Wolf & Cub

Wolf & Cub
Left to right: Joel Byrne, Joel Carey, Marvin Hammond and Thomas Mayhew Sydney, 5 August 2007
Background information
Origin	Adelaide, Australia
Genres	Psychedelic , rock
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Dot Dash 4AD
Website	Official website
Members	Joel Byrne Joel Carey Wade Keighran Brock Fitzgerald
Past members	Adam Edwards Tom Mayhew Marvin Hammond

Wolf & Cub are a band from Adelaide, Australia. Three of the original members hail from Port Augusta, South Australia. Their music is predominantly psychedelic with elements of Rock. The four-piece were signed to record label 4AD. An aspect of the band's music that makes them unique is their use of two drummers. This allows the percussive elements of their music to feature more prominently alongside the guitar. Their name derives from a comic from Japan called "Lone Wolf and Cub". Wolf & Cub have recently sign to Last Gang records in North America. Their most recent album Heavy Weight was released in 2013.

Members

• Joel Byrne - vocals, electric guitar, percussion
• Joel Carey - drums/percussion
• Wade Keighran - bass guitar
• Brock Fitzgerald - drums/percussion, keyboard, guitar

History

The band formed in 2002. Joel Byrne, Adam Edwards and Thomas Mayhew moved to Adelaide after finishing high school. Adam and Tom met Joel Byrne through his younger brother Luke who said his older brother just sat in his room all day playing guitar. Joel Byrne and Joel Carey met at university. Later when Joel Byrne brought Joel Carey to a jam the foursome decided to form a band. Joel Carey started off playing percussion, later becoming the second drummer. After playing regularly around Adelaide the band signed to Australian label, Dot Dash Recordings with representation from Remote Control Records. In 2004, they released their first EP, Wolf & Cub.

In 2005, a 7" record featuring the track "Thousand Cuts" was released in the UK and was played on the Zane Lowe and Steve Lamacq radio shows on the BBC. The track was heard by producer Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, The Futureheads), who took it into the studio and produced the Phones Remix. This became a white label 12" and later became a John Kennedy Single of the Week on XFM. Shortly after, the band released the Steal Their Gold EP and toured Japan and the UK. "Steal Their Gold" received Single of the Week status from Steve Lamacq and the band began to receive attention from the UK press.^[1] On the strength of two EPs, the band signed to international label 4AD in September 2005 and played in a string of London shows for 4AD’s 25th Anniversary with The Breeders in November.

In Australia, the band performed with TV on the Radio, The Killers, The Music, Wolfmother, Queens of the Stone Age (handpicked by Josh Homme^[2]) and Death from Above 1979. The quartet played in multiple festivals such as Big Day Out and Homebake and underwent two nationwide tours of Australia.^[3] Work on their debut album, which had begun in April 2005, was completed in 2006. Vessels was released in Australia on 2 September 2006 and generated a positive response, becoming the 5th most favoured album of The Drum Media’s editors and contributors for 2006. 4AD released the album internationally on 6 March, in 2007. In the same month, the band toured America, playing at SXSW and a 4AD showcase.

On 20 May 2007, the band announced on their MySpace page that drummer Adam Edwards had left and that they were looking for a new drummer:

On 8 July the band announced that they had found a new drummer, Marvin Hammond, from Adelaide band Artax Mission.^[5]

In June 2008 the band released the "One to the Other" EP, produced by Christopher Colonna from Bumblebeez. Their most recent album, Science and Sorcery, was released 18 April 2009.

Wolf & Cub: new single 'I Need More' out now; New album 'Heavy Weight' out 13 September 2013

Four years on from the release of their second album ‘Science & Sorcery’ Wolf & Cub are thrilled to return with a new full-length release in ‘Heavy Weight'.

Released on Friday 13 September, ‘Heavy Weight’ is a watershed moment in the band’s career. 

In 2011 Brock Fitzgerald and Wade Keighran (both formerly of The Scare) joined original Wolf & Cub members Joel Byrne and Joel Carey. The result is a powerful line up which boasts a sense of renewal and vitality.

In 2012 Wolf & Cub previewed their new direction with their single ‘Salao’. Their newest single ‘I Need More’ is a gripping rock song. More urgent-sounding than its psychedelic predecessor, it’s a song that’s dripping with discontent and delivered via a thumping rock beat. 

‘I Need More’ is available now via iTunes.

‘Heavy Weight’ was recorded and produced by the band at Sydney’s Linear studios, and mixed by Burke Reid (The Drones, PVT, Oh Mercy). 

Released on Friday 13 September, the album will be available digitally and in all good record stores via MGM.

Awards

In 2006 Wolf & Cub were awarded the Qantas Spirit of Youth award for music. SOYA is an Australian premier youth arts prize, recognising and rewarding outstanding young Australians. The band received a cheque for $5000 and $5000 in Qantas airline tickets.^[6]

Wolf & Cub were nominated for " Best Independent Release " at the 2007 ARIA awards.

Touring

Past Touring

• Headlined two Australian tours, one with Mercy Arms and another with Snowman.
• Played at Big Day Out 2006 alongside bands such as The White Stripes, Iggy & The Stooges, Kings of Leon, The Mars Volta and Franz Ferdinand.
• Performed at the first ever Great Escape festival with Sigur Rós, Silverchair, The Mountain Goats and The Black Keys.
• Played at the debut of St Jeromes Laneway Festival with The Avalanches, Broken Social Scene, The Hold Steady, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Les Savy Fav in 2005.
• They were on the bill for Homebake in 2005 and 2006.
• Joined You Am I and Modest Mouse for Falls Festival in 2006.
• Played at Meredith Music Festival with Band of Horses, The New Pornographers, Midlake and Tapes 'n Tapes in 2006.
• Toured Australia, backing up The Vines in 2008 (PYR)
• Supported fellow Australian bands Wolfmother & Jet in the UK.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

References

External links

• Official Website
• Wolf & Cub on Myspace