Jon Wolfe has been extremely busy in the last six months, releasing an EP in 2019 and a live album this year. We had the opportunity to chat with him and learn more about his process, music, and loyal fans.
“Feels like Country Music” is Wolfe’s latest single and title track to the recent EP. He worked with Grammy-nominated producer, Dave Brainard, which was his first time working with an outside producer. Typically, Wolfe only worked with his manager, but he wanted to try working with an additional expert. He said, “Sonically, I feel like this is my best project so far.”
Wolfe released “Some Ol’ Bar in the 90’s” as the first single from this EP. The song garnered a lot of attention, reaching number one in Texas and Larry the Cable Guy even talked about it.
Wolfe stated that it was perfect timing for the second single and he thinks people will identify with it. Having built his career around traditional country music, it makes sense that he would write a song talking about the topic. “Lyrically the song resonates with me and defines who I am,” he explained.
Texas Music Scene
With frequent play on Texas radio, Wolfe said he’s thankful that the community has embraced him. “Being in Texas and being able to do my own thing—it’s really been a blessing for me. I’m super thankful for the fans here, it’s almost like family at this point.” Wolfe explained that there are a lot of hardcore, returning fans that attend around fifteen of his shows in a year.
it’s really been a blessing for me. I’m super thankful for the fans here, it’s almost like family at this point.” Wolfe explained that there are a lot of hardcore, returning fans that attend around fifteen of his shows in a year.
Wolfe is an artist who keeps his fans engaged by unveiling different facets of himself. He launched his own brand of tequila, Juan Lobo, and even held a festival to launch it. He releases music through his own label and seems to have an entrepreneurial spirit, which is very admirable.
Live Album: Jon Wolfe Live at the Legendary Gruene Hall
Jon Wolfe Live at the Legendary Gruene Hall is actually the second live album of his career. He released the first one as a way to follow through on the name of his second album It All Happened in a Honky Tonk. It was only fitting to record the live album in a legendary honky tonk.
After building up his catalog of songs, he felt it was time to release a second live album in 2020. He really wanted people to hear what his shows were about. He performed twice at Gruene Hall and used the second night’s performance for the album.
Wofle searched for a producer who could easily handle the technical aspects of a live album. His goal was to play the show like he normally would, rather than be involved in the production. Mills Logan produced the album and has a lot of experience with live production. “Everything came together to make that opportunity happen for us,” Wolfe recalls.
We asked him about the challenges of recording a live album versus in a studio. He admitted that it is more nerve wracking for a live album, because there’s more room for error. You can’t go back and fix it, necessarily. He also shared that there are often small imperfections on a live album, but that’s what makes them special. They’re real. They’re raw.
What’s Next for Jon Wolfe
Wolfe will soon release a video for “Feels Like Country Music.” He’s also expanding upon his brand of tequila and plans to add online ordering in the future. For more information visit http://www.jonwolfecountry.com/.
