We were lucky to catch up with Alison Tomin & Joshua Alan Collins recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alison Tomin & Joshua Alan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
Our first dollar earned as the band “AJ & The Woods” was in July of 2015. We played a Saturday afternoon on a patio at a small independently owned and operated restaurant and bar. Alison had a friend that ate their often and told the owner about this “great new original band” in the area. Depending on your area, it can be hard to find places that are open to artist with original music, a lot of the locations around us at the time wanted only cover songs. Having someone take a chance on us was game changing. Getting one paid gig helped us to get another. As word spread and people started to hear us, it snowballed until we were playing local clubs and music venues.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
AJ & The Woods is an up-and-coming roots rock band home grown in Ohio. Founded on the sweet nostalgia of delta blues, AJ & The Woods was established in 2015 by singer Alison Tomin and guitarist Joshua Alan Collins. We released our first self titled EP in 2017 and first full length album “Stay Steady” in August 2022. “Stay Steady” is a classic roots-rock album, seamlessly blending blues, country and folk styles of music. The result is an album that delivers a nostalgic and gritty, yet fresh and polished, set of songs. Each of the eight tracks features powerful female vocals and guitar melodies, compelling lyrics and a complex layering of sound from supporting instruments, such as fiddle and banjo. The album is a reflection of the change and growth we have made since we put out our first EP. ‘Stay Steady’ took on new meaning for us during the pandemic. We originally planned to release it in 2020 but held back. It was a hard decision to wait to give it the proper attention and support it deserved.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The best way to support artists is to show up. When you have a free evening and aren’t sure what to do, go to that concert, art showing, or book talk. Having an engaging audience will not only invigorate the artist but the audience as well. When art and creativity is shared with others, it gains even more value and meaning. Each person will experience it in it’s own way and take that with them after the show is over.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
The desire to create can be extremely strong. Our thoughts and emotions need a release that sometimes can only be found in creating music. A hard time or a joyous time can be expressed in a guitar riff or a vocal melody. Once that feeling has been put into music, it can take a new form and help give you outside perspective. Some people need to lift weights, others go for a hike, and some need to create.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ajandthewoods.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajandthewoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AJandtheWoods/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajandthewoods
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ajandthewoods
- Other: https://ajandthewoods.bandcamp.com/album/stay-steady
Image Credits
Mollie Crowe (Little Blackbird Photo) Zach LeFeber