A rather mystical figure, Vanderwolf is not only a gifted songwriter and musician but also an interpreter of modernity, a keen observer of the social landscape around us. Active in the BTS of the industry too, the American creative has recently unveiled an eclectic single, ‘Colston Sleeps In Bristol Harbour’, a dynamic exploration of the issues around slave trader Charles Colston being championed as an honourable figure in Bristol, UK.
Tying in with the dismissal of Colston’s statue at the hands of 2020’s tumultuous protests, Vanderwolf jumps into a philosophical and relatable reflection drenched in social justice, further informed by the nostalgia of his early years spent in the UK.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Vanderwolf to learn more about his artistry and future plans. Interview below!
Hey Vanderwolf, how is it going? thanks for chatting with us! Delving into your history and artistry, it’s obvious how you are taking on many roles and many hats in the music industry. What do you consider yourself as? More of a general creative?
Well, I just kind of reject any kind of “what are you”- type questions as you probably could have predicted. So to put in terms for your readership to my mom I’m a son. To my wife – I’m a husband. To my kids – I’m a dad. It’s no different for the various creative jobs I’ve done. Few can survive solely on making music. Luckily I was able to shift into different areas of production. It’s a blessing if you can figure out ways to make money working with people you like- or love, while you’re writing the next album or in the overdub process of recording. Howling Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Wayne Horvitz, John Zorn all worked as club owners, promoters and curators. I’m in Seattle having just finished producing a tour of Laurie Anderson and Sexmob. Variety is the spice of life. Back to the studio tomorrow.
Your current work is the result of a long journey; What first drew you to making music?
The Beatles is my usual answer to this question. But where does it really begin? Nursery Rhymes, children’s songs, the Wizard of Oz. The Monkees TV show showed us how much fun it was to make music with your friends. The collaborative energy and playfulness whether it’s Bad Brains or Mamas & The Papas or Flaming Lips just has an innate appeal. The kinship, the pursuit of something rare and wonderful, the sense of discovery. Basic human needs.
You recently released a vibrant single, ‘Colston Sleeps In Bristol Harbour’, quite vintage in its sonic references, yet so very modern in its lyricism. What motivated you to put pen to paper?
As an amateur historian, I’m very interested in the question of who gets to write history. When people seek to re-write history that’s even more fascinating. Look how the narrative of Columbus has shifted. The guy was a homocidal maniac. But that’s not what I was taught in school. Yet at the same time you’ve got to wonder – maybe a time will come when people will tear down the Beatles, or Ghandi.
Many want to tear down Churchill – and there may be some reasons for that – but we can also celebrate elements of Churchill’s leadership. Charles Colston who was pitched in the murky Bristol waters was a slave-trader – and in my time working with Massive Attack – I learned what that meant to 3D and Daddy G – there smack in the middle of their city was Colston Hall. Luckily – the name has now been changed and that’s a sign of progress.
There’s a lot of 80s goodness in the track, is that something close to your heart? What would you say is your biggest influence?
Well, that’s news to me. I just don’t hear 80’s in it but really happy you do. I’m fascinated by how people hear things and the identifications that people make to songs. I tend to view the 80’s as the death knell to music. It was a great time for going to the far fringes of acceptability. When I hear Duran Duran, Siouxsie, Flock of Shitheads,… I immediately turn to Dead Kennedys, Naked City, Gang of Four, Philip Glass, Butthole Surfers, ECM label stuff. The popular 80’s music scene was copacetic with Reagan-Thatcher. It’s no wonder the alternative was so extreme. For me – I can’t say I accidentally played that angular guitar part one night during the pandemic in the house and I heard Robert Quinne, Robert Fripp and Andy Gill.
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
Alone. But a lot comes out in the process of playing together.
As a former promoter and curator, you must have an enviable wealth of knowledge at your disposal, industry-wise! If you had to give one piece of advice to an upcoming artist, what would it be?
Prepared to get fucked. Seriously. Everything that’s about to happen to you will be invariably miserable, lonely, humiliating, hurtful and costly but at the end of the day if you love music and you love making music – that’s all that matters. So only focus on that and you’ll be fine. Well….almost fine.
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
The challenges were mostly things I hoped to achieve as a student of the guitar. It’s wonderful to have such great guitarists on the record, Tim Sonnefeld is a genius, and Phil Alloco brought some great rock energy – and Adrian Utley’s solo on the track, “Gaza”, is staggering. But I was determined to get some of my playing in there and I’m glad I did. I’m normally self-deprecating but let me just say- I sound really good!
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
I’m busy recording the next one and ready to go live the minute anyone offers a few that cover flights and accommodation. So in other words everything on the horizon is thrilling.
