“Puff of Smoke”, the highly-anticipated ninth studio album from Grammy Award-nominated Americana trio The Wood Brothers, has been announced for release on August 1st, 2025, via Honey Jar/Thirty Tigers, and it’s preceded by the album’s first single ‘Witness’ accompanied by a video for the song which you can watch below, filmed and edited by founding member and bassist Chris Wood. Recorded at their creative home base, The Studio Nashville, the album comes from the musical hive mind of a seasoned group with two decades of shared experiences, but instead of providing a literal soundtrack to uncertain times or a roadmap to navigate them, the band suggest that the 11-song collection posits a happily contrarian outlook: “Life can turn on a dime, and all we truly have is the moment at hand”.
“We’re not in control, and that can be good news,” says guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Oliver Wood. “Puff of Smoke speaks to the idea of letting go and taking the ride.” Fans who have hopped aboard at waypoints along The Wood Brothers’ journey that began with their 2006 debut “Ways Not to Lose” will already know to expect new material from the band will bring inventive songwriting, a grounded lyrical wit, and hopefully an adventurous sweep of sonic avenues.
“There’s a lot to unpack musically in this band, and it’s been this evolutionary process over the years and on each record,” Chris Wood explains. “Over time, the diversity of things we can do has all become part of our language.”
“This album is a little bit schizophrenic and eclectic,” continues Oliver. “It goes in a number of different directions. Songs like ‘The Trick’ and ‘Witness’ are very much about mindfulness. ‘The trick is not to give a damn’ — so, that’s detachment — or, ‘I’m just a witness’ — I’m just watching things happen. I’m not gonna be my feelings. I’m gonna watch ’em float by. Even a song like ‘Pray God Listens,’ which is a little bit humorous and cynical, leaves room to go a little deeper to find the compassion.”
The summer months leading into the release of “Puff of Smoke” find the band on the road with festival dates and headline shows across the U.S., including Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Sun, Sand & Soul, Del McCoury’s Delfest and Rochester Jazz Festival, as well as a co-headline run with St. Paul & The Broken Bones beginning in June but as yet nothing in Europe or the UK. We’ll let you know…
The album can be pre-ordered here
“Puff Of Smoke” Track Listing:
1. Witness
2. Puff of Smoke
3. Pray God Listens
4. Money Song
5. The Trick
6. Is It Up To You
7. Above All Others
8. The Waves
9. Slow Rise (To The Middle)
10. You Choose Me
11. Till The End
