Patrick Wolf - Metamorphosis of a werewolf

Twenty-one years old, English, a multi-instrumentalist, Patrick Wolf embodies the figure of the enfant prodige of the next generation of pop tensions. Having already established himself in 2003 with “Lycanthropy”, a debut album so well received that its long tail of attention has yet to fade, the young man transplanted to London wastes no time and breaks cover two years later with “Wind In The Wires”, taking on an incredibly ambitious project, the kind so risky it could unseat even seasoned rock stars. Instead, Patrick stays firmly in the saddle, delivering thirteen songs so dense that it will be hard for anyone who approaches them not to take a side, for or against. We interviewed him exclusively…

Patrick, “Lycanthropy” was one of the standout cases on the indie scene two seasons ago. There are signs telling me this is the record marking your big leap forward. It's been a maturing process that's surprising in some respects, given how young you are. What's happened over these two years?

All I know is that once “Lycanthropy” was finished, the follow-up was going to have to come quickly, so work began very early on. It was a kind of “survival instinct” that pushed me to write, record and keep moving forward. So during that period I learned a lot of lessons. It's the album of my 18-to-21 years, so it's only natural that there's a lot of reflection on the world in it. If from 11 to 18 you fight against the world, from 18 to 21 you try to find your place in it…

“Wind In The Wires” is an extraordinarily compact record. On “Lycanthropy” it felt like you had almost too much to say, an orgy of very different impulses. This album feels like the product of more meditation, with the focus placed more on the songs than on the trimmings. Is that just my impression?

There's definitely a particular attentiveness on this second album that wasn't there on the first. On “Lycanthropy” I didn't have many scruples, I didn't care what the world would think of my “truths” in all their vulgarity. “Wind In The Wires” is still an impulsive record, but, as I've grown, I think I've learned something in terms of subtlety and delicacy.

What do you think of the mainstream scene? Franz Ferdinand are a band that emerged from the indie scene and found themselves at the top of the sales charts. Would you feel comfortable there, is that something you hope for in some way, or do you prefer your current, freer dimension, unbound by the obligations of showbiz?

My only goal is to keep being in a place that's truly my own, to feel comfortable writing music, I neither envy nor pity that kind of business.

In “Wind In The Wires” I find a strongly dandyish taste... It brings to mind, I don't know, Oscar Wilde, not to mention the recurrence of classical and ancient elements, even if seen through a contemporary lens... How much does the weight of your homeland's history influence you? Or does it have something to do with your reading?

I hate the word “dandy” and I also think Oscar Wilde was a poor writer. Someone so wrapped up in himself in the most worldly and selfish way possible... The present without a past is a barren desert, but I feel drawn above all to medieval fiddle players as much as to Atari Teenage Riot, I don't know why and I'm not interested in finding out.

Listening to this record, the name Marc Almond kept bouncing around in my head, but also that of early-Seventies David Bowie, and even Scott Walker , why not! Are these comparisons that flatter you or annoy you? Do you at least find them fitting?

I don't know anything about them, honestly.

Khonnor in America, Maximilian Hecker in Germany, you in England. The common denominator is young musicians (some very young: Khonnor is 17!) who do everything themselves, or almost. Is that more a choice for you, or a necessity? Don't you think a band could help stimulate your creativity, even in the studio?

I've never chosen to work alone, my plans for the future include tap dancers, synchronized swimmers, death metal, clarinet quintets, children's choirs and working with my favorite collaborator, Andrew John Brown, my drummer.

Three records that changed your life…

"Blue" by Joni Mitchell, "Kontakte" by Karlheinz Stockhausen and "The Art Of The Theremin" by Clara Rockmore.

Is there a song by someone else you wish you'd written?

No.

Patrick Wolf and other art forms. Our webzine, for instance, also covers film - do you follow it, or are you a distracted viewer? Is there a director you particularly love, and why? A film you'd recommend to us…

"The Man Who Cried" by Sally Potter, "La Belle et La Bete" by Jean Cocteau, "Street of Crocodiles" by the Brothers Quay and "Winning London" by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Do you already have plans in mind, beyond the tour promoting the new album?

Children's books, poetry collections, two new albums, kids, marriage and a house in Cornwall…

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