Blacktop

Blacktop is a Milwaukee-based independent writing and recording project formed by multi-instrumentalist and producer Austin Wood. With nearly all recording, mixing, and production being done in Wood’s home studio, the project embraces a DIY and analog approach to music creation. Resting gently between the genres of folk, surf rock, and dream pop, the music of Blacktop is adorned with soft-spoken vocals, washed-out guitars, and acoustic percussion/rhythmic elements. The project draws from a large pool of sonic influence, ranging from Ethiopian jazz and Latin rhythms of the 1960-70s to modern pop and alternative artists such as Khruangbin, Skinshape, Loving, and Sam Evian. The project’s inspirational core is rooted in spiritual and Zen philosophies of presence, mindfulness, and impermanence, from which the project often draws lyrical inspiration.

Originally starting as a solo recording project of Wood, Blacktop has grown to include Jordan Taylor (guitar), Jacob Olson of Hyer (bass), and Jacob Slade (drums) both in the studio and on stage. Blacktop is gaining traction, able to be heard through the airwaves on 88.9 Radio Milwaukee, and featured on Lilliput Record’s “Local Milwaukee Showcase”. The project’s second full-length release, “Gardening is a Practice, Not an Idea”, was released independently in September 2023 with a deluxe release through Nice Guys Records in February 2024.