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Mark Woodyard brings upbeat, live-looping show to the GLC

Fresh off Lazy Syrup Orchestra tour, catch solo act and DJ set on Dec. 19
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Mark Woodyard plays the GLC on Thursday, Dec. 19. Photo submitted

It didn't take all that much encouragement for Mark Woodyard to take the leap and quit his day job.

After playing a gig on New Year's Eve 2014, he ran into a friend, the graphic artist Ola Volo. She had quit her marketing job to pursue an art career and it paid off.

"I went outside and she said, 'Mark you should quit your job and do music full time,'" he recalls. "I didn't have a full plan. I was like, 'I'll figure this out.' For the first four months, I did a bit of carpentry on the side, but [music] kind of took over."

Since then, Woodyard hasn't looked back. Combining live looping, guitar and vocals to put his unique stamp on cover songs—and craft danceable originals—he's created a compelling solo act.

"Looping is great," he says. "People do it in different ways. I do it in a way where I never know where it's taking me, which is terrifying, but exciting."

Born and raised in North Vancouver, Woodyard first picked up a guitar at eight years old and quickly started a band with his friends in elementary school.

"A friend of mine was a drummer," he says. "We all thought he was a big nerd, but all of a sudden he could rip on drums. We thought, 'We better make friends with this guy.'"

Elementary school turned into high school and the band persisted—changing names from Glue to The New Complaints to The Last Scene. (Woodyard recalls the band names with a laugh.)

But then, one day, he caught an episode of Conan O'Brien featuring the comedian and musician Reggie Watts. Suddenly a whole new possibility opened up.

"I saw a clip of him doing a loop set—he does looping and comedy—and I said, 'What's that machine? I've never seen that before.'"

Compelled, he went out and bought one. While he was still exploring his sound on the new machine, there was one tell-tale sign he was on the right track. "We played this one Halloween house party and it was the first time in a while I was excited about music again. I found this medium," he says.

After that, he set out to play solo.

"I was getting inspired by electronic music festivals," he says. "You've got a lot of music festivals in B.C.—a lot are electronic. I'm a big fan of that music and a lot of artistry can happen in that world."

To that end, he continued to play shows and private parties, but he also had his sights set on Bass Coast, the electronic music and art festival that started out in Squamish, but moved to Merritt in 2013. "People kept telling me, 'You'd be great at Bass Coast," he says.

So, a couple of years ago, he decided, "I'll just go to the festival. A lot of my friends are going."

On the last day, Woodyard was hanging out by the river when someone approached him to introduce himself.

"[He] said, 'Hey, I'm Soren.' Soren was one of those guys I had 150 mutual friends with, but had never met," he says.

Along with him was Duncan Smith from The Funk Hunters, who Woodyard did know and had been encouraging him to get in touch to collaborate for years. The group went back to the tent and jammed all afternoon. After, they invited him to join their group, Lazy Syrup Orchestra, which was on its own fast-moving upward trajectory.

"They've put a lot of work in," Woodyard says. "They have a following that's quite hefty. Their mixes are really popular. I'm pretty diplomatic when it comes to joining a group—there are a lot of boxes you have to check when joining a group that's been together for four years. Creatively, do we gel? Can I tour with them? Do I fit into it? Can I bring something? All those boxes were checked and I was hearing from them, 'This is the perfect fit.'"

Now balancing solo work with gigs in that group, Woodyard shares one anecdote in which the two overlapped.

"There was a cancellation at Bass Coast last year and Duncan was the reason I got a slot," he says. "He recommended me. It created an opportunity for me solo I never would've had."

Next up, though, he's set to headline a solo show in Whistler at the GLC on Thursday, Dec. 19.

"At the GLC I'm given the space to do my own thing for the whole night," he says. "Whistler is always a good time. People are usually in that city to party."

Catch Mark Woodyard at the GLC on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 at showpass.com/markwoodyard/.