Patrick Wolf
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Patrick Wolf | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Patrick Denis Apps |
| Born | 30 June 1983 South London |
| Genre(s) | Indietronica Folktronica Alternative rock Baroque pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Label(s) | Low Altitude Records Faith & Industry Tomlab Loog Bloody Chamber Music |
| Website | PatrickWolf.com |
Patrick Wolf (born Patrick Denis Apps on 30 June 1983) is an English singer-songwriter from South London. Patrick utilises a wide variety of instruments in his music, most commonly the ukulele, piano and viola. Known for combining electronic sampling with classical instruments, Wolf's styles range from Romantic folk to techno-pop.
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[edit] Biography
Patrick Wolf was born in St Thomas' Hospital [1], South London, [2] [3] into a creative family. He started his musical education with violin lessons and church choirs and made his first theremin at age eleven, and first began recording songs with his violin, voice, and car boot sale organs on a four-track tape recorder at age twelve. At fourteen, he joined and performed with pop art collective Minty. Two years later, he dropped his A-Levels and left home. During this period, Wolf earned money from busking in a string quartet and formed a group called 'Maison Crimineaux', a noisy trio built on destructive ethics around white noise and pop music. He also continued to write and record his own material. A Maison Crimineaux gig in Paris was attended by electronic maestro Kristian Robinson (aka Capitol K), who would then go on to release Wolf's debut album Lycanthropy.
[edit] Lycanthropy and Wind in the Wires
Wolf's ongoing writing and recordings brought him to the attention of Fat Cat Records, who provided him with an Atari computer and a mixing console. During the recording of Lycanthropy, Wolf studied composition at Trinity College of Music for one year. Lycanthropy was released in the summer of 2003. He also made some guest appearances as a viola player with Chicks on Speed and The Hidden Cameras. The Germany-based Tomlab later released the album for United States of America and Europe. His second album of 2005, Wind in the Wires, which was inspired by Patrick's Cornish and Irish roots, was released on the same label and likewise met with critical acclaim. The single 'Tristan', based on the Cornish legend, Tristram of Lyonesse, received significant attention from critics and remains a fan favourite.
[edit] The Magic Position
Following the success of Wind in the Wires, Wolf signed a record deal with Loog in 2005 and began recording his third album, The Magic Position, which featured collaborations with Marianne Faithfull and Edward Larrikin of Larrikin Love.[4] A low quality version of the album leaked onto file-sharing networks in its entirety on 3 January 2007. Its official release on 26 February met with critical acclaim, and gained a degree of commercial success due to the relative accessibility compared to his previous works.[citation needed] The Magic Position was released in the U.S. on Low Altitude Records on 1 May 2007. A concept album on the theme of love, the majority of the album was written after the end of a long term intimate relationship. In January 2007, the first of six vodcasts was made available on iTunes. The series included live performances of old and new material and interviews. Wolf promoted the album with a concert tour in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia, culminating in two sold out nights at London's Shepherds Bush Empire. Both of these shows, which were shot and directed by photographer Brantley Gutierrez, are in development to be shown on a Virgin channel and then released on DVD.
[edit] The Bachelor and The Conqueror
Wolf began work on his next album, initially titled Battle, immediately after The Magic Position tour ended. The album was originally conceived as a political album. The focus then shifted to the depression experienced by Wolf during the tour. However, before entering the studio, he fell in love, changing the direction of the album again, and eventually providing enough material for two releases. Wolf parted ways with Universal Records, and on 10 December 2008 announced to NME his plan to sell £10 shares of the album on bandstocks.com: "Basically, you can invest in the finishing of the album and the production of it, and you get a share in the album. So you almost become part of the record company, like a co-owner of the album."[5] On 12 February 2009, Wolf announced that the two discs would be titled The Bachelor and The Conqueror.
The Bachelor's first single, "Vulture", was released on 2 April 2009, on vinyl and digital download. The b-sides include new song, "The Tinderbox", and remixes of the title track.
