Amy Aileen Wood, a well-known drummer who has been established in the LA music sphere for quite a while, is mostly recognised for her exceptional work with Fiona Apple’s band. But now, she’s shining brighter than ever as she steps into the limelight with her debut album, The Heartening.

Upon first being approached by Pete Min from Colorfield Records for a potential collaboration on her own album, Wood felt a whirlwind of curiosity mixed with sheer fright.

“My motivation was entirely fear based,” Wood explains, “I think my first question for Pete was, ‘are you sure?’ But it’s always good to get out of your comfort zone. And ultimately it was equal parts uncomfortable and rewarding.”

Capitalising on those feelings of discomfort, she manages to create a rich and intricate soundscape brimming with tension, release, curiosity and playful exploration. Across ten tracks, she brilliantly crafts a complex and detailed audioscape vibrant with diverse elements. Every note and rhythm pulses with an underlying tension and experimentation, building up anticipation before culminating into a satisfying release that leaves listeners waiting for the next unexpected twists and turns.

With The Heartening now out in the world, Wood has kindly curated a playlist as eclectic as her album for Twistedsoul, featuring songs by Tom Skinner, The Smile, CAN, Josh Johnson, Ahmad Jamal Trio and many others.

We’ll have more on the album soon, but for now, check out Amy’s guest playlist.