SPILL EP PREMIERE: THE WOOD – COLD FIRE

THE WOOD – COLD FIRE

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE EP PREMIERE

Today we have the pleasure of presenting the latest release from an artist that we have supported since their debut Days album, released last year. At that time, we called their music “potent and swaggering” and certainly that has held true for their new offering. Hailing from Liverpool, The Wood ais a duo made up of Alex Evans (vocals) and Steve Powell (guitar and bass), who also records and produces all of their music at Ark Recording Studios.

Their Cold Fire EP, released via UK imprint Riverdream Records is a stunning collection that burns slow and bright, like embers refusing to fade. Its four tracks forming a lush, soul-drenched meditation on groove and grace with superb arrangements, from grounding basslines, minimalist synth and well-placed guitars, The Wood weave a sound that’s both intimate and cinematic — a record that hums with late-night warmth and dawn-light revelation.

The lead track “Cold Fire”, with Brooke Combe’s velvet-fire vocals and Alex Evans’ weathered counterpoint, feels like a gospel séance held in a smoky jazz bar, while the John Fitch and Associates rare soul classic “Romantic Attitude” struts in on a bassline so confident it practically winks. ‘Hold On’ pares everything back to breath and ache, a hymn to restraint that lets the silence sing, before ‘Wait for the Sun’ throws the doors wide open in a surge of soulful defiance. Every note feels lived in, every groove purposeful — Cold Fire isn’t just listened to; it’s inhabited, like a secret you’re invited to keep.

In their short history, The Wood has already has come to be associated with some heavy names, including Pete Maher (U2, Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Pixies. Nine Inch Nails), who mastered this EP and the previous album. Brooke Combe just supported Lionel Richie on his UK-Ireland summer tour and Benson Boone on his US tour this last month, and also recently appeared on Later With Jools Holland. The Wood’s first album also saw appearances by Martin Smith and Simon James (The Coral, Shack) and Jake Howden-Woodward (Nova Twins).

Powell himself has quite the history, having recorded many notable artists records, including Michael Head and The Strands, John Power, def.fo, The Stairs and Ella Guru. He also produced and played guitar on the first Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band record Arturius Revisited, and the charting indie album Adios Senor Pussycat.

As of October 31, the Cold Fire EP is available everywhere online, and you do not want to miss this one – it’s a doozie – solidly recommended.

CREDITS

Written by Steve Powell & Alex Evans
Alex Evans – vocals
Steve Powell – guitar & bass
Brooke Combe – vocals
Jake Woodward – drums
Mike Smith – organ
Rob Stringer – piano
Charlie Griffiths – backing vocals
Clair Griffiths – backing vocals
Amy Chalmers – violin
Matt Phillips – cello
Rachel Nicholas – viola
Produced & recorded by Steve Powell at Ark Recording Studios, Liverpool
Mastered by Pete Maher
Single cover graphics by Alex Evans
EP cover graphics by Alex Evans & Ed Rimmer
Released by Riverdream Records 2025
Artist photos by John Johnson
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Enjoy the band’s latest two videos, the first being from the current EP and the previous being their stunning debut single “Let It Loose” from 2024:

The Wood
Cold Fire
(Riverdream Records)
Release Date: October 31, 2025

Artist Links

Background Photo Credit: John Johnson