Formed in Ottawa Ontario in 2006, the Woodrunners started as most bands do, in the basement. Formed by Curtis MacPhee, Marc Audet and Craig O'Leary. In the summer of 2006 Craig made a trip back home to Nova Scotia (also home to Curtis) and made a proposal to an old friend Shawn Purdy to come up to Ottawa to join the band as bassist. Shawn arrived that November with bass in hand and rock in his pockets. He soon took on the monicker of "Biff" to which he and the world have come to welcome with open arms.
Since then the band has worked extensively on a bank of songs mostly written by Curtis and Marc, each with their own sounds and approach. The band then took the next step and approached a local bar about being the house band for their open stages, to which they were accepted. The band later recieved their own night, once a month were they have been going since and honing their sound and chemistry.
Some would describe the sound as rootsy, bluesy, funky, folky and always unpredictable. The band members each having their own influences also share common ground when it comes to their love of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones etc. Mixing the aforementioned with some of the more recent bands appearing on the scene such as The Kings of Leon, Grandaddy, Wilco, The Bees (band of) and Supergrass, has helped create the Woodrunners "old with the new" sound.
The Ottawa Underground has been hosting shows since 2001, and has provided band news online for almost as long.
If you have an upcoming show, new Mp3 or album, or new video/photos, feel free to promote your band news every month or two by posting a brief press release on the Ottawa Underground wall. It will serve as a newsfeed for local bands, so yes I welcome your band news comments on my wall.
The Woodrunners are a "Lost Colt friend of the month", 'cause they are playing with us at the Hintonburg Artspark event, May 10, down behind the Parkdale Market.
Come out and see how art is flourishing in the Hintonburg community.
To celebrate the new year, Chaotic Sound Studio is offering a promotion on analog & digital mixing for the month of January.
Break the silence and give your songs that big sound they deserve… Please contact us for more info in regards to this promotion. Offer ends Jan 31st 2009.
All the best for the new year!
Check out our latest releases: Harpoon, Aarsen, Goetia, Headbounce and soon to be released: The Anders Drerup Band.
Great set last night guys! Im sorry i didnt stay, but Amanda and I were exhausted. Make sure to come see my folk band play the dale on aug.21!! I'd love to do a show with you guys in september or october latest. I was thinking at the rainbow or maybe the black sheep inn?? Lets hope they agree.....
great sounds - i'll play for sure. nat at the elmdale was very enthusiastic about you guys - i didn't get to make it to the show on sat. nite but will keep a look out for others.
Hey boys. I can't wait for you to hear the new Face of Jam tunes. One of them is inspired by your track 'Time will Tell'. I love it when good bands inspire me. Sorry I can't make Elmdale on the 12th. Maybe some other time??
Check out the review of the WRs from this site (http://www.rockinrick.ca/)
Next up were the Woodrunners. I can't say enough good things about this band. They play excellent original songs in the vein of Son Volt, Wilco, Neil Young and it's all delivered with great harmonies with that big fat Gretch guitar sound. They are quickly becoming popular in Ottawa and play regularly at the Carlton Tavern. I hope they soon get a cd recorded and I predict bigger and better things for these guys.
