Ivor Woods is the project of Rachel Crabbe who, when not writing brooding synth lines and singing of queerness and alienation in this alternative pop project, can be found playing guitar and keyboards for the indie band Muriel. Emma Way caught up with Rachel to touch on openness, going solo and a future album.
How long have you been performing under the name Ivor Woods?
Since 2022, pretty much. It started as a production project, and all my early songs didn’t really have many lyrics. Then I got picked up for a show in Carmarthen, and they said, “could you do half an hour?” I was like, “can I? I don’t know!” But it went really well, and it’s just escalated since then.
Have you always intended for Ivor Woods to be a solo project?
Until now, but I think soon I’m going to start thinking about getting a band together to do the backing. It would just be nice to have other people. It makes a difference, going from having a solo act to being in a band. Being a solo act, I can play shows with minimal notice – I only really need a day to turn around – but it’s quite nice to have other people around you.
Have you always been a collaborative sort of person creatively?
I think so. I’ve been in bands since I was younger, and I’ve always done film and things like that. So, I’m used to working with other people. Even with my Ivor Woods project, I do pretty much everything: the visuals, the videos. It’s very much me, but I do like to collaborate. Minas produced my new single Knees, and I always work with him now. He’s my number one.
Tell us more about Knees!
I’d say it’s very queer! The kind of song you wouldn’t necessarily listen to when you’re in a good mood, but not a sad song. It’s just quite intense. I went into it thinking no one would ever hear this. I was just going to make a really filthy song to show my friends. Then everyone loved it, so I had to release it.
What did your friends say when they first heard it?
They wanted to know who it was about, first of all. No comment. And that I needed to release that song. There are artists now like Chappell Roan who are open about things, and I think we don’t have enough queer artists being open. So, it’s nice to release something without worrying so much about what people think.
I guess it’s quite common for people to use metaphors in those situations.
I’m not the most flowery speaker. So, I just put it in a way that I would say things, and it’s very clear. I’m not hiding behind any metaphors. It’s pretty blatant.
Are you working on anything else at the moment?
Yeah, I’m currently writing an album, which is a lot – Knees is technically the first thing off of it, but it’s probably not going to come out for a long time. The Horizons funding I got this year was very helpful.
Who are you inspired by artistically?
Definitely Art School Girlfriend, who I supported last year, which was amazing – I can retire now. James Blake – everything he does, especially the visuals. I always look at his stuff for inspiration. Warpaint has been my favourite band for probably about 15 years: if I’m ever stuck on making music, I’ll put on a Warpaint album.
How did you come to be involved with the Cardiff-based band Muriel?
Zak [Thomas, founder member] tattooed me many years ago, and we talked about music. Then I followed him on Instagram, and one day he posted that he was looking for a guitarist and a keyboardist. I was like, “I can do both at the same time, potentially”… so, it went from there. It’s been really nice to go from being a client to being in a band and now being good friends. I’ve also joined Em Koko’s band, so I’ve got three different projects at the same time, which is nice because it’s different groups of people and different scenes. It’s nice to be that go-between.
Are they also involved in your music, as you are in theirs, or do you keep them all separate?
I do keep them quite separate, but whenever I’m making a new song, I’ll usually show it to both bands because they all seem to enjoy it. I’ll show them my new tracks, and they always give feedback, which is nice because I respect them as musicians. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in a band with them.
How do you feel about your Insignificant Other EP, now that it’s coming up to be a year old in July? Do you feel different about it than when you released it?
Definitely. The type of music I make now is different: the songs I write aren’t sad and aren’t about a really specific situation. It’s much broader, and I think it might resonate with people more. I don’t want to have a show where everyone looks miserable, and I’m just pouring my heart out. I’d rather sing an interesting song with a bit of grit that’s fun to perform live.
Have you had experiences where you’re in a live situation and you feel there’s almost a wall between you and the crowd?
Yeah, and people find it quite uncomfortable if you don’t have a live drummer. It’s a lot, being a solo act and playing sad songs!
Ivor Woods’ new single Knees is released on Fri 31 May, and she supports Slate at Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff that day.
Info: linktr.ee/ivorwoods
words EMMA WAY
