Woody Goss is not entirely as he seems. He’s best known as the keyboard player and founding member of the band Vulfpeck, a funk collective of musicians, singers, and songwriters created at the University of Michigan nearly a decade ago by Jack Stratton.

The band was first known as an internet phenomenon, coming to national attention for a series of videos and one infamous Spotify stunt (their silent album “Sleepify” which generated thousands of dollars in revenue before it was ultimately removed from the platform). But in recent years their online celebrity has translated into live ticket sales. The night before this interview was recorded, Woody played with Vulfpeck at Madison Square Garden in New York to a sold out crowd; they have no manager, no label, and no formal team. The band remains completely independent and represents a future model for the music business in which artists engage completely and directly with their fans and control their careers completely.

Fans of the band know Woody to be an extremely accomplished piano player, composer and (somewhat unexpectedly) birding enthusiast. He loves Thelonious Monk, and even went so far as to record an album of solo Rhodes renditions of songs associated with Monk’s solo repertoire. His harmonic approach and love of locking into a good groove with a rhythm section have both left their mark on the Vulfpeck sound. While the other guys in the band are somewhat notorious for their banter, schtick, and humor, Woody is the quiet one.

It’s always the quiet ones.