band’s audience.

“We’re going to try to play a lot of shows around Ohio in the future,” he said. “It would be nice to be able to do this for a living.”

The band does not shy away from its rock/pop tag. They openly embrace pop structure and simple melodies.

“We try to be catchy, and we try to write unique, crafty songs,” Goldberg said. “There’s nothing too long-winded. We’re not much of a mission statement band.”

The music borrows a lot from ‘70s power pop. The band happens to follow directly in the footsteps of indie demigods Guided by Voices. Woody Whatever’s formula has been to write short songs with strong hooks. The band, just like Guided by Voices, has stripped the standard pop song down to its barest minimum.

The short songs and lo-fi recording techniques lead to a very intimate listening experience. The music is friendly and engaging, and the raw recordings bring the music right into your living room. The warm hiss behind the tracks adds to the honesty behind the music. This is not a glossy, mass-produced product, it’s a heartfelt expression recorded in a bedroom. The band does not overwhelm listeners with pyrotechnics, instead it relies on simple repetition and tight chord structures to lure listeners in.

Even with plans to play shows in different cities, the band noted the luxury of being able to perform in Athens.

“It’s not as big as Columbus, but there are a lot of people out there making good music,” guitarist Pearce Dietrich said. “Everyone comes to each other’s shows because everyone has like eight other bands. It’s really cool that it’s so tight knit.”

With such a close knit atmosphere there is also a lot of competition and pressure to succeed.

“I think there is more pressure because you play in front of people you know, and you want them to think that you’re good,” drummer Jessie Lancaster said. “It’s a good kind of pressure; we push each to be better.”

“It’s good though because everyone tries their best to show support for each other’s bands,” Goldberg added. “The Union is like the community center for a lot of the bands around town. I get to see a lot of the bands here that I really love.”

Erik said that he hopes to release another record (the band’s 13th!) by spring. He wants it to be another “really lo-fi album.”

Woody Whatever will perform Feb. 9 at the Casa Cantina. More information is available at the band’s Web site www.woodywhatever.com.

by Kelly Schwaberow
Staff Writer
Jan. 5 2006

Among the acid-tripping jam bands and sinister punk groups of Athens emerges the sugary sweet band Woody Whatever, whose music should be found on the set of The OC rather than within the grungy walls of The Union where they will play Saturday.

With a book of poetry on their music stands, a catchy melody in their heads and a “just have fun” motto, Woody Whatever is cranking out “garage pop” tunes meant just for friends.

“If you don’t like a song it will be over in two minutes and there will be another one,” said bassist Josh Goldberg.

The group’s lyrics come from poetry written by Jeremy Schmall – lead singer and guitarist Erik Schmall’s older brother – who writes about his existence and interactions within his busy world. Erik uses the poetry and puts a lo-fi British beat to it, making an arsenal of to-the-point, open-for-interpretation songs, Erik said.

“It doesn’t necessarily have a linear meaning to it,” said guitarist Tom Huffman.

Although their main tone is pop, Erik said the band’s sound changes with what is in his CD player. Since last spring, Woody Whatever has gone from an airy guitar sound to a more edgy sound because of Erik’s change in musical preference from pop group Guided by Voices to the local rock band Rat Brains.

Another variable to the group’s sound is its ever-changing lineup. After forming in 2001 in Dayton, Erik is the only original member of Woody Whatever. The band has had a few different drummers (now content with Jessy Lancaster on drums), a bassist change and two other guitarists (Huffman and Pearce Dietrich).

This lineup has had the best live sound since it started, Huffman said.

“This is the all-star team,” Goldberg added.

In 2001, Erik moved to Athens and brought Woody Whatever with him; however, the group didn’t start playing regularly until last spring. They broadened their fan base in December when they toured in Chicago and at Purdue University.

When performing live, Goldberg said “We try not to bore anyone,” and they just like playing music, although Dietrich is known to jump off a few speakers.

Woody Whatever has produced four EP albums and eight full-length albums since 2001. Most of their songs are recorded in Erik’s basement and they plan to record more soon.

“We’re always going to (record) and it’s never going to make a dime, but hopefully we’ll meet someone that does make a dime and we’ll leech off them, which is really the ultimate goal of any rock band,” Goldberg said.

Woody Whatever is performing with General Stacks and The Snails at 10 p.m. Saturday at The Union, 18 W. Union St. Admission is $4.