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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PATRICK WOLF TICKETS
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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
.
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,
Arcade Fire,
Owen Pallett 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.
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] 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.
The Magic Position
was released in the United States 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.
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, while the second single from the album, "
Hard Times", was released on 6 July 2009.
The Conqueror
is due to be released in 2010.
[6]
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." s of {{MONTHNAME 2007
[], he is involved in a long-term same-sex relationship.
[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]
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.
Discography
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)
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).
|
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
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.
The song "Accident & Emergency" is currently being used as the theme/opening tune to BBC Three's programme 'Bizarre ER'.
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
- Patrick Wolf Talks New Album
- "New details about Patrick Wolf's Battle emerge
- The lone Wolf of indie
- PUTTING SOME GROWL INTO POP
- Patrick Wolf beaten up by security guards
- Check out Burberry's new talent