Juno
Juno commonly refers to:
*Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods
*Juno (film), ''Juno'' (film), 2007
Juno may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters
*Juno, in the film ''Jenny, Juno''
*Ju ...
-nominated Canadian musician and record producer based in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Ontario. To date, he has released eight studio albums, three EPs, and one live record.
Biography
Early life
Wood was born John Royal Wood Nicholson and raised in Lakefield, Ontario. Royal Wood, his performing name and his real middle names, were chosen in memory of his great-grandfather, Royal Rufus Wood, who died in 1962.
Wood grew up in a household filled with music; his brother Luke Nicholson is also a singer-songwriter. He began playing piano by ear at the age of four and started lessons at age eight. With the support of his school music program, he had access to a variety of different instruments, and by his teens, he became a multi-instrumentalist who could play the guitar, bass, drums,
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
, and trumpet.
After high school, Wood studied business at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
. During this time, he performed piano in Montreal jazz clubs and focused on his guitar playing while trying to find his voice as a songwriter.
The Milkweed EP
''The Milkweed EP'' is the debut release by Canadian singer-songwriter Royal Wood
Royal Wood is a Juno-nominated Canadian musician and record producer based in Toronto, Ontario. To date, he has released eight studio albums, three EPs, and one ...
'', in 2002. This collection of songs was written, arranged, and produced by Wood himself. The release garnered much critical acclaim, and critics drew comparisons with
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...
,
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997), raised as Scott Moorhead, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by ...
, and
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
.
Following this, Wood set out to create an over-the-top pop record for his full-length debut. Drawing inspiration from
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
and
the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
, he once again undertook production duties during the recording sessions. In 2004, Wood released ''
Tall Tales
A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some tall tales are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories ("the fish that got away") such as, "That fish was so big, why I tell ya', it n ...
'' on
Maple Music
Cadence Recordings, formerly MapleMusic, is a Canadian independent record label founded by Andy Maize, Jeff Maize, Mike Alkier, Evan Hu, Lorique Mindel and Grant Dexter in 1999 and based in Toronto, Ontario. Other investors include Gary Slaig ...
. The record's ornate sound and layered arrangements garnered much critical attention, and Wood was praised for his vocal style and infectious lyricism.
With the goal of creating a more mature sound, the artist entered
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
's Reaction Studios in 2005 to begin recording his next album. During the recording sessions, he used a
Steinway
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (), is a German-American piano company, founded in 1853 in Manhattan by German piano builder Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway). The company's growth led to the opening of a ...
grand piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
, scored a full
string quartet
The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...
, and also enlisted the help of many well-known musicians, including
Hawksley Workman
Hawksley Workman (Born Ryan Corrigan, March 4, 1975) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full-length albums throughout his career. A mul ...
and
Kurt Swinghammer
Kurt Swinghammer is a Canadian singer-songwriter and visual artist based in Toronto."Canadian pop finds its own way to rock". ''Toronto Star'', 30 June 1989.
He has released 13 full-length albums of original songs and as a session musician appea ...
. The result was ''
A Good Enough Day
''A Good Enough Day'' is the second album by Canadian singer-songwriter Royal Wood, released in 2007 on Dead Daisy Records
Emm Gryner (born 8 June 1975 in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian-Filipino singer, songwriter, recording artist, and aut ...
'', which was released in 2007 on
Dead Daisy Records
Emm Gryner (born 8 June 1975 in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian-Filipino singer, songwriter, recording artist, and author. She has released 20 albums as a solo performer, and has collaborated with artists including David Bowie and Chris Hadfie ...
in Canada, and in 2008 on
Rounder Europe
Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Ali ...
. The record spawned three singles and three music videos: "A Mirror Without", "Juliet", and "I'm So Glad". Music from the record has also been featured on several TV and movie soundtracks, including TMN/
Movie Central
Movie Central (occasionally abbreviated as "MC", mostly in program guides) was a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. Movie Central was designated to operate ...
's ''
ReGenesis
''ReGenesis'' is a Canadian science-fiction television series produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons from 2004 to 2008, revolves around the scientists of No ...
Food Network
Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...
's ''
The Surreal Gourmet
''The Surreal Gourmet'' is a Canadian cooking program on Food Network, hosted by Bob Blumer.
The show features creative techniques for cooking and the memorable Toastermobile. Generally, the foods prepared on ''The Surreal Gourmet'' are intended ...
''. Internationally, "A Mirror Without" was featured on an episode of ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
''. The song "Paradise" was also featured on an episode of ''
Private Practice Private practice may refer to:
*Private sector practice
**Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiati ...
''.
With the success of ''A Good Enough Day'', Wood was invited to share the stage with numerous Canadian musicians, including
Emm Gryner
Emm Gryner (born 8 June 1975 in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian-Filipino singer, songwriter, recording artist, and author. She has released 20 albums as a solo performer, and has collaborated with artists including David Bowie and Chris Hadfie ...
,
Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer (born November 12, 1970) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and environmental activist.
Early life
Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sist ...
,
Kathleen Edwards
Kathleen Edwards (born July 11, 1978 ) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, ''
Sarah Slean
Sarah Hope Slean (born June 21, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and musician. She has released eleven albums to date (including EPs and live albums). She is also a poet, visual artist, and occasional actress.
