Exploring His Return to Music With Stories of Mushroom Trips, Timeshare Presentations, and Dying Rats
In his new film, “Searching for Branson,” Will Wood throws us into the anxiety and panic he felt after going viral in 2021. This experience spiraled into his album “in case I make it,” and eventually forced him to take a break from music. The pressure was simply overwhelming. The new film is a blend of stand-up and musical performance, inspired by the characters and adventures he had during the hiatus.
“I’m a real guy living a real life. Will Wood is like a character in a story. Whether I’m consciously playing that character or trying to contribute to that story or not, and when you lose your ability to tell your own story, it can feel like the end of the world.”
View the trailer on YouTube, download the film via Patreon!
With his phenomenal piano, ukulele chops and distinctive voice, Will Wood creates an evening of frantic and funny, profound yet amusing stories and music. Part stand-up storytelling, weaved together with Wood’s music, “Slouching Toward Branson” is exactly what Will Wood fans will love. Finally, they get a peek at the mind behind the music. For anyone who missed the “Slouching Towards Bethlehem” tour, this film is quite a treat.
We got to ask Will a few questions before the release of the film:
SBN: What was the inspiration behind creating this blend of stand-up, music, and storytelling from your live shows? Is “Slouching Towards Branson” the culmination of what you’ve always envisioned for your stage persona? In other words, do you feel that your performances are now more accurately described as a ‘one-man, cabaret-style show’ rather than a typical musical artist’s tour to promote an album?
WW: I’ve always done some sort of version of this, but in my younger years it was either more improvisational, more absurdist, or some combination of the two. I guess because I felt like songs alone wouldn’t be a truly entertaining show, and I had a lot of things I wanted to express that I needed an outlet for. This project is definitely a version of something I started a long time ago, and a much more solidified and intentional one. And yeah I mean I don’t know if I’d describe it that way exactly but it’s not exactly the other thing either. I don’t want to make too many promises about what I’m going to do next, I hope to just keep trying new things.
SNB: After the success of the 2020 mockumentary “The Real Will Wood”, is working in video something that you think will play an even bigger part in your artistic output? Or is it simply accidental that you find yourself working in film?
WW: I don’t have any specific plans to get more into video work than I already have been, but I’ve always been really involved in the production of my music videos and assorted projects, so I’d probably want to continue to do that. Slouching is probably a pretty unique thing for me.
SBN: During your hiatus, you directed a music video and worked on other projects not specifically for your catalog. Do you foresee more director and behind-the-scenes creator work for yourself in the future, or were these one-time projects?
WW: Being behind-the-scenes as a composer for Éalú was really creatively gratifying, and so I could definitely see myself focusing more of my energy on projects where I’m not in the spotlight than I used to; it’s just a matter of it being the right kind of project at the right time.
SBN: Was the idea of filming every show during the “Slouching Toward Bethlehem” tour intended to be turned into a film, or was this a ‘wait and see’ what happens when we’re done with the tour kind of thing?
WW: In this day and age I think live performance is more important than ever, and so while I kept the idea of it being a film as a goal while on tour, a movie was by no means the central focus or the point. There was always the possibility that the show bombed every night and we couldn’t even turn it into a film, so I had hopes but didn’t count any chickens.
