Australian guitarist and songwriter BRETT WOOD has long been admired for his fiery yet soulful playing, whether on stage with Pete Murray or in his own right as a solo artist. Now, with work underway on his second solo album ‘Barely Get By’ (due for release in 2026), Wood is stepping boldly into the spotlight—and he’s brought along one of the most iconic drummers in blues-rock history: CHRIS ‘WHIPPER’ LAYTON, best known as the powerhouse behind Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.
In our exclusive interview, Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips is joined by Brett Wood and drum legend Chris’ Whipper’ Layton to chat about the making of Brett’s upcoming album ‘Barely Get By’ (out in 2026) and we also get to ask Chris about his time with the dearly departed guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan.
MORE ABOUT BRETT WOOD & CHRIS ‘WHIPPER’ LAYTON’S JOURNEY IN THE MAKING OF ‘BARELY GET BY’
Layton, who also helped spark bands like Storyville and the Arc Angels and now tours with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, contributes to five tracks on Wood’s upcoming record. For Wood, the collaboration is nothing short of a dream realised. “The 15-year-old me was screaming, ‘Do it, send him the track!’” Wood laughs. “To have Whipper play on my songs still feels surreal.”
The two first crossed paths years ago in Austin, Texas, when Wood stumbled into a Continental Club show where Layton was sitting in with Gary Clark Jr.’s short-lived side project. That memory stuck, and when the opportunity came to invite Layton onto his album, Wood trusted his instincts.
For Layton, the decision was simple. “I just liked what I heard,” he says. “Brett’s material reminded me of Doyle Bramhall Jr. in some ways. It had that feel, and I thought, ‘Yeah, I want to be part of this.’”
Recording with a player of Layton’s stature naturally brought challenges. “The first was being embarrassed to send him my demo drumming,” Wood admits. “But he was so kind about it. The real challenge was capturing that pocket, especially on shuffles. Everyone shuffles differently, and it has to feel good. Doing it to a click track meant I had to work hard to make it natural,” Brett said before he sent his guide drums off to the master.
Layton approaches sessions with instinct rather than calculation. “For me, it’s not an intellectual process,” he explains. “The question is always, does it feel good? That’s what rules the day.”
One of the tracks Layton played on, “Real Piece of Work,” the first single Brett released from the upcoming album carries a clear Stevie Ray Vaughan flavour. Wood recalls nervously sending it through: “It felt like pulling the pin out of a grenade. But Whipper just came back with, ‘Cool tunes, Brett.’ I didn’t sleep that night. I couldn’t believe it.”
Layton’s philosophy of serving the song echoes the way he worked with Vaughan and producer John Hammond in the early days. “We never told each other what to play,” he reflects. “It was about finding what felt right together, not about rules or genres. Stevie even talked about adding horns and strings to our music before he passed-he never saw limits.”
For Wood, another important figure in his journey has been Tommy Emmanuel, who took the young guitarist under his wing, even introducing him to Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed in Nashville. “Tommy has always been generous with advice and support,” says Wood. “He showed me what it means to give back.”
Both Wood and Layton also emphasise the importance of stage time. With Wood coming off a long national tour with Pete Murray, and Layton clocking countless hours with Shepherd, they agree that live performance is where growth happens. “The only way to get good at the game is to be in the game,” says Layton. “The more you’re on stage, the more fluid everything becomes.”
With Layton’s unmistakable grooves anchoring several songs and Wood pushing his songwriting into new territory, the upcoming album promises to be his most personal and potent work yet. “I always had a gut feeling his drumming would be a natural fit,” Wood says. “And he’s been every bit the gentleman I hoped for. To have someone of his legacy bring life to my songs is a gift I’ll never take for granted.”
For Australian fans, the project represents not only a new chapter for Brett Wood but also a bridge between our own vibrant scene and the rich history of Texas blues.
The current single for Brett Wood is ‘Eyes’, which features a pulsing, hypnotic groove and a simmering blues beat. Eyes is a polished outing from Brett, building a moody yet invigorating backdrop around lashings of soul, a hooky guitar solo and Brett’s effortless vocals and of course is one of the tracks which includes the percussive stamp of approval from Whipper Layton.
For the gear heads, here’s what Brett is using in the creation of his new music:
Guitars I used on the record are a bit of a mixture of acoustics, electrics and my bass
Electric :
* White 1964 fender Strat
* Sunburst 1965 fender Strat
* Andy Allen Custom Jr
* 1969 Gretsch Country Gent
* Ry Cooder replica strat for slide
* Maton custom shop twin neck on the 12string side for some Tom Petty/Byrds tones.
* Gibson R8 Les Paul
Acoustics :
* Maton custom shop traditional (made by Andy Allen)
* 70s Fender 12 string
* Maton TE artist model (1995)
Bass :
Post lawsuit era Tokai Apb64 (I think it is either 1980 or 81) which has Emanuelli pickups installed in it.
Amps :
1966 Fender BF Princeton
1959 tweed Princeton
1972 fender super reverb /EVs
1973 Marshal Super Bass speakers
1964 vibroverb (JBL d130f)
Sebago Texas Flood (100W) head
And I have a few options of quad boxes with celestion greenbacks or a EVs to taste.
Leslie 18 rotary cabinet
And for bass I used a small 70s Fender Bronco to blend with the DI signal
Find out more about Brett Wood’s gigs, singles and the journey of his new album at https://www.brettwood.com/
Find out more about Chris ‘Whipper’ Layton at https://www.facebook.com/chriswhipperlayton
Catch Brett Wood live at Brunswick Ballroom’s Winter Blues along with Lloyd Spiegel, Kathleen Halloran, Bill Barber & The Holding Cell, Ingrid and the Ministers Tickets HERE
Here’s Brett’s current single ‘Eyes’ from the upcoming album ‘Barely Get By’
And Brett’s first single off ‘Barely Get By’, titled ‘Real Piece of Work’