Ok, so has anyone seen that movie “Looper” where Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the younger and better looking version of Bruce Willis who keeps travelling in time and trying not to get himself killed whilst saving humanity and blah blah blah? ….. (Awkward silence)…..
I agree that it wasn’t a very good film and it feels utterly pointless to even mention its existence. Yeah, a total waste of money!
Anyway, the reason why I’ve started blabbing about it in the first place is because I’ve actually met a real “looper” a short while ago… No, he’s not the “Kicking everyone’s butts- whilst eating a bagel- then scratching his head and being super alpha male at the same time” Hollywood type of guy. He’s more of a “London-based singer/songwriter kind of creature- who carries his magical loop pedal (or even the whole loop-station) with him everywhere he goes- and makes beautiful songs one after another- in order to save humanity”. And you know what? He’s very cool and relaxed as well!
This mystery man’s name is Dominic Wolf (sounds like a secret agent’s name, doesn’t it?) and he kindly took some time off from his undercover mission to have a chat with me. He’s very cool as well. Oh, did I say that already?
Why/how did you decide to become a musician?
Well, I have never been very good with expressing myself through words whereas with music it sort of comes naturally. Also I’ve never really seen myself as anything other than a musician and I still don’t.
It’s a problem for most men though isn’t it, being unable to express their emotions…
And when you perform, do you perform on your own or with a band? If so, what’s the set-up?
It depends. I usually perform on my own, but I do sometimes have someone operating the electronics. My live set up for now is me, my guitar, a loop station, some guitar fx pedals and a drum machine.
Who are your biggest influences in your life and why?
I have never really thought about it and it’s difficult to name just a few, but in general I would say my friends and family.
Oh, I thought you’d say your pal James Bond or someone like that… Who are your biggest influences in your creative life and why?
Damon Albarn and Thom Yorke because of their careers, they have both undertaken a vast amount of different projects. Andrew Bird got me into using loops in my live sets and Yoav made me discover how the guitar can be used as a percussion tool. Also, James Blake whom I briefly met in Plastic People last year has been quite an influence. I really like the way he arranges his songs. He also gave me some good advice in regards to producing and recording.
Can you describe yourself in 5 adjectives?
Chilled, Creative, Passionate, Clumsy, Nice.
What’s the most annoying habit you’ve got?
I never check my bank balance and always get a bad surprise when it comes closer to the end of the month.
Why have you chosen London then? Certainly not the cheapest option…
For me it was either London or Berlin. I came to the conclusion that London would be easier language-wise and that Berlin is maybe more focused on electronic music producers or DJ’s rather than singer-songwriters.
What’s the most memorable experience in your career so far and why?
Moving to the UK last year. It has just been such a great experience playing and recording here in London. I have met some incredible people and learned a lot of valuable lessons.
What’s the most embarrassing experience in your career and why?
I messed up my intro at a gig last year. It was completely off-beat and extremely embarrassing.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
I would try and make people focus more on happiness rather money.
And which living musician/ band/ artist would you want to collaborate with?
Tough question! I’ve been listening to a lot of King Krule recently and surely wouldn’t mind doing a collab with him!
What are your hobbies apart from music?
Travelling, reading, photography and clubbing.
If you could have one super-power, what would it be and why?
It would have to be breathing under water. I would love to be able to explore the deep seas without having to worry about dying.
Yeah, dying would be a bummer wouldn’t it. Especially now when you’re about to release your debut single… What does your creative/ writing process look like and when/ under what circumstances does it usually happen?
It is very messy and can happen anytime anywhere no matter what the circumstances are.
Big thanks to Dominic Wolf. If you’d like to listen to his upcoming single (where he uses his magical loop-pedal in an utterly awesome way), you can click here: Behind The Sun
