Donovan Woods is having a genuinely full spring. The Toronto-based singer-songwriter has launched a brand new CBC comedy podcast alongside Q host Tom Power, dropped his EP ‘Squander Your Gifts,’ and is currently on the road with a touring schedule that stretches from Ontario to Europe and back. The podcast, The Big Five, is out now with new episodes dropping every Monday on CBC Listen and wherever podcasts are available.
The Big Five pairs Woods and Power with a rotating cast of celebrity guests to settle the most absurd and surprisingly compelling debates imaginable: what are the objectively definitive Big 5 farm animals, types of hats, or slang terms for “butt”? The first episode features TV and film director Jordan Canning, with guests this season including Vivek Shraya, William Prince, Lindsay Ell, and Elamin Abdelmahmoud among others. It’s the kind of project that makes complete sense for Woods, whose warmth and wit are as much a part of his identity as his songwriting.
That songwriting is very much front and center on ‘Squander Your Gifts,’ a five-track EP dedicated to his friend and longtime Nashville writing partner Abe Stoklasa, who passed away in November 2023. The two collaborated closely for years, co-writing “Leaving Nashville” for Lady A’s Charles Kelley and Woods’ own breakout “Portland, Maine,” first recorded by Tim McGraw. The EP carries that history with it, and lead track “I Talk About You” does exactly what Woods does best: it tells the truth without flinching. Atwood Magazine described it with precision, noting the song captures “exactly what grief does to us, how it spills into conversations uninvited, how it refuses decorum, how it demands witness.”
Woods is currently playing a run of Ontario dates before heading out across North America this spring supporting The Paper Kites, with a European run following in the fall. It’s a long road, and every stop counts.
Tour Dates:
April 21, 2026 – Kitchener, ON – Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts
April 23, 2026 – Sarnia, ON – Imperial Theatre
April 24, 2026 – Ridgeway, ON – The Sanctuary
April 25, 2026 – St. Catharines, ON – St. Thomas’ Anglican Church
April 28, 2026 – Oshawa, ON – Biltmore Theatre
April 29, 2026 – Paris, ON – River’s Edge at the Arlington
May 1, 2026 – Austin, TX – Emo’s Austin^
May 2, 2026 – Dallas, TX – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall^
May 4, 2026 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville^
May 6, 2026 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club^
May 7, 2026 – Boston, MA – Royale^
May 8, 2026 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts^
May 9, 2026 – New York, NY – Webster Hall^
May 10, 2026 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS^
May 12, 2026 – Toronto, ON – History^
May 14, 2026 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues Chicago^
May 15, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue^
May 17, 2026 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre^
May 19, 2026 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom^
May 20, 2026 – Vancouver, BC – The Centre for Performing Arts^
May 21, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre^
May 26, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern^
June 7, 2026 – Wolfville, NS – Devour! Studios
June 9, 2026 – New Glasgow, NS – Glasgow Square Theatre
June 11, 2026 – Halifax, NS – Light House Arts Centre
June 12, 2026 – Margaretsville, NS – Evergreen Theatre
June 13, 2026 – Moncton, NB – Tide & Boar Gastropub
June 14, 2026 – Fredericton, NB – Wilmot United Church
July 17, 2026 – Guelph, ON – Hillside Festival
Oct 8, 2026 – Oslo, NO – Oslo Concert Hall
Oct 9, 2026 – Stockholm, SE – Bar Brooklyn
Oct 10, 2026 – Gothenburg, SE – Gothenburg Roots Festival
Oct 11, 2026 – Copenhagen, DK – Loppen
Oct 13, 2026 – Munich, DE – Backstage Club
Oct 14, 2026 – Cologne, DE – Yard Club
Oct 15, 2026 – Erpe-Mere, BE – gEM
Oct 16, 2026 – Utrecht, NL – TivoliVredenburg
Oct 17, 2026 – Amen, NL – Cultureel Café de Amer
Oct 20, 2026 – Paris, FR – Supersonic Records
Oct 22, 2026 – Bristol, UK – Lantern Hall
Oct 23, 2026 – London, UK – Oslo Hackney
Oct 24, 2026 – Manchester, UK – Hallé at St Michael’s
Oct 25, 2026 – Glasgow, UK – The Hug and Pint
Nov 11–15, 2026 – Miami, FL – Moon River at Sea
^Supporting The Paper Kites