Avant-pop singer/songwriter, Will Wood, will release his third album, The Normal Album, on July 10 via Say-10 Records. Produced by Jonathan Maisto (Dillinger Escape Plan, Foxy Shazam) with a guest appearance from multi-platinum producer Matt Squire (Panic! At The Disco, Ariana Grande, One Direction), The Normal Album is an enthralling, 10-track statement on normality and conformity. The album was successfully funded on Indiegogo within a day of its launch, and went on to raise nearly $28,000, with hundreds of passionate fans pledging up to thousands of dollars each.
"The 80's nostalgia prevalent in the pop world right now leaves out the best part of the 80's: the 50's nostalgia," says Wood when asked about 'Love Me Normally', the new single. "Multi-platinum producer Matt Squire helped me and the band stack nostalgias with a 50's doo-wop 80's power ballad so I could capture not the simpler times we long for, but the longing for simpler times itself. After all, times have never been simple; we just want things to go back to normal."
He continues, "A lot of people like to, when faced with how weird they are or someone they care about is, ask the age-old rhetorical question 'well, what is normal, anyway?' We understand what the question means, but we don't really bother to answer it. The Normal Album is my answer, and the other questions it begs."
In support of the album, Wood will be hosting a virtual release show via Crowdcast on July 11 at 7:00pm EST.
Will Wood has been said to have appeared out of nowhere, stumbling out of a hallucinogenic haze in 2015. He immediately began attracting attention and controversy with his eccentric and difficult-to-pin-down public persona and provocative performance art. Joined by his band, The Tapeworms (Matt Berger, Vater Boris, Mike Bottiglieri, Mario Conte), Wood confused and excited audiences and press alike with his constantly shifting, genre-defying musical style and over-the-top performances, which often featured light shows, acrobatics, standup comedy, and other theatrical elements that challenged the status quo of the local scene.
Shortly after entering recovery at the beginning of his career, Wood was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and began treatment. He has since begun to take a new direction with his work, dedicated to giving back to the world in the form of charity funded by merch, tickets and music sales, and using his music to try and inspire others with their own struggles. He now leads a reclusive life in rural New Jersey, having turned his back on social media, with the exception of his Patreon account, where he publishes most of his work as one of the top 1% of creators.
The Normal Album
1.Surburbia Overture
- Greetings, from Mary Bell Township!
- (Vampire) Culture
- Love Me, Normally
2. 2econd-2ight-2eer (that was fun, goodbye)
3. Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)
4. I/Me/Myself
5. ... well, better than the alternative
6. Outliars & Hyppocrates: A Fun Fact About Apples
7. BlackBoxWarrior - OKULTRA
8. Marsha, Thankk You for the Dialects, but I Need You to Leave.
9. Love Me, Normally
10. Memento Mori: the most important thing in the world
