The Wood Brothers have officially released their eighth studio album, Heart Is The Hero, via Honey Jar/Thirty Tigers.

Heart Is The Hero was recorded analog to 16-track tape—a rarity in the age of digital recording. Biological brothers Oliver Wood and Chris Wood and honorary sibling Jano Rix showcase their superb songwriting with a collection of ten stripped-down, acoustic-driven tracks that highlight their chemistry as a trio of seasoned performers. The results reflect lyrical themes of presence, empathy, and trust that inform the collection’s ten songs. A primarily acoustic-driven effort, its earthy and energized performances are matched by the visceral songwriting that has turned The Wood Brothers into Grammy-nominated leaders of American roots music, even as their music reaches far beyond the genre’s borders.

“There was something beautiful about never turning on the computer,” said Chris Wood of the album’s recording process. “Until about 25 years ago, sound was only heard and rarely seen. But in modern recording, we’ve become used to working on music with our eyes, because we can see and manipulate the sound waves on a computer screen. That changes how you experience music and how you make decisions. Making a record without turning on the screen took us back in time to the era where you had to capture a good performance instead of piecing together or ‘fixing’ a performance. If we weren’t happy with a take, we had to perform and record another version. Recording without a computer forced us to trust our instincts, choose what felt best, and move on.”

Related: The Wood Brothers Advocate For Empathy In New Video For “Line Those Pockets” [Video]

“The chorus of the album’s title track says, ‘the heart is the hero of every song.’ By no means was it intentional, but much of the material we were writing for this record seemed to come full circle to the idea of trusting in your heart in matters that you can’t control,” said Oliver Wood in a press statement. “Those words seemed to illustrate so much of what we were feeling—that heart and spirit guides us through this world. Even by recording completely analog, we had to commit to feeling the performances and have faith in what the three of us were creating together instead of trying to make things perfect by letting technology or overthinking things get in the way.”

Listen to Heart Is The Hero, the new album from The Wood Brothers, on the platform of your choice here or stream it via the player below.

The Wood Brothers – Heart Is The Hero – Full Album

The Wood Brothers – Heart Is The Hero – Album Trailer

Heart Is The Hero arrives in the middle of The Wood Brothers’ spring tour, which extends through the end of April across the Mountain States, Great Plains, and Texas. The band returns to the road in May and June for an additional twenty shows in the Midwest and Northeast with special guests Shovels & Rope.

For a full list of upcoming tour dates for The Wood Brothers, click below. Find ticketing information here.

The Wood Brothers 2023 Tour Dates

4/14 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center ^
4/15 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom ^
4/17 – Salina, KS – The Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts ^
4/18 – Fayetteville, AR – JJ’s Live ^
4/20 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom ^
4/21 – Tilmon, TX – Old Settler’s Music Festival
4/22 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater ^
4/23 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre ^
5/10 – Peoria, IL – Premier Event Center *
5/11 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed *
5/12 – Minneapolis, MN – Utepils Brewing Co. *
5/13 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater *
5/15 – Akron, OH – Goodyear Theater *
5/16 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre *
5/18 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern *
5/19 – Raleigh, NC – North Carolina Museum of Art *
5/20 – Washington, DC – The Anthem *
5/21 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre *
6/7 – Portland, ME – State Theatre *
6/8 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner *
6/9 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 *
6/10 – Accord, NY – Arrowood Farms *
6/11 – Fairport, NY – Perinton Center Park Amphitheater *
6/13 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall *
6/15 – Charlottesville, VA – Ting Pavillion *
6/16 – Williamsburg, VA – Virginia Arts Festival’s Williamsburg Live *
6/17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mountain View Amphitheatre *
6/18 – Grand Rapids, MI – Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater *
6/24 – Greenfield, MA – Green River Festival
7/7-9 – Orillia, ON – Mariposa Folk Festival
7/15 – Healdsburg, CA – Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series +
7/27 – Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Garden ^^
7/28 – White Sulphur Springs, MT – Red Ants Pants Music Festival
8/18-20 – Wellston, MI – Hoxeyville Music Festival
9/16-17 – Templeton, CA – Whale Rock Music Festival
10/4-7 – Eureka Springs, AR – Hillberry Harvest Moon Festival
10/8 – Monterey, CA – Rebels & Renegades Music Festival

^ w/ Cris Jacobs
* w/ Shovels & Rope
+ w/ ZZ Ward
^^ w/ The Lil’ Smokies

View Tour Dates