‘For Her’ is a candid album where folk meets roots rock; a sonic place where the threads of Americana and Appalachian intertwine deliciously.

Active for well over a decade, AJ & The Woods was originally a duo consisting of Alison Tomin (vocals) and Joshua Alan Collins (guitar). The group’s sound has now expanded into a lush quintet, including fiddle (Piper Bruce), bass, and drums (Jay Sparrow). For Her showcases a bevy of string timbres, including the clear sound of the mandolin against bright-percussive banjo.

We open with ‘Hope’. Full of movement, this track immediately exposes the carefree, untamed nature of the band. There are sweeps of lowcountry violins, and echoes of modern drums. The vocals are low in the mix, creating a refreshing texture against the exuberant instrumentation. Out of this sound arises a feeling of empowerment; it’s as if we are listening to an adult Caddie-Woodlawn tell her life story.

The music has, at times, both the purity and southern flair of A Rocket to the Moon… except with a female lead and much, much muddier boots! We then reach the placid fingerpicked ‘Haloed Eyes’ which details a misty morning and being in love. The upper harmonies are as delicate as a peony.

AJ & The Woods’ release balances the penumbra of life. Chiaroscuro, it contains both light and dark. A prime example of this contrast is in the title track itself. Amidst ‘For Her’ the expressive cello, bursts of strumming, and poetic verse, she is the world. Then we feel this deep undulating, a push-and-pull. We wonder…is this a mere learning curve, or…is it a tale of fate?

The LP stays in this dark yet self-reflective state for several chapters, as Alison’s vocal timbre shifts to a new color palette. A veritable galaxy is crumbled, only to reform again…Stomy moments, metaphorical verse. There are gravitational CECHE lines inside transmutations of life’s pain, joy, and mystery. At times, we are even reminded of the powerful vulnerability of Evanescence’ Amy Lee, inside an anthemic grassroots sphere.

The midway track ‘Send Me On My Way’ leads us back down the gravel path of carefree but this time, the new texture of vocal stacks adds a novel touch. The harmonies of the previous track carry over and shift into a verdant-gospel-aphorism. In the next track, that’s juxtaposed by the balladic, swayable sound that is “Back to You”. Then a darker sentiment, ‘The Other Room’ arrives. Starkly minor, asking; “Have you seen the devil? Have you heard the news?”

Between the jarring questions, motivic string licks, shaker, and stomping bass…The overlapping vocal pedal tones…We finally reach a green awakening. The soul-searching was played out, cadence by cadence until it resolved to the tonic.

“There are deals made by men in suits in other rooms that affect people they’ve never met.”

Are there any mandolin-guitar or banjo-guitar studio recording hacks you’ve found to create such a lush sound?

Alison: We write all our music starting on either acoustic and banjo or mandolin and guitar. Those two are the base instruments along with vocals.

JC: So, everything starts out acoustic. That’s the hack. That’s how you make an electric song sound good. If it’s good enough to stand still on its own with acoustic guitar, there’s no hiding there.

What does the penultimate “The Other Room” mean?

Alison: There is a song by the Dead Tongues called “Wildflower Perfume” and it has that sort of old Appalachian yodel to it. That was the inspiration musically for the song. Lyrically, we had been told one of our songs got chosen for a national advertising campaign. We were just waiting for the contact. After waiting and being told there were delays, we ended up not getting it. The song is about how something or somebody can change the course of your life without even knowing and not ever meeting. There are deals made by men in suits in other rooms that affect people they’ve never met and they don’t even think about that.

‘Does Her’ tell a chronological story, or is it more of a kaleidoscope of moments?

Alison: Yeah, it’s definitely a kaleidoscope of moments. We started writing this record during covid in 2020. We were planning on releasing ‘Stay Steady’ then but held off till 2022 because of COVID. We had nothing else to do but write.

JC: It’s a kaleidoscope of moments but not chronologically. If we structured the album that way it would be really depressing in the beginning and very happy at the end.

‘Send Me On My Way’ feels carefree. How did you cultivate the song and that feeling? It’s mildly melancholic, reminiscent of an old Bluegrass song emotionally and texturally.

JC: I was thinking about my grandma on the dock. I think I wrote the music for that in about 15-20 minutes.

Alison: To give some context, JC’s grandma grew up in West Virginia. Moved to Ohio and never lost the accent. She was suffering from dementia and late stage Alzheimer’s. Lyrically for me, I was going through the whole advertising campaign debacle. I was thinking should I even continue doing music? Is all this work and effort worth it? Which way should I go? So it does feel carefree in the sense you’re trying to give your decision to higher power. Asking them which way should I go or someone needs a release from suffering.

Was your album inspired by any old folk tunes?

JC: We just had that in our body. I don’t think it was one song in particular.

Alison: I do think “I’ll Fly Away” was an inspiration for “Send Me On My Way”. I’ve always loved that song.

JC: We kind of get it through osmosis. I grew up listening to a lot of bluegrass standards with my grandma.

Alison: Yeah, and I had a lot of exposure to old hymns growing up. It’s really just a part of us.

In ‘A Life Worth Living’, when you say there’s no turning back now, is that a positive thing?

Alison: It’s definitely a positive thing. “when all that you have ever known is burning, you’ll learn this life’s worth living.” Life happens to you and you can’t go back to the way you were before. No turning back means moving forward and moving on with your life. You can become a better person through the pain and hardship. The song is really a culmination of what we went through in our personal lives during the writing of this record.

AJ & The Woods (Photo by Mollie Crowe (Little Blackbird Photo))

What is the most inspiring place to perform or brainstorm in Cleveland, and why?

JC: The most inspiring place to perform is really where anyone wants to hear original music. It’s not showing up at a bar that’s going to have people there because they’re there to eat and drink. It’s when people are there for you. That’s when it’s inspiring.

Alison: Yeah, I think that’s when you really feel it in the heart. For the writing aspect of brainstorming new ideas, JC and I hanging out in his music room or out by a lake.

JC: The round table. The two of us sitting and writing together because that’s how it started.

Alison: We bring in the rest of the band once we have the song crafted with a structure and basic melody line, then we let everyone else put their own parts on it. We want everyone’s input but I think the magic for us happens when it’s just the two of us writing together.

Headline photo: Moolie Crowe (Little Blackbird Photo)

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