Today, Oliver Wood and Katie Pruitt share a live, in-studio video performance of "Have You No Shame" via premiere at Relix Magazine. The song was written by the late Donnie McCormick, a legendary Atlanta-based musician, who was among Wood’s biggest influences during his formative years spent on that city’s local music scene. Wood, a co-founding member of The Wood Brothers, introduced and taught the song to Pruitt, which ultimately led to the collaboration. Recorded and filmed earlier this year at The Studio Nashville, Wood plans to include the track on a forthcoming studio album tentatively planned for 2024. The video release, however, is the only way to hear the song for now. Joining Wood and Pruitt on “Have You No Shame” are bassist Ted Peccio and drummer Jano Rix.
"Donnie McCormick has been a huge influence on me and is one of my favorite musicians of all time. He was a mentor as I was coming up on the Atlanta music scene, and even inspired me to write songs about him like 'Postcards From Hell’ and 'Stumbled In.’ Playing his music is the best way I know to keep his spirit with me and to share it with others who never got to see or meet him,” explains Wood. "I got to know Katie Pruitt, who’s become a close friend, when she came on tour with The Wood Brothers. She always loved our song 'Postcards from Hell,' so we taught her ‘Shame' and she sang it with us every night on tour and really owned it. She never got to see Donnie but she embodies his intensity and emotion when she sings this tune. The end always gives me chills. I only wish Donnie was still around to play it with us. He’s still with us in the music though, and I hope Katie is still singing this and passing it on long after I’m gone too.”
"Oliver and I have been talking about recording 'Have You No Shame' since I toured with The Wood Brothers in 2019. One of the first shows on the tour, I got the chance to tell Oliver what his songwriting means to me. I explained how I got offered a sketchy record deal before moving to Nashville and his song 'Postcards From Hell' served as a North Star that encouraged me to turn down the deal and stay true to myself,” continues Pruitt. 'Oliver then told me about the man who inspired 'Postcards from Hell,' one of his songwriting idols, Donnie McCormick. He explained how ‘Donnie was a staple of the Atlanta scene and used to play on an old chicken coop and sing the blues with his entire soul.’ As a tribute, Oliver suggested we cover 'Have You No Shame' and finally in March of this year, we recorded it at Oliver’s studio in West Nashville. Donnie had inspired Oliver and Oliver had inspired me. We both thought it was only right to pay our respects to the man who reminded us both why we should never read postcards from hell.”
Oliver Wood is currently on road with The Wood Brothers who are on tour around the Southeast this week before heading to the UK and Europe for shows in February and additional U.S. dates across the West Coast and Midwest in March and April. The band is supporting their most recent, critically acclaimed album, Heart Is The Hero.
