Skarlett Woods shows great vocal range and control in her latest single, ‘You and I’. With filming off the coast in Hawaii and on the Mississippi River, the video, edited by Jose Leon, has the feel of summer in the middle of autumn. Likewise, ‘You and I’ delivers gently swaying rhythms and bright instrumentation that create a real warmth, reinforcing a song full of heart. Woods says: “This is my love song encased in a sense of gratitude. The Pandemic shattered my self-worth and I found it extremely difficult to find gratitude for my previous partner while I lived in Santa Cruz, CA with her. It took me two years later find this song- a thank you for all that we were when we were us.”
The single is taken from Woods’ sophomore album, ‘Letters to the West’, which was produced by Kevin Bowe. It’s an emotional album full of humanity and stories of loss and heartache. But beyond the despair, there’s hope and positivity and, ultimately, these are uplifting reflections and narratives. The stories Woods tells are informed by a life on the fringes of society and adventures such as working on a commercial crabbing boat, cycling 6,000 miles across America, and building two houses, one of which she lived in for five years without running water. Woods’ musical style is an intriguing blend of folk, Americana and jazz, influenced by Bill Leonhart, a seven-string jazz guitarist from the 1960’s San Francisco music scene, who provided her with lessons that she describes as, “…two years of unlearning the guitar.”
Woods has been recognised for her songwriting talents, winning awards like Duluth’s Dylan Fest Songwriting Contest in 2022 and in 2023 for her songs ‘Close To You (Braver These Days)’ and ‘Me, I, Me, Me’. In recent times, she’s also been a relentless live performer, putting on over 200 shows in the last year and she’s also opened for the likes of Stephen Stills. Check out the new album, starting here with the heartfelt ‘You and I’.