The Bachelor was released on 1 June 2009, with The Conqueror due to be released in 2010.[6] The second single from the album, "Hard Times", was released on 6 July 2009.
[edit] Personal life
On 27 February 2007, in an interview with thelondonpaper, Wolf raised questions about his sexuality: "In the same way I don’t know if my sixth album is going to be a death-metal record or children's pop, I don’t know whether I’m destined to live my life with a horse, a woman or a man. It makes life easier."[7] In a 5 July 2007 interview with the Sydney Star Observer, he confirmed his sexuality: "My sexuality is kind of liberal. I fall in love with men and women. I guess you would call me bisexual. I like to have sex and fall in love—I don't like giving terminology for my sexuality." As of August 2007[update], he is involved in a long-term same-sex relationship with an undisclosed partner.[8]
In September 2008, Wolf claimed that he was beaten up by security guards for kissing his boyfriend at a Madonna concert. Wolf told Electroqueer: "They took us away and handcuffed us, then beat us up outside. They're looking at CCTV film."[9]
[edit] Modelling
Wolf, along with The Paddingtons, Edward Larrikin, and The View, was featured in a series of photographs by Mario Testino as a part of a campaign for Burberry in August 2007.[10]
Wolf has also worked with a variety of designers at London Fashion Week 2009.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 2003: Lycanthropy (Faith and Industry / Tomlab)
- 2005: Wind in the Wires (Tomlab)
- 2007: The Magic Position (Loog Records)
- 2009: The Bachelor (Bloody Chamber Music)
- 2010: The Conqueror (Bloody Chamber Music)
[edit] Singles/EPs
| Release date | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Patrick Wolf EP | Faith and Industry | Limited 1000 vinyl only. Features the exclusive tracks "Empress" and "Pumpkin Soup", alongside "Bloodbeat" and "A Boy Like Me" which appear on Lycanthropy. |
| 31 January 2005 | "The Libertine" | Tomlab | First single from Wind In the Wires. Features the b-sides "Penzance", "Wind In The Wires" (Clifftop Demo) and the Nico cover, "Afraid". |
| 13 June 2005 | "Wind in the Wires" | Tomlab | Second single from Wind in the Wires. CD and limited 2000 vinyl. Features the b-sides "Souvenirs", "Godrevy Point" and "Ignis Fatuus". |
| 31 October 2005 | "Tristan" | Tomlab | Third single from Wind in the Wires. CD and limited 1000 vinyl. Features the b-sides "The Hazelwood" and the traditional cover, "Idumea". |
| 23 October 2006 | "Accident & Emergency" | Loog | First single from The Magic Position. Features the b-sides "Adder", the Eva Eden cover "Underworld", the Nico cover "Ari's Song" and a live version from a show at the Bloomsbury Theatre of "The Childcatcher". |
| 1 January 2007 | "Bluebells" | Loog | Second single from The Magic Position. Download only. |
| 26 March 2007 | "The Magic Position" | Loog | Third single from The Magic Position. Features the b-sides "The Marriage", "Augustine / Secret Garden (II)", a live version from a show at the Bloomsbury Theatre of "Luna / The Libertine" and the Larrikin Love cover, "On Sussex Downs". |
| 2 April 2009 | "Vulture" | Bloody Chamber Music | First single from The Bachelor. Features the b-sides "The Tinderbox", and two remixes of the title track - "Vulture (Thomas Doppelganger Wildlife On One Remix)" and "Vulture (TNP remix)". |
| 1 June 2009 | The Spinster EP | Bloody Chamber Music | Limited edition EP, 500 copys to be given away with the purchase of The Bachelor from Rough Trade Records, features 5 new tracks/mixes; "The Bachelor (Balalaika Mix)", "Teignmouth (Lone Bachelor Demo 2003)", "Vaeety Braeu", "Pigeon Song (Live at Shepherds Bush Empire)" and "Who Will? (St Bredes Church Karaoke Mix)" |
