“There’s a Lot to Unpack Musically”: The Wood Brothers Return with Ninth Album, “Puff of Smoke”
The Wood Brothers have returned with their ninth studio album, Puff of Smoke, which captures the band “brimming with joy in the face of the human condition in 2025.” Anchored by bass great Chris Wood, the group’s sound has continued to evolve over the years. Puff of Smoke continues that tradition with a blend of Americana, blues, rock, soul, and more.
”There’s a lot to unpack musically in this band, and it’s been this evolutionary process over the years and on each subsequent record,” the bassist explains. “Over time, the diversity of things we can do has all become part of our language.”
The band launched a music video for the title track to celebrate its release, and it’s a great example of Chris Wood’s bass mastery. He kicks into a two-bar groove that provides some structure for the song while subtly tweaking it as the song grows to keep things interesting. As is his style, he uses just about the whole range of the bass to do so.
In addition to the new album, The Wood Brothers will be on an extensive fall tour that will focus on the eastern half of the United States. Things kick off August 7th in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and will snake down to Florida. They’ll eventually head back up to New England, wrapping things up with a show on December 13th in Lebanon, New Hampshire. See below for their full run of dates.
Puff of Smoke is out now on CD, vinyl and as a digital download (Apple Music, and Amazon Music).
Puff of Smoke Track Listing:
- Witness
- Puff of Smoke
- Pray God Listens
- Money Song
- The Trick
- Is It Up To You
- Above All Others
- The Waves
- Slow Rise (to the middle)
- You Choose Me
- Till the End
The Wood Brothers 2025 Tour Dates:
| Date | Location | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 8/7 | Deerfield, MA | Tree House Brewing Company |
| 8/8 | Lowell, MA | Lowell Summer Music Series |
| 8/9 | Stowe, VT | Strawberry Jam Festival |
| 8/10 | Westport, CT | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts |
| 8/12 | Annapolis, MD | Maryland Hall |
| 8/13 | Richmond, VA | The National |
| 8/14 | Wilmington, NC | Greenfield Lake Amphitheater |
| 8/15 | Charleston, SC | The Refinery |
| 8/16 | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall |
| 8/29 | Mill Spring, NC | Earl Scruggs Music Festival |
| 8/31 | Charlestown, RI | Rhythm & Roots Festival |
| 9/9-13 | Nashville, TN | Americanafest |
| 9/10-13 | Las Vegas, NV | Bender Jamboree Fest |
| 9/19 | Chattanooga, TN | IBMA Bluegrass Live! |
| 11/6 | Knoxville, TN | Bijou Theatre |
| 11/7 | Columbus, OH | The Bluestone |
| 11/8 | Louisville, KY | Old Forester's Paristown Hall |
| 11/9 | Bloomington, IL | The Castle Theatre |
| 11/11 | Springfield, MO | Gillioz Theatre |
| 11/12 | Iowa City, IA | The Englert Theatre |
| 11/13 | Minneapolis, MN | Pantages Theatre |
| 11/14 | Madison, WI | Wisconsin Union Theater - Shannon Hall |
| 11/15 | Chicago, IL | Riviera Theatre |
| 12/3 | York, PA | Appell Center for the Performing Arts |
| 12/4 | Washington, DC | 9:30 Club |
| 12/5 | Allentown, PA | Archer Music Hall |
| 12/6 | Ithaca, NY | State Theatre of Ithaca |
| 12/7 | Pittsburgh, PA | Roxian Theatre |
| 12/10 | Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount |
| 12/12 | Portland, ME | State Theatre |
| 12/13 | Lebanon, NH | Lebanon Opera House |
| 2/7-12 | Miami, FL | Jam Cruise 2026 |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
