Jamila Woods

2017 Songwriting Alumna

Cottage: Oak

BIO: Poet and singer Jamila Woods (pronounced Jah-Mee-Lah) was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side. Jamila graduated from Brown University with a BA in Africana Studies and Theatre and Performance Studies. Her poetic influences include Gwendolyn Brooks, Sonia Sanchez, and Lucille Clifton. As a singer and songwriter, Woods has performed internationally, touring in support of artists like Raphel Saadiq, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Common. In 2016, Woods released her critically acclaimed debut album, HEAVN. Her second studio album, LEGACY! LEGACY! (2019) pays homage to a collection of artists of color who have influenced her life and work. Jamila's third solo album, Water Made Us is an introspective song cycle about love and relationships released October 13, 2023 via JagJaguwar Records. According to The New York Times, this album "achieves the musician’s greatest synthesis yet between her voices as a poet and as a songwriter."