Chaos Doc EP.01 Elizabeth Woolf
Chaos Doc is an ongoing series of short documentaries profiling our favorite artists. The documentaries give an intimate and raw look at their creative process. To help you learn about the artist on a personal level and to inspire you along your own creative journey.
In March of 2020, when venues began indefinitely closing their doors, the music industry collectively pressed the pause button. Dealing with a new and uncertain reality, each artist has had to make their own plan on how to move forward in Covid-19’s world. To bring the pandemic, and its effect on the music you love into focus, we talked to a few different artists to see how the Corona Virus has impacted them, their careers and what path they’ve settled on moving forward. We started with then California based singer-songwriter, Elizabeth Woolf.
Q: How did the pandemic impact you and your art - did you have a show get cancelled? Did you push releases back?
A: I was originally planning on releasing my debut album in May of this year, followed by a live outdoor backyard picnic show. I pushed my release indefinitely, and moved to Portland for the summer to get some space, clear my head, and be in a city that's less expensive than LA.
At a time when most of your favorite artists rushed to perform online, Elizabeth Woolf decided to take some time to adjust to the fall out unfolding from the pandemic: “I followed my gut reaction and I got offline for a few months, which served me well.” After taking a moment to catch her breath, Woolf returned to performing in a new age with a clear head and positive mindset. Admittedly, she has found live streaming to be a pleasant surprise: “It's definitely strange not getting to see an audience member's face while performing, but the live commenting feature is an opportunity for even more communication, support, and connection during a virtual show.” While nothing can replace the rush of performing live to a packed venue, Woolf mentioned that she finds a similar release from her live streams: “It's almost cathartic, to be able to experience getting ready for a performance, hosting a performance, and cooling down from a performance. I feel like my body still gets a similar high.”
Q: what would you tell another artist if they are looking to be more active via social or live stream while they wait for concert venues to open up again?
A: Absolutely do what you can do to connect with your fans directly. Try offering private zoom concerts, start a mailing list, ask real questions. Those are the types of things that keep your fans engaged and a part of your story. Now more than ever, people are craving connection, and it is the artist's duty to do what we can to provide that experience through song and performance.
While we should allow ourselves the space to break down and feel our emotions, however dark they may be; it has never been more important to recognize the positives in life. For Elizabeth Woolf, she is eager to embrace an opportunity to “take a step back and re-evaluate. This pandemic era has taught me to live in the moment, and trust that events in my life will unfold in the manner that they are meant to. I don't need to be so hands on, it's a big weight off my mental health.”
Given that we are in a more isolated world than ever before, ultimately, Woolf’s music serves to bring people closer together. To Elizabeth, that’s what makes it all worth it. The poignant connections we make. The voice in your head telling you to keep going, to keep creating - even if the music industry Goliaths don't recognize your accomplishments. "I just hit a point in my musical journey, in my search to find collaborators, where it just became obvious, that I needed to work in a space that made me feel safe and comfortable..I think you can feel that in the project itself, it feels like friendship, it feels like a home cooked meal" Elizabeth hopes to share this notion of collaboration, to spark creative journeys and to find other creatives that bring out the best in one another. Whether it be through her music or her personal life, building and tending to these connections gives life to Woolf’s creative process. So be it just a socially distanced walk in the woods, a live streamed performance, a coffee over zoom or a phone call between the chaos of it all, Elizabeth Woolf wants her music to foster a community you can see yourself being a part of.
You can listen to Elizabeth Woolf’s amazing debut album Til It’s Dark Outside and join her community on Instagram.