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The Liberian music industry is experiencing immense growth and revolution that has seen the rise of talented upcoming musician. There are loads of up-and-coming artists to get excited about, and we’ve picked out one that we’d recommend you pay attention to over the next few years.
A Wood, has always been musically gifted with his ability to sing, write songs and rap. Blessed with a powerful voice, he decided to get into the music industry at a young age. This decision was inspired by his need to live a fulfilling life. Most importantly he’s adamant about sharing his talent and gift with the world as it would be such a shame to let it go to waste. He is excited to share his music and art with the world as his future is promising both sonically and artistically.
The multi talented A Wood, is also known for breaking rules and pushing boundaries to achieve his goals.
He showcased a different, more wild side of himself on his featured with Mc Caro off her “King Caro” album tagged “Fine”, which also earned him another featured on Davy C last single “Body”. His delivery on these songs was what made SmooV HQ realized that A Wood, was ready to make impact in the music industry.
He recently had a chat with our writer, and he talked about his budding musical career, and his future plans.
When and how did you get into making music?
I started doing music in the year 2013. By then, I was in the six grade class. I had a cousin who was doing music at the time with his friends, and they had this music group called Normal Routine. I used to love hearing them rap and sing. So, whenever they go for practice, I would always follow them. I desperately wanted to be part of their music group so I started doing researches on how to write music, started listening to songs by musicians both in a out of Liberia. Then I started writing my own songs. It was very complicated at first. You know, getting the ideas of how you want the song to sound like, and putting these ideas into words and rhyming. It was crazy, but gradually I began to understand everything about composing a song. And in about a week or so, I had already written three songs. I showed them to my cousin and he was shocked about my rapid improvement. Afterward, he asked me to join their group and I accepted.
What the story behind your stage name?
There isn’t much to say about my name “A-Wood“, because it just happened. Back then when I was literally still a crawling baby in the music game, i was searching for a name, something that would suit me and the kind of music I make. But i just couldn’t find anything suitable. So, i decided to try something simpler and that’s how I found my stage name “A-Wood”.
What does your work aim to say? How do you want your songs to affect listeners?
Well, I want people who listen to my songs not to only vibe or dance to it, but also feel my every emotions. Because I pour out my entire heart into every piece of my work, so I don’t want them to be taken lightly, because my songs are capable of healing a broken heart, inspiring, motivating and lightening up a gloomy day
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Who are your biggest influences currently in the Music Industry?
I’ll say Mc Caro, Kizzy W and CIC. I mentioned Mc Caro first not because I know her personally, but because I actually got inspired by her story. She’s a go-getter and she never ceased to amaze me. She’s one of the strongest Liberian musicians I’ve ever seen. Despite all of the things she went through, all of the challenges she faced and all of the criticisms that could’ve broken any normal person down, she stood her ground and kept going for what she wanted. I learned a lot from her over the years, but there’s one major
lesson her story taught me that I will never forget and that is; to never give up, keep going for what you believe in even if the going gets tough. For Kizzy W and CIC, I will say that I love their unique musical talents, their styles and the way they switch from koloqua to standard effortlessly in their songs. I also love their consistency. I understand that it’s not easy to stay at the top, you’d need not only talent, but also have that full package and trust me, they have it all.
Do you currently have a team and if so how important are they in your career?
I got a record label SmooV HQ. My record label and manager has been putting in a lot of work on building my brand and making sure that everything be done the right way.The good thing about it is that I haven’t drop any official single yet. Superstar Mc Caro did featured me on a single off her Ep dubbed”Fine”. And my impact on the single also earned me a featured with Davy C tagged “Body”. These releases would lay the groundwork for my label to build enough confidence in me to release my first single. So, they’re doing all the can to make sure that my debut single and the ones that comes after be a success.
What’s your assessment of music generally in Liberia? Are Liberian musician making impact in Africa and beyond?
Yes. Things are looking better, and now there’s sort of equal opportunity for everyone creating. In terms of making an impact, we still have a long way to go but we will get there.
Do you see yourself collaborating with artistes from other regions in the continent? If you would, what three artistes would you love to work with and why?
Of course I see myself collaborating with artists from other regions. My top 3 would be Wizkid, because it’s Wizkid. Davido too, and Rema because I like his style a lot.
What can we expect from you in 2023 and beyond?
Expect more great music, global hits, big collaborations, awards. And in my songs, I will tell you stories about true love, real life and living, including emotional feelings.
Despite being the new kid on the block, A Wood has been developing musically and is undoubtedly anticipating a better future moving forward, especially now that he is aware that singing is one of the strategies for breaking into the global market. A Wood, can only raise the bar.
