A Wolf in chick's clothing

“I left home when I was 16,” reflects a softly spoken Patrick Wolf, a striking figure with his mop of dyed-red hair and smudged eye shadow, in Universal’s Dublin offices.

“I had no money and actually can’t remember how I lived during those years. But it was an amazing time. I ended up in Paris, and I guess because I was quite striking looking, people in the fashion world wanted me. So I did some modelling and learned a bit about the world. I have some nice experiences to look back on.”
Among Wolf’s admirers is Marianne Faithfull, who contributed a guest vocal performance on his third album The Magic Position, released in February.
“I was reading her biography on tour a couple of years ago,” remembers Wolf. “She’d just released Before The Poison, and I know some people find her voice quite tough, but I thought it had a lot of wisdom and beauty. I’d written this song called ‘Magpie’, which I wanted to turn into a duet, so I sent it to various friends of mine, including Antony and CocoRosie, but nothing seemed right, everything was a bit too forced.
“But I was reading this biography, and all of a sudden something clicked. The book actually finishes with a line about magpies, like she still counts them or something, so it just felt right. So I contacted a friend of mine in New York, who Marianne had approached to do some photographs, and she passed on a demo of the song. About six months later, Marianne contacted me from France, where she was doing Marie Antoinette, and said she’d be happy to do it. It was so exciting, I couldn’t believe it.”
Wolf, a multi-instrumentalist, has also played viola with Munich-based electro-pop collective Chicks On Speed.
“They were always very big supporters,” he nods. “I was going to sign to their label, but it didn’t work out. They supported Red Hot Chili Peppers in Hyde Park, and one of them was pregnant, so they needed a stand-in – and that was me! (laughs) The tour began in Belgium, where I got really drunk and went onstage dressed as Klaus Nomi. It was a really fun time. I’ve played viola with The Hidden Cameras as well.”
Does Wolf aspire to being a crossover artist, or would he be happy remaining an underground phenomenon?
“I think at this stage, I’m a bit tired of preaching to the converted,” he muses. “I can sell out shows in lots of European places, and there's a kind of ceiling I hit with the last record. I achieved a kind of notoriety with my music that I always wanted. But I’m 23 and I’ve got my whole life ahead of me, and I always want to play to new people.
“What’s great about doing these shows with Arcade Fire is that it gives me the opportunity to do that. I actually feel more alive doing those shows than when I’m just singing to my fanbase. It’s a big challenge and one that I’m really enjoying.”
The Magic Position is out now on Loog Records.