Hank Woods was born in Long Island, NY, and was raised in Bar Harbor, Maine. The son of renowned saxophonist Chris Woods, Hank was surrounded by artistic friends of his parents, and grew accustomed to the moods and eccentricities of those in the music world.  Hank has attributed these surroundings in helping to prepare him to cope with the stress of the music industry, and the ongoing conflict between artistry and business.

At an early age he began playing the trumpet, which he proceeded to make his primary instrument through most of his adolescent years. Being the godson of legendary trumpeter Clark Terry, it came as no surprise that Hank’s early musical influences were derived from the jazz world. He credits Slash from Guns N’ Roses with changing his life. After only one year of guitar studies, Hank enrolled at the illustrious Berklee College of Music and quickly immersed himself in the instrument.

Playing throughout college with friend, Evan Brown (Shaimus) and The Jeff Ginsburg band, Hank entered the New York City music scene in 2005, when he became the lead guitarist of Gag Order (2005-07). Woods has become known for his warm, bluesy tones and delicate phrasing, and by utilizing his six-string wizardry he helped revitalize the wonder of guitar virtuosity within a waning NYC rock scene.

An introduction from Peter Defilippi (former drummer of Gag Order) to Michael Lombardi in early 2008 led to the conception of Apache Stone. Bringing his own brand of hard hitting, soulful riffs to the table, Apache Stone’s music hit the ground running and the band was even written into the hit FX TV show Rescue Me.

Splitting time between New York and Los Angeles has allowed Hank to play with an eclectic group of artists including; Roi and the Secret People, Jaclyn Dima, Mike Null, Zigmat, Sweet Electra, Mark Greenberg, Jes Justice and Tracy Thorne. Versatility has been the cornerstone of Woods’ career. Whether it’s laying down soulful tracks in the studio, being a sideman at an intimate acoustic show or fronting the band in an arena of thousands, his innate musicality continues to win over audiences of all ages.