Woods return with a double dose of nostalgia and reinvention. The new double single pairs “Goodnight,” a reimagined track from 2014’s With Light and With Love, with a full-band version of “It Ain’t Easy,” originally a stripped-down highlight from 2012’s Bend Beyond.
“Goodnight” unfolds like a twilight hymn. Jeremy Earl’s vocal feels even more intimate a decade later, buoyed by Jarvis Taveniere’s warm guitar tones and John Andrews’ piano, which adds a wistful glow. It’s dreamy and pastoral, the kind of track that reminds you Woods’ music often feels like it’s been sitting under the sun, gathering warmth before being offered back to us.
“It Ain’t Easy (Full Band Version)” flips the script. Where the original leaned fragile and acoustic, this new cut is earthy, propulsive, and communal. With Chuck Van Dyck on bass, Aaron Nevue on drums, and Kyle Forrester adding keys and mandolin, the song breathes like a barn jam—grounded but expansive, threaded with that Woodsist looseness fans have come to love.
Formed in 2004, Woods continue to embody the ethos of quiet persistence. They’ve never rushed their output, instead cultivating a catalog that grows organically. These reworkings don’t feel like retreads—they’re revisitations with deeper perspective, proof that songs can evolve as much as the people who wrote them.
Together, “Goodnight” and “It Ain’t Easy” remind us why Woods remain indie’s evergreen—always pushing upward while keeping their roots firmly intact.
Tour Dates
Woods Tour Dates 2025
(All Dates with White Fence)
Sep 19 – Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s [Sold Out] Sep 20 – Accord, NY @ Woodsist Festival Sep 23 – Asheville, NC @ Eulogy Sep 24 – Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House Sep 25 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall Sep 26 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage Sep 27 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Sep 28 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
Verdict
This double single feels like Woods looking into the mirror of their past—only now the reflection has grown more colorful and confident. “Goodnight” is tenderly reimagined, while “It Ain’t Easy” finds new muscle in a live-band setting. Together, they show a band that still knows how to bend time, making old songs feel brand new.