Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/461140
photography by Stevan alcala A self-taught musician, Emily Wolfe, 24, has released three EPs, most recently Roulette, which received rave reviews nationwide last fall. The St. Edward's University graduate has shown her versatility by growing from intimate acoustic sets to lighting stages af lame with a robust five-piece backing band. On the eve of playing her second SXSW as a featured artist, Austin Way spoke to Wolfe about the groundwork she's laid for the year ahead, the darkness that drives her, and what it feels like to be on the brink of breakout stardom. How is 2015 shaping up to be different from last year? It feels like 2015 will be our year as a band; 2014 was all about preparing. We've been accomplishing a lot and setting new goals for ourselves as a team, so 2015 will be proof of that. You've had a dream of creating a new genre of music. What is it? When did you realize there was a musical void that you'd like to fill? I've always wanted to create a new genre of music— it's definitely a lofty goal, but it's my life's goal as well: to leave my mark and be a legend of some kind. So far we've been trying to brand a genre called "dream rock." I've listened to different genres of music since I can remember. My mom listened to Motown, and my dad listened to classic rock. I've always wanted to see how I could combine those genres and put my own voice to them both. Hopefully that's what we've done with Roulette. Roulette has been widely well received and described as more sultry and haunting than your previous EPs. Would you agree? To what do you attribute that kind of evolution? Every track on Roulette is about risk. All of my other records, although they are greatly personal, could be deemed as experiments. I had no idea what I was doing while recording them; I just knew I enjoyed playing the songs and seeing what could come from that process. As for Roulette, the record is a ref lec- tion of the direction I want to keep pushing toward musically. All of the songs were written from a dark and haunting place in my life. What's the mark of a successful SXSW? A successful festival is having amazing shows. Every crowd is different, and you never know what will happen. The best way to go about the festival is to only expect one thing: the best from yourself. If we play as well as we can, with as much energy and passion possible, that's success. If we perform with heart and skill, things will fall into place. emilywolfemusic.com AW Emily Wolfe credits her band's passion and energy for its success. INSIGHT Java fx: "Jo's on South Congress is where the band and I went to get coffee and breakfast tacos before our frst SXSW last year. It's full of friendly faces and has such an artistic vibe; it seems to bring out the creative side in everyone." 1300 S. Congress Ave., 512-444-3800; joscoffee.com Live set: "I've seen some of my favorite shows at The Parish. It seems like the energy cycle that goes on between the crowd and the artists who play there is really easy to be a part of. And it has the best sound in town. Everyone who goes to The Parish is there to hear the music the way it's meant to be heard." 214 E. Sixth St.; theparishaustin.com Call of the Wild AUSTIN SINGER-SONGWRITER EMILY WOLFE IS READY TO POUNCE ON SXSW WITH HER OWN "DREAM ROCK'' GENRE OF MUSIC. bY caItLIn M. rYan 50 AUSTINWAY.com PEOPLE Talent Patrol