Having established a lengthy presence amid the U.K. indie circuit, vocalist and songwriter Davey Woodward pursued an altered creative path once he assembled Davey Woodward and the Winter Orphans. After the post-punk jangle pop of the Brilliant Corners (1993-1993), the smart fusion of indie pop and trip-hop of the Experimental Pop Band (1995-2012), and the lean but melodic guitar pop of Karen (debuting in 2016), his work alongside the Winter Orphans incorporated strains of vintage folk-rock and country-rock. Retaining his signature melodic sensibility, Woodward crafted pieces that felt more expansive and buoyant than earlier efforts yet remained intelligent and weighted with emotional depth.
Woodward staged a Brilliant Corners reunion in 2013, after which the reactivated lineup performed across 2013 and 2014. Once that project concluded, he resumed composing fresh material and assembled Karen, a trio whose sound echoed the Brilliant Corners while adopting a more streamlined approach that replaced jangly guitars with a straighter, catchier style. Karen issued their debut single, "Ocean" b/w "Invisible Friend," in January 2016. Following recording and touring commitments with Karen, Woodward wrote another set of songs that merged his pop instincts with an affinity for vintage folk-rock and country-rock. Seeking an untried direction, he elected to track the material with previously untested collaborators and therefore launched Davey Woodward and the Winter Orphans, featuring Julian Hunt on guitar, Mark Van Vasey on bass and piano, and Steve Dew on drums. The ensemble entered the studio in July 2017 and, over a single weekend, laid down the core tracks for a complete album. That album, Davey Woodward and the Winter Orphans, appeared in August 2018. The band booked concert dates to promote the release, and Woodward informed journalists that he anticipated cutting a follow-up record with the same lineup.
