Wolf Van Elfmand’s inventive songwriting has won him a place in my heart over the years. On “Don’t Call it Country,” the Brooklyn-based artist shines a light on all the diversity country music has to offer — a gentle ribbing at everything we’ll call the damn music to avoid it being lumped in with mainstream country. “Don’t Call It Country” is a delightful romp through everything the genre has to offer.
“I used to be in an Americana, Rock n Roll band and we’d go play all the mountain towns in Colorado. After we split up and I started my solo project I reached out to a lot of those same venues telling them I’ve got a new country ensemble,” explains van Elfmand. “Almost instantly, two of the venues replied with ‘Sorry, no country.’ So, in honor of that experience I wrote this song.”
Raised in Colorado, Wolf’s music explores styles under the umbrella of Americana. In 2019 van Elfmand put out his debut LP Music for Minors (Ages 3 to 300), which introduced listeners to Wolf’s knack for humor and storytelling. In 2021 Wolf released All Blue & Gypsum. All Blue nods to players like J.J. Cale, with minimalism and drum machines.
Wolf has provided support for Pokey LaFarge, Willie Watson, Turnpike Troubadours, Charlie Parr, Karl Blau, Wayne Hancock, and many others. He has also performed at prominent roots festivals including Salmonfest (Alaska), The UMS (Denver), Midwest Music Fest (Wisconsin), and Brooklyn Folk Festival (New York).
Expect more music from Van Elfmand later this year.