| Wolf People | |
| Origin: | Bedford, England |
| Years Active: | 2005–2020 |
| Current Members: | Jack Sharp Joe Hollick Dan Davies Tom Watt |
Wolf People are an English psychedelic rock band, formed by singer and guitarist Jack Sharp in Bedford in 2005. The band announced an indefinite hiatus in January 2020.
After returning to his home of Bedfordshire following a period living in London, Sharp began recording songs under the name Wolf People, after the Margaret Greaves children's book Little Jacko and the Wolf People. After releasing some of these songs as singles on the Battered Ornament label, Sharp joined up with childhood friend and drummer Tom Watt and guitarist Joe Hollick and the three began performing live. Following the addition of bassist Dan Davies, Wolf People became a band, rather than just a vehicle for Sharp's solo material, and were the first British band signed by American record label Jagjaguwar.
Wolf People released their first two albums in 2010 - Tidings, a compilation of singles and demos recorded between 2005 and 2009, and the group's debut album proper, Steeple. Both albums were inspired by folk music in general and bands such as Pentangle and received generally positive reviews from critics, although some criticism was levelled at the band for trying too hard to recreate the sounds of 1960s and 70s rock music. The band's next album, Fain, was recorded in guitarist Joe Hollick's house in Skipton, Yorkshire and saw the group experimenting with complex song structures. Reviews were again mostly positive, although some critics felt the album to be too similar to its predecessors in its psychedelic rock sound and use of lengthy guitar solos.
The band's final album, Ruins, was released in 2016 and saw them attempting a more hard rock sound, with the loss of some of their earlier record's folkiness. Writing for the record took place online, with members passing on song ideas and music they liked over the internet, but the songs on the album were almost exclusively recorded live, with the band performing together in the same room.
Frontman Jack Sharp grew up in Clophill, Bedfordshire. At 14 years old, Sharp approached future Wolf People drummer Tom Watt, who lived nearby, and asked if he would like to join his band, having heard drumming coming from Watt's house. Watt agreed despite the fact that he couldn't actually play drums - the noise Sharp had heard had actually been made by Watt's drummer sister.
The pair initially worked on hip hop songs before Sharp listened to British folk band Pentangle's debut album, which he had bought years earlier for sampling, and something "just clicked". Sharp began listening to artists such as Anne Briggs, Shirley Collins and The Young Tradition as a result and eventually recorded demos of songs influenced by folk music and Captain Beefheart after moving back to Bedfordshire following a period of living in London.
Choosing the name Wolf People after the Margaret Greaves children's book Little Jacko and the Wolf People, Sharp made some of his demos available on the internet in 2005 and over the next two years released several singles and EPs on Battered Ornament records. Sharp joined up with Watt and guitarist Joe Hollick, and the trio began performing his songs live. Following the addition of bassist Dan Davies, who the group met in London, Wolf People became a band rather than simply a name for Sharp's solo project, and started writing material together. The group eventually became the first British group to sign to American record label Jagjaguwar.
Wolf People's first release for Jagjaguwar was the singles and outtakes collection Tidings. Released on 22 February 2010 in the UK, the album brought together various tracks Sharp had recorded between 2005 and 2009.