Woodland Creatures will be celebrating the release of their second album, “All Within Reach,” on May 3, with the record’s title drawn from a lyric and representing the band’s shared feeling of optimism for the future.
”In our first album, ‘Lay It All Down,’ we were still figuring out our sound and what we were good at,” harmony vocalist/fiddler Hannah McGovern said. “In this upcoming album, ‘All Within Reach,’ we know our strengths and how to use them: three-part harmonies, a vintage sound inspired by classic rock, blending folk and rock elements, and virtuosity from our instrumentalists.
“A lot has happened in our lives over the past few years, marked by periods of growth, challenges, joy and sorrow. ‘All Within Reach’ journeys through these ever-shifting feelings that we all experience, such as burnout in ‘Don’t Have Enough,’ admiration in ‘Pretty Mama,’ anxiety in ‘Thoughts Run Wide,’ determination in ‘Gotta Run,’ and hope in ‘Wild Mountain Flower.’ While the lyrics are deeply personal, they touch on universal themes of the tides of life to which we can all relate.”
The Fox Chapel-based band will hold an album release party May 3 at Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. The album — with cover art created from a mirrored image of the contour lines in a topographic map of Observatory Hill in Perry North, the highest point in Pittsburgh — features the first single “Wild Mountain Flower.”
“I was in our basement studio playing my ukulele with our daughter, Fiona, while she was coming up with her own song. It’s a game we play, and it’s always adorable. I don’t know why, but the chorus just popped into my head. I started singing it, and she sang it back to me. I took that as a sign that this was a good song to work on. Later that day, Jon came up with the chords and soon enough, we started filling out the rest of the song with the band. Writing ‘Wild Mountain Flower’ was one of those rare instances where the song instantly came together. Everyone just seemed to know what to play. It was like we already knew the song.
“The lyrics are particularly meaningful to us. The flower we are referring to is our state flower, Mountain Laurel. This gorgeous flower can grow in the craziest places. I’ve seen it grow out of a rock on the side of a cliff. This song reminds us that we all have the strength to bloom in adversity, and that resilience is in our very nature.”
Hannah McGovern filled TribLive in on what else we should know about Woodland Creatures:
Band: Woodland Creatures
Band members: Gail Hofbauer (lead vocals); Hannah McGovern (harmony vocals, fiddle); Liz Thompson (harmony vocals, acoustic guitar); Ted Molnar (lead guitar); Jon McGovern (bass); Nomi Joy Marcus (drums)
Founding story: Woodland Creatures began in 2018 when Liz and I started singing together after finding out we both enjoyed harmonizing to pretty much any tune. I was a new mom at the time and was struggling with the new parent life. My therapist encouraged me to find time for a hobby, so Liz and I began scheduling weekly music hangouts. My husband, Jon, enjoyed listening to the two of us and wanted to join in with his bass. Liz and I were trying to think of some of our other friends who might want to join our music hangouts, and we remembered our good friend, Gail, did musical theater in college.
After she joined, we realized we had something special. Our three-part harmonies were magic. The interesting thing about our founding story was that we did not set out to be a gigging band. In fact, none of us had even been in a band before or had written an original song. I’m extremely proud of the fact that we started this journey in our thirties and after starting families and demanding jobs. It’s never too late to learn something new.
Origin of band’s name: Two common themes in our music are a love of nature, as can be heard in songs like “Wild Mountain Flower,” “Lay It All Down” and “Sky Turn Blue,” as well as a darker witchy vibe in songs like “Crows Don’t Lie,” “Revenge” and “Come on Back.” Our name, Woodland Creatures, ties these two themes together, bringing to mind not only the beauty of nature, but also dark, scary creatures that might live in the woods.
For fans of: 1970-’90s folk rock music, three-part harmonies and classic rock
Influences: Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, Heart, CCR
Releases: “Rooted” EP in 2020; “No Time” single in 2022; “Deep” single in 2023; “Keep On Running” single in 2023; “Lay It All Down” debut album in 2023; “All Within Reach” album in 2025
Next shows: “All Within Reach” album release show, May 3 at Thunderbird Music Hall, with Chet Vincent & The Music Industry and Liz Berlin of Rusted Root (Tickets available online); Aspinwall’s Big Night Out on Aug. 7.
How to find them: Woodland Creatures can be found on their website, Instagram and Facebook.
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Three other Pittsburgh area bands to check out: Chet Vincent and The Music Industry, The Laurel Lowlifes, Zinnia’s Garden
Favorite pizza shop: Upper Crust in Glenshaw, but there is nothing wrong with a frozen Costco pizza and some dino nuggets (and maybe a beer)
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