| Pieces of WOLF GANG... |
| Written by Michael McClelland |
| Thursday, 02 September 2010 12:45 |
 Who is WOLF GANG? If Wikipedia were ever a reliable source to go by (note: it’s not), it would say: “Wolf Gang is an underground project helmed by London-based singer-songwriter-producer-everything Max McElligott.” Full stop. Instead, it says nothing. Chasing the lead of a fellow NZ music website’s press release, there are a shocking 199 comments. More shocking however, is that despite this, all of these comments are merely unintelligible spam-bots trying to ‘sell’ cryptic letters and symbols to anyone who never escaped from the year 1999. So this doesn’t answer much about who we’re actually discussing here. The Internet has failed us on its delivery of goods about whatever the ‘next big thing’ happens to be. Sorry Internet, your loss. Because if you go straight to the source, at Wolf Gang's MySpace account, you’ll discover a biting blend of ‘Alternative / Pop / Other’ – with a double dose of ‘other’. Wolf Gang’s music, despite its name, sounds like it’s been produced by solitude itself. Just listen to the lyrics of the latest single, 'Back To Back': “I want to be with you, but it kills me to say that I want to be with you.” If you enjoy The Cure’s melancholy and the Smashing Pumpkins’ infinite sadness (and annoying band comparisons), this sharp new track will refresh your definition of ‘single’ in more ways than one. Even if you don’t care for these things, you’ll want to know why Max McElligott (let me remind you: WOLF GANG) is a name worth remembering. Don’t be misled by all the depressing talk, though - Wolf Gang covers both sides of the emotional spectrum - “The whole world is thinking that I must be depressed... the point that they’re missing is that I don’t want nobody else.” Ain’t that nice? There are more than enough opportunities to get you dancing to this kind of juxtaposition, if you’re into that kind of thing. Personally, I’m more of an awkward indie-shuffle kind of guy. McElligott, however, has a knack for the theatrical, as you’ll discover below: You can thank all the gems of popular music’s yesteryear from David Bowie to Kate Bush for Wolf Gang’s extravagant approach. These artists served as fond inspiration for McElligott, who usually prefers musical time-travel, to flicking on the radio. He’s no fan of the modern pop-star, and nor is he one, as evidenced by his own humble law-student beginnings. Record label Neon Gold (Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding) picked him up from his home in London to show the world his bedroom recordings in 2008, and now he’s on his way to releasing a debut album. This is a serendipitous state of affairs that has everybody talking - except the Internet. So! We talked to WOLF GANG himself. COUP DE MAIN: What's the music scene like where you're from? WOLF GANG: It's pretty thriving here in London. Where I'm actually from though is a small village in Scotland. I'm not sure how much the farmer's local choir has come on since I last heard it... CDM: You've claimed to be not so into contemporary music - which historic albums would you say helped shape you? WG: I don't have a blanket rule that I'm not into contemporary music, a lot of it is good, but it's just an undeniable fact that I draw much more pleasure from listening to records that were done forty, thirty, or even twenty years ago rather than more recent projects. Albums by Kate Bush, through to Roxy music, Miles Davis or David Bowie, I can sit and listen to them over and over again, and marvel at the musicianship, song-writing and production value. CDM: Have you heard much New Zealand music? WG: I've got cousins who live in Nelson so should really ask them what's going on musically down there, the only music from NZ I've been exposed to is Flight Of The Conchords... which is pretty funny. CDM: You've opened for the likes of Florence + The Machine and Phoenix, while you have some connections with Hot Chip and The Rakes. Despite your contempt for modern music, do you feel there's any difference between mainstream Billboard artists and indie acts like the aforementioned? Would you say any of these kinds of guys have influence on you as a musician? WG: Again, I don't hold all modern music in contempt! I've got a lot of friends in other bands that I think are great. There are obviously differences between mainstream commercially successful acts and indie acts, but what is nice is that recently some of the indie acts like Florence or folk acts like Mumford And Sons have enjoyed mainstream success, which might change the way people think about what the criterion are for being a 'Billboard' artist. CDM: Do you have any gripes with 'selling out'? Can you see yourself ever doing this? WG: I'm not too concerned with this debate. If by selling out you mean blindly chasing a dream of money and fame [and] churning out terrible music to do so - then no I can't see myself doing it. If you mean allowing for a song to be used on something like a car advert, then the answer is yes, I probably would consider it, we all need to get the drinks in at some point! I wouldn't do a tampon advert though. CDM: What's the biggest problem you have with the way music is done today? WG: I think on a mainstream level more adventurous decisions could be made, by record companies, by radio, by the artists too. You mentioned Florence, I think she's a good example of someone who took a risk with a unique sound, and was totally rewarded for it. A lot of the other stuff you hear on radio is very safe, and will almost definitely sound like something you heard on the same station half an hour before.  CDM: Your music is produced in a refreshingly 'full' sounding way. Do you arrange every instrument yourself? Do you still do most of the recording yourself? WG: Yes, I guess I'm lucky being a multi-instrumentalist in that I can play and record all the ideas as they come into my head. It just makes the whole process much more smooth, I don't have to compromise with anyone! I've just been recording part of the album in America with the producer Dave Fridmann [note: The Flaming Lips, MGMT, OK Go], and it was very liberating playing everything, jumping from the piano to the drum kit to the synths to the bass, etc. - I think when the album comes out people will get a strong sense that the whole thing was 100% my vision. CDM: You perform with a live band, so does this cause much of a problem for you with re-arranging your recorded music for the stage? WG: It's actually been quite straight forward. The only problem I sometimes feel is that I wish there could be more people playing instruments! Because the sound is quite full, we have to find ways of trying not to lose any of it in the live performance. But the guys are great and I think we are doing a pretty good job so far! CDM: What's your idea of success? WG: Philosophically, being content in the knowledge that my music has done the best it possibly could have. Realistically, going on a world tour one day. CDM: Is this where you want to be right now? WG: Yeah I think so. I sometimes want to fast forward to when the album's out and there is more going on, but I just have to be patient and enjoy this bit in between, I guess the apprehensive moment is the exciting part. CDM: Any particular things you'd prefer to avoid in your career? WG: Lots: having rotten vegetables thrown at me, doing a duet with Miley Cyrus, choking on my own vomit, etc... CDM: I know a band that lists 'Grand Theft Auto' as one of its influences on MySpace. Are there any non-musical influences of yours that affect your songwriting? WG: I think I'm sort of influenced by everything around me, so I guess there are hundreds of things that I draw inspiration from; art, film, the news, girlfriends from the past, girlfriends from the future. But definitely not computer games, I wasn't allowed them growing up and so never really got into that scene. CDM: Describe how you expect your New Zealand tour will go in a Haiku... WG: I've just googled what a Haiku is - are you seriously asking me to write a short Japanese poem about our impending New Zealand tour? Why don't I wait and write one for you after we have played...?! It’s okay Max, you can save it for the Japanese tour. Or the world tour, if New Zealand likes you nearly as much as the rest of the Internet ought to. Until then, WOLF GANG are on the prowl and ready to pounce at Kiwi audiences - and horrendous wolf puns, if the Haiku response is anything to go by. WOLF GANG - October 2010 Wellington: Wednesday 6th October @ San Francisco Bath House Tickets available from www.undertheradar.co.nz, www.moshtix.co.nz & Real Groovy Auckland - with support from COMPUTERS WANT ME DEAD: Thursday 7th October @ Backstage (in the Studio complex with the entrance off Galatos St) Tickets available from www.undertheradar.co.nz, Real Groovy and Fast And Loose |
