“Hot damn” might be used to describe the first few minutes of Boston-based Autumn Hollow’s “Wooden Wire,” a trembly rocker that combines the vulnerable essence of Jason Molina with the cosmic improvisational charm of Zuma era Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Frontman Brendan Murphy brings a commanding presence to the vocals, and an aura of unfiltered honesty cascades in the five-minute-plus song.
Glide is premiering the first single, “Wooden Wire,” from Autumn Hollow’s upcoming album Say No More, which is due out May 2nd. This album marks a significant departure for the band in several ways. For the first time, it was not recorded at our longtime home base in Waltham. It also introduces a new rhythm section, with Ian McMillan on drums and Chuck Vath on bass, whose distinct energy and chemistry shaped the project. Another key difference is that every song was played live and fully arranged before recording began. While there were still moments of spontaneity and creative discovery in the studio, the core arrangements had already been refined through live performances, giving the final product a strong sense of cohesion and confidence.
The title “Wooden Wire” came about entirely by accident. One night, I was at a show watching Western Centuries—a phenomenal band made up of musicians from groups like Donna the Buffalo. They mentioned another band, Wood & Wire, and, a few drinks in, I quickly typed “Wooden Wire” into my notes app. A few days later, while working on a new song, I felt the lyrics starting to flow. Instead of opening a fresh note, I clicked the most recent one and started writing. And just like that, Wooden Wire became the song’s title—completely unrelated to the lyrics or meaning,” says Murphy.
