California funk-pop star Remi Wolf announces Opium Dublin show

Remi Wolf has announced a headline Dublin show at Opium, due to take place on Friday, June 17th this year.

The 26-year-old has a rollercoaster sound, ricocheting between funk, soul, indie and emo with all the predictability of a pinball. As a senior at Palo Alto High School, the Californian appeared as a contestant on American Idol in 2014. After graduating from USC Thornton School of Music in 2018, she made her solo debut with the self-released extended play, You're A Dog! in October 2019.

Wolf subsequently released her second EP and major-label debut, I'm Allergic To Dogs! on Island Records and Virgin EMI Records in June 2020, followed by her debut studio album, Juno, in October 2021.

Her vocals oscillate between screeching falsetto and melody-anchoring alto, pendulum-swinging the scales in little more than a breath. It’s a far cry from that which has become par-for-the-course in pop music, but that Remi Wolf has never been one to follow the rules.

Wolf realised people would happily pay to hear her perform after she made $200 in two hours of soulful busking in high school.

“Before I really fell in love with writing, I loved performing,” she says. “That’s always been my home base, it lights something up in my soul that is never lit up at any other time in my life. It’s a very powerful thing — the most expressive I feel like I will ever get.”

Audiences “immediate response” to her talent instilled in Wolf a sense of confidence that carried her through music school and into a post-grad stint gracing local Los Angeles venues. Soon she’d linked with co-producer, Jared Soloman.

Together, they compiled influences in the likes of Tool, Weezer, Ween and Erikah Badyu and committed an experimental artist project, throwing caution — and strategy — to the wind with the impulsive release of their first track, 'Guy.'

“I had no plan at all, I was just playing shows and taking whatever opportunities came my way,” says the rising star. “I was learning to play drums and would write on the guitar with all these chord shapes people just weren’t using, different structures. It made me nervous, but I always just had a vision.”

'Guy' would mark a watershed moment for Remi. It secured her a spot opening on tour for indie-pop darling, Still Woozy, a manager, and an entry point to consecutive critically-acclaimed EPs, You’re a Dog and I’m Allergic to Dogs — mostly created in makeshift studios with Soloman and limited gear.

Apple would later recruit Wolf to soundtrack an iPhone commercial, and she’d receive major co-signs from the likes of Dominic Fike and Cautious Clay.

These achievements have served as both prelude and platform for her debut album, Juno, her post-pandemic offering. The project is an exploration of the instability Wolf felt during lockdown, bouncing between houses all while attempting sobriety.

The project is also the first time Remi Wolf has had the resources to outsource the more technical elements of the production process, as well as access to high quality equipment. For a DIY-minded artist who has bootstrapped her way into the industry, this has taken some adjustment.

“I’ve had to let go a little bit of control and let people help me to execute my ideas,” she explains, “I have to trust other people to help me while not confining myself to any expectation other than pushing myself and the boundaries of what I’ve done before.”

The singer-songwriter’s improvisational sonic instincts best speak to her talent and bolster her longevity, but it's her childlike charisma coupled with a devil-may-care attitude that shows her potential.

“Sometimes I just feel like I want to be different and rebellious and a contrarian to what’s going on. It's insane to think I can make the music I want to make and pay my bills and be validated for my labor, but I think mainly I want my music to be important to people. I want people to make memories with my songs.”

Tickets will go on sale from singularartists.ie this Friday, March 4th.