The Wolfe Brothers sprang to attention during the 2012 season ofAustralia’s Got Talent. After finishing as runners-up, they quickly got to work on their debut LP,It’s On. Upon its release in early 2013, the record rocketed into the ARIA Top 20.
The lifespan of acts who gain exposure through TV talent contests tends to be fairly brief, but towards the end of last year The Wolfe Brothers returned with their second LP, Nothin’ But Trouble. Not willing to fade into obscurity, the Tassie country four-piece was eager to improve on the first album’s success.
“We were rapt with thesuccessof It’s On, as I think any band would be,” says vocalist/guitarist Nick Wolfe. “We certainly set our sights onNothin’But Troubleexceeding it, bothcreativelyand commercially. That said, it’s not like we chased a certain sound or tried to tick boxes. We just tried to make the best album we could at that point in time. We all believe it’s asuperioralbum to It’s On. We’re still a young band and you’d hope to keep improving, with our best work yet to come.”
Artists who rise to fame via reality TV are often let down by not taking time to cement their stylistic identity after the initial exposure. However, this wasn’t an issue for The Wolfe Brothers.
“Thankfully, throughout our reality TV experience, we felt we were in control of how we were portrayed – which often seems to not be the case with certain upcoming artists on similar shows,” says Nick. “We made a pact to just be ourselves – if the public liked it, well that’d be great. We played three original songs on Australia’s Got Talent, performing just one cover. Most of those shows are a bit of akaraoke contest, so I’m glad we got to just be ourselves. Honestly, there wasn’t much thinking to be done. We just stuck to our guns, made the music we wanted.”
On that note, when venturing into album two, The Wolfe Brothers might’ve been tempted to stick closely to the formula that gained them so many fans in the first place. But the group’s inclination to experiment with new things won out in the end.
“To grow as an artist you’ve got to take a few risks, but again we just stayed true to what we do,” says Nick. “I think you can see a change for the better between the two albums. I’d like to think we’re better songwriters, players and just generally more mature people. If that doesn’t show in your work, then something’s wrong. We’ve alwaysadmired bands that have had long, consistent careers. AC/DC, for example – a consistent body of work spanning decades. Our fans like our music for a reason – we don’t want to mess with that, we just want to improve, grow and keep giving them good music.”
We’re now 12 months on from the release of Nothin’ But Trouble. In the ensuing period, the band has toured widely and been exposed to plenty of audience and critical feedback. With the benefit of hindsight, Nick happily stands behind Nothin’ But Trouble as a cohesive piece of work.
“It’s more diverse and more polished, both on the production and writing fronts. Hell, we recorded most of It’s On in a bedroom. So this time around, being in a great studio, with a great producer in Luke Wooten, was like a dream.”
While the band’s early success is certainly noteworthy, there’s still plenty left to achieve. The boys are continually looking for ways to expand the Wolfe Brothers brand, and making an effort to set themselves apart from other contemporary acts.
“We want to be in this game for the long haul,” Nick says. “While we’re clearly an Australian band, we believe we could translate to an American audience, so that’s something we’re really hoping to achieve.”
It seems clear that while The Wolfe Brothers are adamant about staying true to their principles, they’re not oblivious to the reality of commercial viability.
“If it was purely creative we’d be back playing originals nights at Irish Murphy’s in Hobart for a free beer tab. That said, I’ve always leaned toward a sensibly formatted song in my writing. We like a ten-minute progressive riffextravaganzaas much as the next man, but you’ve got to be at least respectful of what’s actually going to get played on radio and telly. I actually find it more challenging most of the time to stick to a radio-friendly format when writing – it’s harder to say what you need to in three to four minutes than five to seven.”
The Wolfe Brothers are on board for this year’s Deni Ute Muster, which goes down in Deniliquin, New South Wales over the Labour Day long weekend. Since its inception in 1999, the Muster has gathered mountains of praise from participating artists. The Wolfe Brothers have taken the stage before, but not to perform their own material.
“The last time we were there was actually our first-ever show as the Lee Kernaghan Band,” Nick says. “10,000-odd punters –no pressure. It was an amazing experience, so to now be playing there under our steam is going to be unreal. We can’t wait. We’ve attended as patrons and in doing so seen some of the wildest shit in our lives.”
The Wolfe Brothers’ LPNothin’ But Trouble is out now through ABC/Universal. They perform at theDeni Ute Muster 2015,Friday October 2 – Saturday October 3.