| 6 July 2009 | "Hard Times" | Bloody Chamber Music | Second single from The Bachelor. The 7" Vinyl Single includes the Alec Empire's Hellish Vortex Remix and is limited to 500 copies. |
| 6 July 2009 | "Hard Times EP" | Bloody Chamber Music | Digital EP features Hard Times, "The Sun Is Often Out (Alec Empire Original Demo Mix) and Remixes of "Hard Times" including (Alec Empire's Hellish Vortex Remix), (Jack Beats Remix), (James Yuill Remix) and (Circlesquare Remix). |
[edit] Compilations and collaborations
- Army of Me [army Of klaus remix] at Army of Me: Remixes and Covers, album of remixes and covers of the song "Army of Me" by Björk
- Collaborated with Bishi for her album Nights at the Circus
- The track "Careless Talk" from the soundtrack to the film The Edge of Love
- Guest vocals in "On Sussex downs" by Larrikin Love
[edit] Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "To the Lighthouse" | Ingrid Z |
| 2005 | "The Libertine" | Pil and Galia Kollectiv |
| "Wind in the Wires" | ||
| "Tristan" | Paul Gore | |
| 2006 | "Accident & Emergency" | Maria Mochnacz |
| 2007 | "Bluebells" | Jaron Albertin |
| "The Magic Position" | ||
| 2009 | "Vulture" | Patrick Wolf |
| "Hard Times" | Ace Norton |
Patrick Wolf appeared as a panellist in an episode of the pop quiz-show Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Episode 5 of Series 21.
[edit] Summer Tour 2009
After a small string of dates across the UK, Patrick Wolf has announced a full scale UK tour, followed by a series of concerts in North America and other parts of Europe. The dates Patrick will be playing are as follows:
Patrick will also be performing a special one-off acoustic gig in New York on 6 May at Le Poisson Rouge ahead of The Bachelor's release Stateside on 1 June.
Talking about his performance in the US, Patrick said: "I am excited to be going back to America, to play songs from my new album. And to show New York how it all started by going there on my own with only a case full of instruments for company".[11]
The tour was preceded by two shows in Russia, at St Petersburg's A2 Club on April 24 and Moscow's Avant Festival 2009 on April 25.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23692625-details/My+London:+Patrick+Wolf/article.do
- ^ http://www.nme.com/artists/patrick-wolf
- ^ http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Wolf,_Patrick/index.html
- ^ "Patrick Wolf vodcast". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-tNpyogrSw. Retrieved on 2007-02-05.
- ^ "Patrick Wolf Talks New Album". idiomag. 2009-02-18. http://www.idiomag.com/peek/65459/patrick_wolf. Retrieved on 2009-02-19.
- ^ ""New details about Patrick Wolf's Battle emerge". http://www.kwamecorp.com/bandstocksnews/2009/02/changes-made-to-patrick-wolfs.html.
- ^ Mackenzie, Malcolm (2007-02-27). "The lone Wolf of indie". thelondonpaper. http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/music/article/1157145572163?packedargs=suffix%3DArticleController&c. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ Burns, Sunny (2007-08-17). "PUTTING SOME GROWL INTO POP". http://www.ssonet.com.au/display.asp?ArticleID=6728. Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
- ^ "Patrick Wolf beaten up by security guards". 2009-01-08. http://www.teletext.co.uk/planetsound/news/cf2728991991cbf94a095b52ce10d6ad/Wolf+'beaten+up+at+gig'.aspx.
- ^ Coulson, Clare (15 June 2007). "Check out Burberry's new talent". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1554574/Check-out-Burberrys-new-talent.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-10.
- ^ "Patrick Wolf announces full UK Tour". 2009-04-15. http://www.kwamecorp.com/bandstocksnews/2009/04/patrick-wolf-announces-full-uk.html.
