BW&BK; recently caught up with WOODS OF YPRES keyboardist Jessica Rose to get her take on the band's new album, Deepest Roots And Darkest Blues. She offers a look at the creative process.

"Woods III contains many layers, so it was interesting for me to see everything come together and hear the songs change as they were recorded and mixed," says Rose. "Dan (Hulce/bass/producer) put a lot of work into mixing this album, and I think taking the time to work things through really made a difference in how well it turned out. As the keyboardist, I was able to write my parts, record, and then just watch the rest unfold."
"David (Gold/guitars, vocals), Dan, and I each had a part in creating and shaping this album. For the most part, the keyboard parts were written and recorded once the drums and guitars were finished. I took on each song individually and added a layer of synthetic string pads over the guitars to enhance the mood, and add depth, darkness and heaviness. I then picked out interesting chord structures in the songs and wrote piano parts to further pull the pieces together and add variation in the music. The album was created with the outline of a theme as a starting point, but really took on form as each layer was added."

With regards to the band's next album, which is currently being written, Rose offers the following:

"Woods IV will be based around the concept of spring and renewal. With this idea I get an image of turbulent waters washing away all the bitterness of winter, with the clashing of the seasons. Spring is a time of both harshness and peace, and I would like to work with a more organic and raw sound to express this. I hope to record parts of the next album on an acoustic piano, and have fewer heavy layers in the music to let each part really stand on its own."

Watch for a complete interview with David Gold in BW&BK; #110. For more information on the band go to this location.

'Northern Cold'

'Your Ontario Town Is A Burial Ground' (audio only)