Mt. Wolf

After a year's hiatus, British act Mt. Wolf are back with new material - touring and putting out their new EP Hex this year, as well as recording a long-awaited debut set for release early in 2017.

To keep fans going in the meantime we're premiering their new track 'Golden' featuring Australian vocalist St. South - listen below.

Q&A with Mt. Wolf

What are you listening to at the moment?

Alex Mitchell: I've recently come across Mick Jenkins, who's a really cool hiphop artist from Chicago. The production is super slick, and his rap style is really chilled. Love it.

Sebastian “Bassi” Fox: I've been listening to Bon Iver's latest three songs and impatiently awaiting his new album. I've been obsessed with Stranger Things and absolutely love the soundtrack. As always I'm listening to a lot of Joy Division and The National - Along with Justin Vernon, Ian Curtis and Matt Berninger are big influences on my vocal style.

tevie McMinn: I run record labels so I'm listening to my releases of course! Recently Phoria, Haux and Linying have been doing really well. Aside from that Bon Iver's new songs are on repeat, especially '33 “GOD”' and The National are a constant go to.

What are your plans for the rest of 2016?

Our debut album is nearly done - I just have to finish some of the vocal lines and then we need to finish the production and mix it.

We're really lucky to be working with Ken Thomas - I'd always done the production on my own before, and it's been an amazing experience for us to have someone as accomplished (Daughter, Sigur Ros, M83) as him working with us.

Really excited to be playing a few European festivals towards the end of the year, including one of my favourite places Paris. The venue we're playing is one road away from one of my favourite bars, Dirty Dick!

First gig, best gig?

Unless school guitar recitals are of interest, let's go with our first gig as Mt. Wolf at London's XOYO in 2012. My favourite would probably be The Continental Club show we played in Austin earlier this year. It would either be that or our last London show at Oslo (the venue not the city). I think we're constantly improving and I feel like we're a really strong unit onstage now.

Oslo would also get our vote because we played a couple of the songs that are making it onto the album which is going to be slightly different to our previous offerings. A close second was playing at Union Chapel with an orchestra, that was pretty unforgettable. - The Independent

There was a moment when we thought we’d seen the end of Mt. Wolf. A string of buzzed-about, sold out shows was followed by something of a hiatus. Fears were dashed however when they returned with a new-found strength in the form of this year’s wonderful Red EP.

Now, the London-based trio - Sebastian Fox 'Bassi', Stevie Red McMinn, Al Mitchell - are back with the first taste of their forthcoming EP, due early next year. And it’s a six minute stunner.

A soaring, affecting falsetto takes hold, leading the way atop an epic build of cinematic proportions, out from its acoustic plucking and warm string swells. The pounding drum climax is as joyous as it is heart-wrenching, and holds unavoidable but well-deserved comparisons to the Icelandic masters of this art, Sigur Rós.

As haunting and entirely bewitching as its name suggests, “Hex” is their most impressive and unerringly beautiful work to date. Don’t go anywhere Mt. Wolf. - The Line Of Best Fit

Mt. Wolf
Red

Fans of Mt. Wolf have been waiting in earnest for the release of their latest effort, Red, and for good reason. Following the departure of lead vocalist Kate Sproule, many wondered where the band would be left with any impending releases. As the first release following Sproule’s departure, however, Mt. Wolf has proven that the need to worry is very much near zero on the meter.

An ambient and inward-looking effort from the group—now comprised of Sebastian “Bassi” Fox, Alex Mitchell, and Stevie McMinn—the band still manages to soar as much as a trio as they were as a quartet. Incorporating steady usage of acoustic samplings and electronic reverb, the collective make an easily listenable extra step into lopsided lanes of electronic and folk, bringing to mind a more spatial Bon Iver or Lord Huron. As a first foray into the world of studio recording with a founding member lost, the collective does better than most in making up for a missing piece. The slow-paced, introverted, and ethereal nature of their songs won’t necessarily tick the right boxes for all listeners, but for those that fall squarely into the “dream folk” niche in question, it’s a great fit. - Pop Matters