Hilary Woods

Biography

Woods was raised in Dublin by parents who filled the home with classical, folk, and rock LPs and encouraged her to play music. She started on piano, and her brother was also urged to take up instruments. At 18, she joined JJ72 with singer/guitarist Mark Greaney and drummer Fergal Matthews, playing bass from the late 90s into the early 2000s. The band signed to Sony imprint Lakota Records and released two Top 20 albums—their self-titled debut in 2000 and I to Sky in 2002—before Woods left after four years of touring.

A year later, she started a family and focused on raising her daughter. Before returning to music, she took college courses that sparked her creativity, notably inspired by filmmakers Wong Kar-wai and Chris Marker and electronic artists Jon Hopkins and Vincent Gallo. After studying fine art, literature, and film, she returned under the name The River Cry for a confidential self-titled album in 2013.

She then released EPs under her own name—Night in 2014 and Heartbox in 2016—leading to her debut solo record Colt in 2018 as a Sacred Bones artist. After Night, she began touring again. Acts of Light arrived in 2023, and in 2025 she released Night CRIÚ.

Did You Know?

• Woods played bass in JJ72 from 1996 until 2003, and the band released two Top 20 albums during that time.
• She released five solo albums and three EPs as of 2025, with Night CRIÚ arriving that year.