Acclaimed singer songwriter Alex Woodard is as much at home with a pen in his hand as he is when he’s standing strumming behind a guitar. A storyteller at heart whose songs are right up there with Springsteen and Mellencamp, Woodard is also a published author, so when he reaches his limit lyrically, he’s able to step in with his books, with each reinforcing the other. His latest series of essays, ‘Living Halfway’, finds its musical equivalent in his song, ‘Halfway’, a fan favourite that the artist has been singing on tour for several years now. Paired with ‘Living Halfway’, the song takes on a deeper meaning.
‘Living Halfway’ could be seen as a self-help book, but it’s so much more than that, written in Woodard’s meticulous style, with his words reflecting his musician’s rhythm and drive, and his performance skills coming through in how he foregrounds his emotions. Candid and raw, the book is more insightful than most autobiographies; it probably comes closest to being described as social commentary. Whatever it is, it’s completely personal, and incredibly engrossing.
To make sure the connections between the text and the song aren’t missed, Alex Woodard has paired them with an animated music video, created by another singer songwriter, the award-winning San Diego musician Savannah Philyaw. Philyaw has created a work that reinforces the themes and the tone of ‘Living Halfway’, with an additional measure of grace. With pastel frames illuminating details taken directly from Alex Woodard’s life, the video delivers a powerful emotional punch. It’s an ambitious project that meets its mark with the clip drawing on the essence of the book, and then matched to a song which shares the spirit of a writing voice that cannot ever be silenced.
Watch the music video for ‘Halfway’ below, and find out more about Alex Woodard and his music online on his official website.
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