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There’s an obligatory list of pointless similarities between Royal Wood the musical artist and Royal York Funston the amusical artist, so I’ll get that out of the way right now: we’re both named Royal, though it’s his middle name and my first (might his first name be York?); we’re both Canadian (though I’m really only half by my mother from Chilliwack,) and we’ve both spent time in Toronto (though I was only there for 4 months in the summer of 2005, but it was a fantastic town - in summer.)
If there’s one thing that can be said about us Royals, it’s that we’re loyal to other Royals, and so that Royal has generously agreed to answer a few of this Royal’s questions, and that makes him Required Listening.
Who is Royal Wood?
I am a singer, a songwriter, a producer, a performer, a dreamer, a brother, a lover, a son and a friend; but in no particular order.
Why do you create?
I truly create because I have to. I have since my earliest moments as a child, and it is something I can not ignore. Thankfully, I don’t want to shut the tap off either.
I would like to be a successful artist, but I’ve learned that producing art that you believe in isn’t enough. You then have to get it noticed, and even with the Internet today, that’s still a difficult thing to achieve. By my standards, you are a successful artist, yet search for Royal Wood on Google and you’ll find a lot more on home building products than you will on the musician. Is it still a challenge to make people aware of you and your work, or does it no longer matter?
It always matters to an artist to be noticed and for many reasons; my land lady certainly wants me to be a rock star. However challenging though, I continually try to expand my boundaries, and fan base, and perform and expose my music where ever I can. However, at the heart of that expansion is a love of creation, and the passion to grow as an artist.
Perhaps if I dedicated the rest of my life to it, I might be able to master Stairway to Heaven on the guitar, but I wasn’t born a musician, as I think you were. One regret of this genetic defect is that I’ll never get to experience a moment like when you’re on stage, alone at the piano, playing Juliet to a silent audience. What’s it like to connect to others through your art in such a direct and personal way?
Have you ever sat at a dinner table amongst friends and family and told a story that everyone listened to? It is the very same. We are all story tellers, some just sing the tale.
If your life continues on its current trajectory, what do you hope it will be like in 10 years?
When my music is currently reviewed or written about, I am cast in the light of older artists who laid the foundation for my career. In 10 years’ time, I hope to have established my craft enough so that up and coming artists are compared to my path as well. That would be a true accomplishment – to shape the younger musicians and producers to come.
Thanks to Royal Wood for sharing his music, Juliet from the album A Good Enough Day, with us here on Required Listening. You can purchase music by Royal Wood on 
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