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New Release from Lucy Woodward "Hooked" on Verve Forecast

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"I wanted to make a modern-day torch record," Lucy Woodward says of her Verve Records debut Hooked!, which finds the New York-bred singer-songwriter achieving a remarkable creative rebirth by reembracing her early musical roots. Woodward made her first impression on the national scene with her 2003 debut album While You Can and her bubbly pop hit “Dumb Girls." But her musical heart lies in the soulful authenticity of classic jazz, swing, R&B and Latin music, and it's those influences that form the basis of her approach on Hooked!

“As you get older and make more music, you gain a better understanding of who you are and what you need to feel satisfied," Woodward states. “That's what this record is for me."

The 11-song album showcases Woodward's engaging, expressive vocals and witty, insightful songwriting on such memorable originals as “He Got Away," “Purple Heart," “Slow Recovery" and “Too Much to Live For." Another highlight is “Another Woman," especially written for Lucy by admirer Nellie McKay, who lends her harmony vocals to the track. Woodward's gifts as an interpreter of outside material are showcased on her distinctive readings of such vintage tunes as the obscure Peggy Lee number “Sans Souci," Hoagy Carmichael's 1930s pop standard “Stardust" and “I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)," originally sung by Louis Prima in Disney's The Jungle Book.

Hooked! was produced largely by veteran studio legend Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex, Paul McCartney, Morrissey), with additional tracks produced by Justin Stanley (Nikka Costa, Eric Clapton) and longtime Woodward collaborators Tim K. (Les Nubians, Colette, Esthero) and Itaal Shur (Groove Collective, Santana).

After her initial success in the contemporary pop realm, Woodward took stock of her creative goals and chose to reinvent her music in favor of a more personal, organic approach. She first embraced that direction on 2008's independently released Lucy Woodward Is...Hot and Bothered, a transitional effort that introduced many of the stylistic elements that she pursues in earnest on Hooked!

In addition to her own albums, Woodward has also contributed songs to the soundtracks of several films, including Disney's Ice Princess and the recent Sandra Bullock hit The Blind Side, and guested on American Idol judge and noted producer Randy Jackson's 2008 album Randy Jackson's Music Club, Volume 1. She's also devoted considerable energy to several charitable projects, making multiple trips to Africa on behalf of relief organizations, and singing for Bishop Desmond Tutu at a benefit for his foundation in Dallas.

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