Exclusive Interview with Alex Woodard (For The Sender Project)

“Hello my friend, it’s me again, writing words I cannot send you…”

Ever since we first heard the song “For the Sender” on Fiction Family’s first tour, the song has found a home in the hearts of music lovers all over… so when we heard that there was a project surrounding the tune, we got excited. We here at LOBH are STOKED for the upcoming “For the Sender” project featuring Jon and Sean Watkins and many other San Diego artists. In just a few weeks, the “cast” of artists will be on stage, “when the voices of Switchfoot, New Found Glory, Nickel Creek, Jack Tempchin, Molly Jenson, Nena Anderson, and Alex Woodard will present the letters and perform the songs of ‘For the Sender.’” The CD release, featuring two songs by Jon, “Never Alone” and “Unbroken”, is just around the corner as well. (If you’ve missed our updates on this release, you can get the low down, as well as listen to song clips and read lyrics HERE!) Musician Alex Woodard, the man behind the project, explained it a bit more fully on the For the Sender website:

Sometimes a letter is like a prayer, written more for the sender than the receiver. There are unsent letters tucked away in dresser drawers and buried in boxes everywhere, serving as testimony that sometimes it’s enough to just write it down. You might have a letter of your own somewhere that nobody has ever seen.

But what if you opened the drawer? What if you did send that letter about your fears and insecurities, your hopes and triumphs?

Our family of songwriters and musicians in north San Diego county wrote songs about some of those letters, and we’ll be releasing ‘For The Sender’ in early 2012.  We asked the senders of the letters to choose a favorite charity, and a portion of the proceeds from sales and tours will benefit those causes.  Join us as we make the journey of delivering the songs to the people who inspired them: you.

We took four letters and wrote songs about them, which evolved into a book, album, and concert event called ‘For The Sender.’

I know how excited you all are for this release as well, so we decided to chat with Alex to find out more stories and info on “For The Sender”. Read on!

 Land of Broken Hearts (LOBH): The name for the project is based off of the Sean Watkin’s song “For the Sender” correct? What made you choose that name?

Alex Woodard: Sean and I wrote that song together about the letter than inspired the project. It was from a woman named Emily. She lost her soulmate one autumn and every year since then she writes him a letter to tell him about her year and what she’s been doing. That letter she writes is more for her than for him; it’s her way of dealing with things. One of the lyrics in the song is ‘Every year I write you this letter/But like a prayer, it’s more for the sender.’ I think we often write for ourselves, not for the reader or listener. When I sit down to write a song, it’s usually because I have something I need to get out. When someone writes a letter, even though it’s addressed to someone, it’s often because they want to express something.

The interesting thing is that all these songs, the surprise private performances, even part of the proceeds of the project, are all for the senders of the letters. They may have written their letter for themselves, but we’re doing something for them. So ‘For The Sender’ kind of nailed it as a title.

LOBH: Tell us about the moment when the idea for this project formed and became reality.

Alex: There are so many layers to this project, from the book to the album to the performances, and each layer has its own genesis. It’s like what looks like a forest now is made up of trees that grew from their own seed. But I remember the moment I first thought about writing a song for someone who sent me a letter. I was in L.A. and somebody asked me how I could personalize what I was putting out into the world… how could I make people feel like what I was doing was just for them. And my first thought was ‘write a song about their story’.

LOBH: What has been your favorite part of the project so far?

Alex: The co-writing with and producing artists I respect has been really special, but I think my favorite part has been playing the songs for the senders… traveling from Connecticut to Oceanside to Haiti to surprise these women with songs written just for them.

LOBH: Have there been any unexpected surprises or difficulties with For The Sender?

Alex: The process itself was a challenge, because I had to be patient with everyone’s schedules and other commitments. Not only that, but I didn’t really have a vision for the project until I was already knee-deep in it, and I had never written a book before, so I had to really trust the process. The biggest surprise was when I realized that I had my own letter, written but never sent, tucked away in a box high on a shelf in my living room. And I had a song that I didn’t realize I had written about that letter. I wrote the letter to my dog the day she died, and it was tucked away with her ashes. The song is called ‘The Table’, and a live version of it is the last track on the album.

LOBH: How has the response been so far, from the letter writers to the artists involved?

Alex: There’s a moment in the video with Jon after we left the shelter when he sees the book for the first time, takes it in his hands and shares his thoughts. The response to the project has ranged from that to tears and laughters and a sense of relief and resolution. I think each artist and letter writer respond to it according to where they are in their lives. It’s almost like the project is a mirror to them.

LOBH: Speaking of, how did Jon Foreman become involved?

Alex: We often surf together and would have an ongoing conversation about the project in between waves. One day out in the water I asked him if he wanted to get involved, and he said yes. Even though we did ‘Unbroken’ and ‘Never Alone’ together, I don’t think he really knew it was really happening until he actually saw the book for the first time. You can watch it on the sender site in the shelter section. http://www.forthesender.com/theShelter.html.

LOBH: What’s your personal favorite song from the different artists that contributed?

Alex: That’s a tough one. I produced and wrote or co-wrote all but one song, so I’m pretty close to them all. ‘My Love Will Find You’ seems like a special one to me though. But now that I say that I’m thinking ‘Never Alone.’ I can’t really pick just one. Sorry, that sounds like a cop-out, but it’s true.

LOBH: Do you have a goal or specific purpose that you are hoping to accomplish with For The Sender?

Alex: Part of the beauty of this project is that I’m just letting it be what it wants to be. It’s as if it’s telling me what way to take it, so I’m staying away from specific goals. But if I can move you and help you feel not as alone on your journey, I’ll be happy.

LOBH: Will the concerts extend past just one night? A few people asked about a tour across the states…

Alex: Absolutely. It will likely be a revolving cast depending on tour schedules, but we’ll be out there.

LOBH: When and where will we be able to buy this project? Will it be released on vinyl?

Alex: We’ll release it in early spring 2012. We’re still working out the distribution details, but it will be available online as an ebook and audiobook with the songs embedded, and in print editions at stores and online. It likely won’t be released on vinyl because you’d need a pretty big book to fit a record on the inside cover. You never know, though.

LOBH: What can fans expect at the ‘For the Sender’ concert event?

Alex: We’re going to present each letter and play the corresponding songs in a creative way that tells a story, with some surprises here and there. We’ll be filming it for a DVD, so I’ll leave some suspense and not give too much away…

LOBH: Alex, thank you so much for your time! We can’t wait to see the journey that this project will take.

Share your thoughts/reactions/excitement in the comments below!

Stay updated with the progress of this project by visiting the For The Sender website, following them on Twitter, and of course, checking LOBH!