Redwood Thinkers Home

Darran Cummings - Vocals/Guitar

Born on the Winter Solstice in the year of the monkey (1980) I was a middle child of three from a working class background in the heart of Yorkshire.
Picture me at the time as always the quiet one in a hooded top put in the middle seat of the car to stop brother and sister arguing and you wont be far wrong ;).
Being a relatively ‘poor’ child in a very ‘private’ school I quickly felt trapped and needed an outlet to escape.
This came in the form of my music and I picked up my father’s old guitar and began teaching myself how to play.

To this day I still can’t read sheet music but I believe that the ‘feel’ I get from my instrument is more than enough for me.
I wrote my first song at the age of thirteen (‘Please’) and the first band was formed called ‘Foundation Era’ (1994). This was quickly followed by ‘Four track mind’ (1996) which had many incarnations till 1998 when I found a very talented singer and bassist called Kezia who is now still an amazing friend and fellow songwriter in ‘Redwood thinkers’.
These were the days of my spiky blue hair, popular punk and rock influences (Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo fighters, Skunk Anansie and the Smashing Pumpkins, to name but a few ), Laney Stack, Les Paul guitars and the inevitable seedy rock clubs and alcohol excess :).

Even though I came from a ‘rock’ background it was my acoustic guitar that remained my best friend throughout the years following the band split and the trials of growing up in this bewildering society.

My tastes in music developed with my love of its magic. Chris Cornell, Eva Cassidy, The Counting Crows, Sarah Mclachlan and bands like Vertical Horizon and K’s Choice all have played their parts in influencing me.

I have travelled the world with my guitar and still have much more I want to experience. I take solace in being alone sometimes. So much out there to witness both good and bad, but intensely important either way.
I am trying to capture the world within and around myself through my music. My music will continue to be my personal diary till I am no longer.

These few years writing alone made me who I am today. I started jamming with a talented Australian singer and great friend called Nick Wright, who was quickly joined by an enchanting female singer by the name of Vicky Grebez and soon a new band was formed by the name of ‘Gobi’. These musicians brought some Australian bands such as ‘Powderfinger’ and ‘Guster’ into my world. An inspirational instrumentalist called ‘Phen’ added jambe and percussion and a enthusiastic guitarist called ‘Travis’ added backing guitar.
It was a musical summer I will always remember fondly.

The band moved on as the singer went back home to Australia. Not soon after I met Andru Wright. He was a guitarist/songwriter whom I gelled with instantly. I decided to take lead vocals (under the constant guidance of Miss Kezia Wilkinson who is now an integral part of the band TY x) and the Redwood Thinkers were formed (Nov 2004).

All that is significant to me is pleasing my soul. My music, along with my art and photography is what does that.
Too many people are living as if they are ignoring their inner passions.
Follow your heart and please remember it’s important to dream.

Ruth Wilde - Electric/Double Bass

I was born in Exeter, Devon during the Christmas of 1981, to Steve and Dawn Wilde (sadly no relation to literary great, Oscar). I believe my musical bones were nutured at a young age, via my Mum’s insistence that I learnt how to slaughter a few tunes on the recorder. I then went through various love affairs with different instruments, finally ‘falling’ into playing the double bass. I’ve since grown to love the damn thing, after acquiring a Clifton upright (what the rest of the group refer as a ‘crazy bass stick thing’.

After studying a ND in Popular music in Exeter, I decided it was time to spread my wings (at the risk of missing real Devonshire cyder). The choice of Leeds College of Music was made to study for a degree in Jazz (yes, I am a queen of noodley noises). I finished the degree in 2004 and have recently just finished a master’s degree in Musicology (a very good Prince album too!).So, not only do I play music, I write about it too.

My musical influences are wide-ranging (really). I won’t embarras myself by listing them here (its best to check out my ‘myspace’ profile for that). Needless to say my parents taste in music have filtered through somewhat (Jeff Wayne anyone?).
Other musical frivolity currently includes recording for folk singer Jim Causley’s second album.

Kezia Wilkinson - Vocals/Piano/Percussion

I am a posh bird from Hull (yes they do exist) The creation from one hot and steamy night ( I haven't ever actually asked when and how I was conceived but I think I really don't want to know!) to very supportive, loving and a bit batty parents, Ros and John. I have been very lucky in my childhood as my parents have been very supportive of everything musical that I throw myself into.

I trained in elocution for about 11 years (but funnily enough had to just look up how to spell that!) at an all girls school and thought it the most natural thing to then train in classics and Opera singing, I quickly realised that this was not for me when I started entering competions and all the other competitors were a little 'fussy' shall we say! I moved to a mixed school and then everything changed.

I have been involved in various projects since then Rock covers bands, Funk bands, musicals!, chamber choirs, festival chorus.etc I attended Bretton Hall university to study Theatre design and technology specialising in lighting and sound design and engineering, I used this to record various bands and projects and to also further my understaning of music and sound. This inspired me to start writing music for myself.

My last two notable bands were
Milque - we released an ep 'bone dry' on aniseed records which sold out and 'now thats what i call milque vol 3.5' Appeared in magazines such as Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and Front as 'best new comers' and 'ones to look out for' Best Moment: supporting bands such as Kill II this, Imogen, miocene and Lost Prophets.

Lusk - Wakefield based rockers signed to skribble records Best Moment: Playing with great bands such as White Boys for Gay Jesus and red eyed banquet at The cavern club in liverpool

And now onto slightly different things with Redwood Thinkers who allow my lyric and melodic juices to flow even further than before!

Andrew Wright - Guitar/Vocals/Harmonica

Born in a storm to the sounds of the howling winds on February 12th 1976. The son of Pauline and Keith and brother to Stephen. I grew up in the North East of England and, for a couple of years, in the Lake District where I was too young to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings but old enough to hate the rain. Much of my early life I could be found running round fields of the North East, leaping from outside toilet to outside toilet like Spiderman and working down the pits as barrow boy.

Strong, popular and athletic my brother really annoyed me for much of my life and I was to find my escape in music. But I was to hear much of my early music through the walls from my brother's bedroom and despite the odd Debbie Gibson love, he steered me on a fine track to some great music.

Inspired to play the guitar by a long felt longing to be in Huey Lewis and The News (still the best band in the world ever), I was given an electric guitar one Christmas. My inability to tune it properly and a lovely warped neck helped me develop a unique playing style (bad guitars, like bad jobs, build character).After moving to Leeds I eventually met Darran and Kezia who happily ignored my love of Lyle Lovett and devotion to all that is Huey Lewis and we formed the Redwood Thinkers with the intention of writing and playing all those good songs we hear in our heads.