With ‘For Her’, AJ & The Woods deliver their most fully realised statement to date. The forthcoming album finds the Cleveland-based outfit deepening their blend of Appalachian folk, Americana, blues, and roots rock, while showcasing a growing confidence in both their songwriting and sonic ambition.
Built around the band’s hallmark commitment to honest storytelling, ‘For Her’ highlights the emotional depth that has become central to AJ & The Woods’ identity. Rather than relying solely on the familiar tropes of contemporary Americana, the album draws its strength from nuanced songwriting and lived experience, creating a collection of songs that feel personal without sacrificing their wider resonance.
The album feels less like a continuation of past successes and more like a confident step forward, suggesting AJ & The Woods are only beginning to realise their full creative potential.
We had the chance to sit down with the duo to learn all about the album, the story behind it and much more here at Music Crowns!
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Hey AJ & THE WOODS, welcome to Music Crowns! How are you doing?
[JC] Fantastic
[Alison] Hello! We are doing great, enjoying the warmer weather and gearing up for our summer shows.
Your new album ‘For Her’ appears to be your most personal project to date. At what point did you realise these songs were connected by a larger theme or narrative?
[Alison] I don’t think we really realized it until after the record was done. We’ve had a few people talk to us about the record and how these songs intertwine. That’s when it really hit me that these songs are about resilience. Going through the hard times and coming out on the other side with light and hope.
Sum up the record in three words for our readers!
[JC] Go Get It
[Alison] Rocking, Heartfelt, and Real
How did becoming a single father influence the songwriting process?
[JC] I know it did, but I’m not sure how to point out it did. I do think there is a more gentle touch on some of these songs then our last record.
[Alison] Seeing JC go through his divorce and becoming a full time single parent, influenced me lyrically, especially on songs like ‘For Her.’ Seeing your bandmate and basically brother go through something like that and not be able to help, the least I could do is try to put it into a song.
There’s a balance of darkness and optimism throughout the album. Was it important to present both sides of those experiences rather than focusing on one emotional perspective?
[Alison] Absolutely, both JC and I were going through some difficult personal times in our lives. In the beginning of this time we wrote some of the darker songs on the record. It helped us work through all that and then the later songs you can hear the change of us coming out the other side. The first song on the record, “Hope”, was our chance to write a happy song. The album is a culmination of all that, the hardship, but also getting through it and being hopeful for the future.
Looking back on the recording process, was there a particular song that became the emotional centrepiece of the album?
[JC] I think there is two, our title track, ‘For Her,’ and ‘Life Worth Living.’
[Alison] Yeah, ‘For Her’ is definitely lyrically very much the centerpiece.
[JC] and I think ‘Life Worth Living’ is our musical centerpiece. It has lots of driving guitars, drums, and a little bit of everything going on in it that makes our sound distinct. It’s also really fun to play.
How do you decide which personal stories are ready to become songs?
[Alison] It was less of a decision and more of what organically came out. We tend to write songs based off of how we are feeling in any giving moment.
[JC] Yeah, if I’m sad at the moment, I’ll grab my guitar and right a sad song. If I’m feeling good, I’ll get an uplifting song.
[Alison] JC comes to me with a riff or some sort of guitar lick. I figure out a melody and structure it into a song. Saying this would be a good verse, this would be a good chorus, now write me a bridge. From the mood of the song, I think of a theme and start to add lyrics to it. Lyrics always come last. It just happened to include a lot of personal stories this time around.
What sonic elements did you want to introduce or develop further on ‘For Her’ compared to ‘Stay Steady’?
[JC] We had mandolin in ‘Stay Steady’ but never had a song carried by it until this record. I was gifted a mandolin by my fiancé and started incorporating it more into our sound.
[Alison] I definitely wanted to add more backing vocals and harmonies to ‘For Her.’ Having recorded ‘Stay Steady’ and ‘For Her’ with the same producer, we really got into a groove working together on this record. We were able to add 3 and 4 part harmonies in parts.
And finally, what do you hope listeners take away from For Her after spending time with the album?
[Alison] I hope people take away some sort of feeling. When we play we want you to feel something in our music, whether it’s solace, happiness, partying, anger. We want to connect with people on an emotional level.
