The Baker's Dozen #29 Emily Wolfe
With a brand new album ‘Outlier’ out today (June 25th, 2021) Emily Wolfe has plenty going on. The Crows Feet Records release marks a departure for the Austin, Texas singer-songwriter and guitarist whose fretboard talents recently netted her a signature model Epiphone guitar deal. For the new record, those blues-rock roots are given a genre-defying makeover with a host of other musical influences rising to the surface. RGM caught up with Emily for a quick chat about those influences, how a fiddle-playing uncle planted a musical seed and that buying a LeAnn Rimes tape really can lead to Queens Of The Stone Age.
1.What is your earliest musical memory?
My earliest musical memory was watching my Uncle Melvin play fiddle. He was in a bluegrass band and inspired my curiosity about music.
2. Do you remember the name of your first band?
Fourth From Last. It meant absolutely nothing, but I was in an emo/punk phase so thought it sounded cool. Terrible name.
3. Which current artist do you hear and just go Wow?
Sarah Jaffe, H.E.R., Cautious Clay, Queens of the Stone Age
4. Do you sit down to write songs or do you wait until your mojo comes to get you?
I usually wait until I have enough time to get into a specific mindset. Sometimes songs will come to me in unexpected moments like in the car, or the shower, but for the most part, I have to sit down and wait for the mojo to strike. It’s pretty exciting when it does.
5. Big venue or small venue - what’s your favourite to play?
I love playing big venues because of the huge energy. I also love playing smaller venues that are packed out – they’re way more intimate than big venues, but my favourite venues to play are big.
6. Who is the one artist you wish you could share a stage with (past or present)?
Janelle Monae
7. Bowie, Prince, Sinatra, Elvis which departed great means the most to you?
Tom Petty’s passing was really tough for me. His work was legendary. Luckily I got to catch him live 3 months before he passed.
8. The musical landscape could change markedly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. How has the situation affected you and what do you feel will be its impact on the music business/live performance going forward?
Covid completely shut down almost every aspect of the music business but opened up a lot of doors in the live streaming world. I think concerts may begin being live-streamed, and online audience members may have to pay to stream concerts.
9. Should music be free?
In an ideal world for me, everything would be free. In our world, however, I think it’s important to compensate artists for their work. So, I don’t believe music should be free.
10. Can you remember the first record you bought and what have you bought recently?
The first record I ever bought was Everybody’s Sweetheart by LeAnn Rimes (on cassette tape). I was obsessed with her cover of Blue. My most recent record purchase was probably an Eagles of Death Metal album called Death By Sexy.
11. What was the last song that made you cry actual tears?
She Lit A Fire by Lord Huron.
12. Do you binge-watch Netflix / Amazon / DVD box sets (any recommendations)? Do you have a guilty pleasure in Film or TV you’ll admit to watching and loving?
The Bachelorette. Terrible show but I cannot look away.
13. What is the most important thing to you that you can see from where you are right now?
My signature Epiphone Sheraton Stealth.
These days, with a seemingly inexhaustible amount of music available at the click of a mouse, it is easy to miss things in our search for instant gratification. The art of getting to know an album over repeated listens, allowing it to slowly reveal itself, is in danger of being lost. A case in point is the aptly titled ‘Modern Nostalgia’, the latest release from The Last Hurrah (!!), a project helmed by Norwegian musician/producer HP Gundersen. ‘Modern Nostalgia’ blends a distinctly European (Serge Gainsbourg/Marianne Faithfull) approach with the California sound of Gram Parsons and The Byrds, utilising a variety of singers and instrumentation along the way to reveal its charms. With this in mind, we caught up with HP Gundersen to learn more about HP and his collaborators in The Last Hurrah (!!).