OUT ON A LIMB
Writing music for caribou documentary leads to third album for alt western swing band Wolf Willow, Jeff DeDekker writes.
Wolf Willow is a unique band so it’s only fitting their latest album, Caribou Howl, is also out of the ordinary.
First, let’s get to the band — it’s an alt western swing band from the fictional town of Darston, Sask. As such, the band members perform under pseudonyms playing original swing and honky tonk tunes with a horn section.
The lineup has changed since the band formed in 2014 with its current roster comprised of Misty Muller (lead singer), Sleek Steve (drums), Marv Ptolosky (bass), Stoneface Stanley ( guitar), Moose (pedal steel), Ms. Delilah (trumpet and vocals) and Gus Gunther (trumpet).
Caribou Howl comes on the heels of Radio Hour (released Jan. 30, 2015) and Darston Waltz (March 15, 2017) but while the new record is sonically similar to its predecessors, its subject matter is quite unique. In the summer of 2017, Wolf Willow was approached by Ian Toews of 291 Films to compose the music for a documentary on caribou.
When the band accepted the assignment, there was some thought the work might possibly lead to an album.
“We thought if we were making some music and if we had some uptempo numbers and some slower numbers maybe we could get an album out there as well,” Stoneface Stanley said. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s always on our minds heading into the studio.”
Moose said the possibility of an album was one thing but finding a road to that album was something else.
“One of the things that was interesting for me was that when you’re creating music for film, how do you create a whole field of body parts? We were really thinking of those late ’60s, early ’70s instrumental records, like the Buckaroos or the Ventures. We had the feeling that it would be a complete body of something. I had the idea that it might turn into something special,” said Moose.
The collaboration was also unique in that Toews didn’t come to Wolf Willow with a finished project for the band to score.
“It wasn’t a situation where he had a lot of footage and we were writing exactly to that footage. He basically had a narrative arc,” Moose said. “He showed us some of his other films and played some of the music he liked but he also gave us a fair amount of rope, basically saying, ‘Go make me something interesting.’ So that’s the neat part about this, that it’s collaborative. The music can influence the film.
“To a certain extent, he called this working without a net because there’s some chance and risk involved here. It was a chance to make something great but it was a challenge. We gave him samples of previous stuff that we’d done so he knew kind of what he was going to get. He wanted to take the emotions from the film and just go with it.”
While the documentary is in the finishing stages — Toews recently completed shooting in northern Saskatchewan — Caribou Howl was released on Jan. 31. The finished product consists of 16 tracks, 12 of which are instrumentals.
The band has had the opportunity to play some of the new material before a live audience and the response has been encouraging.
“The response has been quite good,” said Stoneface Stanley. “Instrumentals have always been a part of our repertoire, the original instrumentals along with covered instrumentals as well. I’ve got some feedback from a few folks about the new album that’s been really positive toward the instrumental stuff.”
The album is also an indication of how Wolf Willow has evolved since their initial formation in 2014. As time has gone on, the sound has changed a little as the band works on finding its identity.
“We’ve just evolved into a sleeker version of ourselves, something that is much more our thing than what we were before,” said Stoneface Stanley. “When we started out, there was like a big element of rockabilly and a big theatre element to it as well. Now it’s become more condensed where it’s turned into where the songs are either fast and they get you moving or they just punch you in the gut emotionally.
“We all have a great time doing it. It’s always a fun experience.”