Written by: Mark Abell
The Cali-reggae-dub band Stick Figure charted as high as #8 on the Billboard 200 with their album Smoke Stack in 2009.
But it was their 2012 effort Burial Ground which announced them as a major act when the album debuted at #1 on both the Reggae iTunes and Billboard charts.
The band will be touring with Slightly Stoopid this fall.
Meanwhile, the band’s braintrust Scott Woodruff and Slightly Stoopid collaborated on the summer smash “Choice Is Yours” single, which is the follow up to the Collie Buddz collaboration “Smokin’ Love.”
I got a chance to sit down with Woodruff to talk about his collaborations and how to stay healthy on the road.
Stereo Embers: How did you end up collaborating with the legendary Collie Buddz on the song, “Smokin’ Love”?
Scott Woodruff: It all went down via email. I’ve been into Collie Buddz for ten years. I respected, admired and hoped to work with him someday. My manager Thomas who had worked with him in the past put me in contact with him. When I was working on the track “Smokin’ Love,” there was a blank spot that I was trying to fill with rhymes but nothing was coming of it. We reached out to him to ask if he was interested. I was surprised that he was down and got back to us every quickly and was into it. A month later we got an email with vocal tracks.
SE: How do you manage your stress when you are touring?
SW: Every day you gotta find time for yourself. We did 101 shows last year which translates into a show every couple of days. You’re constantly around people all the time. Go for a walk. Spend a part of your day hanging around yourself. Quiet your mind. We have a dog, Coco, on the road. She’s a calming effect on the bus. Switch up your day. Do something differently at night. Take care of yourself and eat healthy. Make sure you’re not drinking too much.
SE: How are you different from other reggae bands today?
SW: What sets me apart–I write, record, and produce everything from a home studio from start to finish. I’m trying to create a good vibe that makes people have a better day because of it.
SE: What inspired “Women Of The Night” on the Burial Ground album? (Incidentally, the song features Half Pint, one of Scott’s childhood heroes.)
SW: That song was written in Koh Samui, Thailand. We always heard good things about the place but it’s a crazy prostitution island. You just get heckled by these women that are on every corner. They ask “massage?” while wearing wearing skimpy outfits. The next day my buddy and I were swimming in the ocean reflecting on the experience at two in the morning, having fun with it–I say a rhyme, he says a rhyme. We didn’t expect it to turn into a song but that’s exactly what happened.
SE: Do you have a dream producer?
SEW: Michael “Miguel” Happoldt and Paul Leary who produced for Sublime. Love Leary’s mix it’s super raw and the drums are so phat. I would love to do live samples.