Career Major recordi ...
,
Jill Barber
Jill Barber (born February 6, 1980) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Originally associated with the folk-pop genre, she has performed vocal jazz and pop music on her more recent albums.Serena Ryder
Serena most commonly refers to:
* Serena Williams (born 1981), professional tennis player
Serena may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Serena (genre), 13th-century Occitan poetic genre
* ''Serena'' (1962 film), a British crime th ...
. In support of the Rounder Europe release of the record, he also embarked on a European tour in 2008.
On his next record, Wood wanted to focus on lyrics and string arrangements. The result was the 2009 album ''
The Lost and Found EP
''The Lost And Found EP'' by Royal Wood was released on Dead Daisy Records
Emm Gryner (born 8 June 1975 in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian-Filipino singer, songwriter, recording artist, and author. She has released 20 albums as a solo perfo ...
''. With a consistently growing fan base, Wood embarked on his first headlining tour of Western Canada in November 2009, joined by Atlantic Canadian singer-songwriter
Rose Cousins
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...
.
In 2010, he released '' The Waiting'', after which iTunes Canada named him one of their iTunes Songwriters of the Year. That same year, he was also nominated at the Junos for Songwriter of the Year. He supported David Gray on a full national tour and completed three headline tours of Canada, as well as others in Europe and the US.
His 2012 album, ''We Were Born to Glory'', debuted in the Top 25 on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
, and was nominated for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the 2013 Juno Awards. The first single from the album was "Not Giving Up".
On March 18, 2014, Wood released '' The Burning Bright''. The lead single, "Forever and Ever", was a Top 40 hit in Canada. In June 2014, he released a companion album, ''I Wish You Well'', which included five new songs and four original mixes from the previous album. The record was a collaboration with Dean Drouillard, while much of the material was inspired by Wood's stay in
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...
, Ireland.
Wood released ''Ghost Light'' in 2016 to positive reviews, including the ''
Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' naming it one of the "Best Albums of the Year". The lead single, "Long Way Out", found its way into the '' CBC Music Top 20''. It was released internationally on
Outside Music
Outside Music is a Canadian record label and distributor founded by Lloyd Nishimura in 2001. In 2007, it expanded to include an artist management division which includes Jill Barber, Matthew Barber, Aidan Knight, Justin Rutledge as management ...
in 2017. The momentum of ''Ghost Light'' and Wood's career successes led him to be the "very special guest" on
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
's national Canadian tour in 2017.
The artist released his latest album, ''Ever After the Farewell'', in April 2018. The lead single, "California Nights", made the ''Radio 2 Top 20''. The world tour highlights included headlining
Massey Hall
Massey Hall is a performing arts theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. An intimate theatre, it was originally designed to seat ...
in Toronto, the
Winspear Centre
The Francis Winspear Centre for Music is a performing arts centre located in the downtown core of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Opened in 1997, it is the home of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. The centre is named after Francis G. Winspear, who don ...
in Edmonton, and the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax. A companion EP, called ''Love Will Linger'', was released on October 26, 2018. In 2021, Wood released a live recording of his performance at Massey Hall, titled ''Live at Massey Hall''.
Personal life
In 2008, Wood and fellow singer-songwriter
Sarah Slean
Sarah Hope Slean (born June 21, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and musician. She has released eleven albums to date (including EPs and live albums). She is also a poet, visual artist, and occasional actress.
Career Major recordi ...
got engaged in Paris; the pair married in 2009. In January 2014, Slean announced she and Wood had "parted ways as friends".
Wood married Alison Waldbauer in 2017. They live in Toronto's
Liberty Village
Liberty Village is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bordered to the north by King Street West, to the west by Dufferin Street, to the south by the Gardiner Expressway, to the east by Strachan Avenue, and to the northeast by the ...
neighbourhood. Wood also owns his parents' farm near Peterborough.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Tall Tales
A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some tall tales are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories ("the fish that got away") such as, "That fish was so big, why I tell ya', it n ...
'' (2004)
* ''
A Good Enough Day
''A Good Enough Day'' is the second album by Canadian singer-songwriter Royal Wood, released in 2007 on Dead Daisy Records
Emm Gryner (born 8 June 1975 in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian-Filipino singer, songwriter, recording artist, and aut ...
'' (2007)
* '' The Waiting'' (2010)
* '' We Were Born to Glory'' (2012) No. 23 CAN
* '' The Burning Bright'' (2014)
* ''I Wish You Well'' (2014)
* ''Ghost Light'' (2016)
* ''Ever After the Farewell'' (2018)
* ''What Tomorrow Brings'' (2022)
EPs
* ''
The Milkweed EP
''The Milkweed EP'' is the debut release by Canadian singer-songwriter Royal Wood
Royal Wood is a Juno-nominated Canadian musician and record producer based in Toronto, Ontario. To date, he has released eight studio albums, three EPs, and one ...
'' (2003)
* ''
The Lost and Found EP
''The Lost And Found EP'' by Royal Wood was released on Dead Daisy Records
Emm Gryner (born 8 June 1975 in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian-Filipino singer, songwriter, recording artist, and author. She has released 20 albums as a solo perfo ...