Today we’d like to introduce you to Warren Hood.
Hi Warren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Austin, the son of local musician Champ Hood. My dad played fiddle and guitar, sang, and wrote beautiful songs. My earliest childhood memories are of me tagging along with my dad to his gigs all over Austin and beyond. I was raised in bars in the middle of the Austin music scene. When I picked up a violin at age 11, I knew how it was supposed to sound, and those years of listening to my dad’s play developed my ear for rhythm, harmony, and melody. After a few years of practice, I started playing professionally at age 14. My first band was the South Austin Jug Band, which has since broken up but still gets together a few times a year for reunion shows. While playing with the Jug Band (no jug), I played with Charlie Robison, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, and many others. I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life right away. I briefly left Austin for Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music, where I studied violin performance. I returned to Austin immediately after completing the program and started recording and touring again. The Jug Band had continued playing our Sunday night residency at Momo’s on Sixth Street, but they were touring more, and the time had come for the residency to end. I jumped to take it over and put a band together. We were called Warren Hood and the Hoodlums in the beginning, but that name would change several times over the next decade, eventually settling on The Warren Hood Band:). To this day, I still balance performing with my band and playing as a sideman for other bands. My band now plays every Wednesday night at the ABGB (almost 10 years!) unless I am on the road with Lyle Lovett or The Waybacks.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am blessed to have had a relatively straight path from where I started to where I am. I made up my mind early, and I worked hard to get here. My biggest challenge is walking the tightrope between being a full-time musician and a good husband and father. I have a beautiful family and do my best to be home as much as possible. I used to be out of town more often, but I have significantly cut back on touring. Living in Austin allows me to make a good living playing music without going very far from home. I don’t can’t do what I do anywhere else but here. The only places that compete with the Austin music scene are LA, Nashville, and NYC. I would have to find a road gig to survive in those places. Based in Austin, I can play shows with my band locally while collaborating with other local bands. There are a lot of bands and venues here. That’s a big reason I stay. I do many studio session work from home and any studio across town. This allows me to be home almost daily for school drop off and pick up with my kids. I often have the afternoon free to be with my family, too. I miss many family dinners and bedtime stories, but that is much better than being gone for weeks or months. I still tour some, but the tours are short, few and far between.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is best known for my fiddle playing, which has earned me a reputation as one of the top fiddle players. Some may recognize me from my collaborations with artists like Lyle Lovett, The Waybacks, Toni Price, and Kelly Willis. Others may know me from my own band, The Warren Hood Band. What sets me apart is my unique approach to the instrument, the songs I write, and my vocal style. I strive to be authentic and not sound like anyone else. My music is a blend of blues, rock’n roll, classical, and bluegrass, creating a unique and diverse sound.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I have a weird little plant hobby. I enjoy propagating local plants, from cuttings or seeds to landscaping my property. It all started when my kids were very little. We did the old “sprout a bean in a cup” experiment so they could see the roots and leaves grow. This fascinated them, and they started picking up seeds on our nature hikes to germinate at home. We even grew plants from HEB produce! Well, they are not so into it anymore, but I have gone all in:) On walks through the neighborhood, I regularly gather seeds and cuttings, mainly from the neighbors’ plants, to start plants at home;) We now are growing 3 pomegranate trees, 1 lime tree, 2 peach trees, 3 palm trees, several cacti, 10 yuccas, and 10 red birds of paradise, all in addition to my actual vegetable garden with edible plants. It would have been a time job had I not put in a drip line:) I enjoy working in the garden. It’s meditative and rejuvenating.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.warrenhood.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warrenhoodmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warrenhoodfanpage/
Image Credits
John Grubs, Tom Zinn, Warren Hood
