Four times live with us

Wolfmother: In search of natural greatness

With a love of music: Wolfmother frontman and guitarist Andrew Stockdale likes to take things in life as they come.

(Bild: HERBERT P. OCZERET / APA / picturedesk.com)

For 20 years, the Australians Wolfmother and frontman Andrew Stockdale have been delighting audiences with nostalgically played but modernly produced hard rock with blues and space rock traits. Four Austrian concerts are planned this summer, the 48-year-old musician tells the "Krone" in advance about his childhood, the "Earthing" and why he wasted his best years.

Wild curls, 70s look and slightly reddened eyes. Andrew Stockdale exudes the prevailing cliché of the average Australian with every fiber of his being: casual and relaxed, not averse to a sports cigarette and he's sure to get on a surfboard a time or two. At the last Austrian stand-up at Nova Rock 2023, he misused the interviewer's recording dictation machine as a temporary cell phone. Whether this was an idiosyncratic joke or he really didn't know exactly what was going on at the time is still unclear. Stockdale is now 48 and still has a mischievous grin and an honest passion for the spacey rock of his life band Wolfmother. He formed the project exactly 20 years ago, and with the eponymous debut album in 2005, he unquestionably succeeded in creating one of the best retro rock albums of the millennium.

Successful off the cuff
Tracks such as "Woman", "White Unicorn", "Dimension" and "Joker & The Thief" were reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer in equal measure. While other youthful retro musicians struggled wildly to get close to the sound of their heroes by hook or by crook, Wolfmother managed to pull it off with a flick of the wrist. The subsequent albums came in irregular four- to five-year intervals, were all good to top-class, but never quite came close to the original work that turned the Australian band from Sydney into superstars and new saviors of a declining genre overnight. "I'm 48 and I'm still into rock'n'roll," laughs Stockdale in the Krone interview, "in Australia, my boys were and always have been the oddballs. But yes, it all worked out well."

Every summer, when it's winter in their Australian homeland, Wolfmother tour the old continent and prove night after night that they are one of the best and most energetic live bands in the genre. The fact that they are still based in Australia after 20 years surprises Stockdale himself due to the everyday difficulties of traveling. "We often made plans to settle down in America, but every time we were in Los Angeles, we wanted to leave after a month." As the Australians had the strictest coronavirus lockdown in the world, Stockdale didn't come to the States for more than three years. However, Europe is their adopted musical home anyway. "Every summer we look forward to the great cities and concert venues and always feel welcome. It's a nice reunion for us every year."

Grounded in nature
Stockdale has never allowed himself to be seduced or bent by fame and glamor, but finds his happiness much more in naturalistic and esoteric realms. "I've stayed down to earth and I mean that literally," he laughs out loud, "have you ever heard of 'Earthing'? I take my shoes off before every concert and walk around barefoot in a meadow or in the dirt. That's how I connect with nature and my spirituality. There's also a reason why guitars are made of wood and not synthetic material." Wolfmother has allowed the frontman to travel the world and gain impressions for 20 years. "In this job, you leave the small-mindedness behind and not only get to know other places, but also cultures. It automatically does something to you, whether you like it or not. It forces you to think outside the usual niches."

The fact that Wolfmother often allow many years to pass in between their albums is also due to the fact that Stockdale doesn't see songwriting as magical. "I don't believe that learning an instrument and songwriting is innate. You see something somewhere and you try it out, but you also have to push yourself. To have fun in life, you have to work hard towards it first. It's not for nothing that so many people give up on the road to a musical career. Because the happy, free moments don't happen that often." Stockdale came to playing guitar through his brother and became a musician by chance. "There are trained musicians and those like me. It's funny where life can take you." He was also lucky that he was the youngest of the family children. "I had no more university pressure. My brother studied economics and dropped out. My sister studied chemistry and also dropped out. At some point, my parents accepted that studying wasn't for everyone and so I had absolute freedom."

Following your instincts
Stockdale has nothing to do with modern neoliberalism. "I've been lucky with my path, I'm more than aware of that. Of course everyone has to survive, but why do so many people do things they hate? I mean, you only live once. You should at least try to live life as best you can for yourself." The band frontman isn't just laissez faire, however, he's definitely aspirational when it comes to his art. "I've always strived for greatness. I wanted to be the best at something. It used to be photography, then guitar playing. I wasted far too much time watching documentaries of Eric Clapton instead of getting something going myself. I didn't start this band until I was 27, by which time most of my friends were married and had kids. I sat on the couch in the basement and strummed guitars. For a short time I thought that was wrong, but quite the opposite. If it feels good, then the feeling has to follow."

Stockdale mourns the lack of drive of his younger years a little. "In your 20s, you'd have enough energy to get something going, but I let those years pass. I feel that energy now, in my late 40s, but I have a family and not so much time. I've juggled my life well, but I should have started a band and recorded albums much earlier. I squandered a lot of my best years. There is never a right time. It's always now." Life in the spotlight still seems strange. "I'm not getting used to it, but I belong on stage. When I get up there and get going, I'm in my element and everything feels right." Ultimately, it's the music that impresses Stockdale. "The craft is never finished. There's always more to learn, more to explore, more to achieve. That's what drives me and I hope I keep the energy for it for a long time to come."

Short tour of Austria
Wolfmother will of course not be skipping Austria on their European summer tour. Although the Austrian capital will miss out, Burgenland, Upper Austria and Vorarlberg will be able to enjoy the iconic rock anthems. On August 6 and 7, they will be playing at Conrad Sohm in Dornbirn, on August 9 at the Frischluft Open Air in Posthof Linz and on August 10 Wolfmother will be guests at the Picture On Festival in Bildein, Burgenland. At www.oeticket.com you can find all information regarding the exact playing times and ticket options.