Wood

Singer-songwriter James Maddock, born in Leicester, England, leads the British rock band Wood, a group that secured greater recognition in the United States than at home. The son of a part-time jazz musician, Maddock developed an early obsession with the smooth textures of American west coast rock. At twenty he relocated to London, where he spent several years grinding through cover-band gigs on the demanding pub circuit. Eventually the core lineup of Wood coalesced around him, completed by guitarist Bill Newsinger, bassist Jim O’Malley, and drummer Steve Jackson. Mid-90s British labels overlooked the quartet’s country-inflected roots rock in their scramble to sign Britpop acts, yet American ears proved more receptive, resulting in a Columbia Records contract. The band’s sleek 1999 debut album, Songs From Stamford Hill, drew added attention from the presence of ‘Stay You’, a track already familiar via its placement on the soundtrack of the hit television series Dawson Creek.