Henry Wolfe: Local Band We Love

By DJ Valida

I love Henry Wolfe.

Musically, he speaks to me in ways that are both comforting and awe-inspiring at once. His songs trigger emotions that quickly transform from joy to sadness, but he delivers them in such a playful way that often, half way through a song, you forget why you were crying to begin with, or why you were happy in the first verse and now your soul is torn in two.

But that’s his gift. Armed with a guitar, a harmonica and a sly smile, he’s poised to take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride and you won’t even mind that you haven’t been put on the guest list and are actually paying for the ticket.

Stream “Someone Else”

Whether it’s with a live band or just doing a simple stripped down solo show (like his monthly residency at The Standard Hollywood), Henry will make you feel like you’re the only person in the room. The intensity of his songs, coupled with his “perennially laid back persona” (that’s straight from his bio) make for a potent combination that somehow really works.

Having spent most of his childhood on the East Coast, Henry moved to Los Angeles in 2007 and settled into Laurel Canyon to begin work on his debut full length “Linda Vista”.

I was privileged to have received a copy well over a year ago and it’s been close to my heart ever since. Songs like “Open Up the Door,” “Someone Else,” “Stop the Train,” “ Errant Lover” are so honest and open you can feel the heartache in every word, every note.

His cover of Neil Young’s “For The Turnstiles” is hauntingly alluring, “Little Room” is hopeful and consoling, and the title track “Linda Vista” has that plush cinematic quality, and I can almost see the credits rolling as the film fades into some surreal far-fetched resolution that leaves you wondering what exactly happened?

“Linda Vista”, (produced by Aaron Older and Nico Aglietti, who also worked on the Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros record) will be out in the world on April 5.

You can catch Henry at The Hotel Café’s on April 8, and also at his free Monday night residency at the Bootleg Theater in LA in June.

— Valida