Remi Wolf has been making bangers for years, but her latest album has finally landed on the Open Air radar. Her music has always been a glorious collision of funk, soul, pop, rock and whatever else catches her ear. On Mud, the California singer-songwriter trades some of her signature technicolor chaos for a sound that’s earthier, more intimate and just as compelling.
Raised in Palo Alto, Wolf’s first competitive pursuit wasn’t music but downhill skiing. She spent years racing before shifting her focus to singing, performing in school groups and playing shows around the Bay Area. At 17, she made a brief appearance on American Idol. She later studied popular music and vocal performance at USC’s Thornton School of Music. That education helps explain her remarkable vocal range, which moves effortlessly from husky soul phrasing to acrobatic, full-throttle belts. What sounds instinctive is also the product of years of dedicated training.
Wolf’s breakout single Photo ID announced a playful, unpredictable new voice on the music scene. Her 2021 debut, Juno, was a brightly colored explosion of hooks and offbeat humor. With 2024’s Big Ideas, she broadened her sound, drawing on jazz, disco and rock while offering more candid glimpses of life on the road. Her lyrics have also explored attraction to both men and women. Wolf has spoken openly about her bisexuality and welcomed greater queer representation in pop, while pushing back against the idea that an artist’s identity should define their work.
Released October 9, Mud finds Wolf at a turning point. In the wake of a painful breakup, burnout and struggles with alcohol, she began writing songs that could stand on their own with little more than an acoustic guitar and a few harmonies. She brought trusted friends and collaborators together for writing sessions in California cabins and at New York’s Electric Lady Studios, giving the songs room to “breathe.” The result is a more grounded but no less adventurous record, built around gritty guitars, warm grooves, heartache, humor and a measure of hard-won clarity. Through it all, Wolf’s remarkable voice remains front and center.
Even the album’s unexpected guest appearance has a personal story. John Mayer joins Wolf on the tender opening track, Moon So High. Mayer, performing with Sheryl Crow, was part of the first concert Wolf ever attended. After years of occasional exchanges online, she finally reached out to ask Mayer to sing with her. A week later, they were in the studio recording.
From the buoyant Bottle to the emotional weight of Jamie, Mud finds Wolf embracing the messiness of life as she searches for firmer ground. It’s still unmistakably Remi Wolf—restless, soulful and gloriously unpredictable. We’re excited to introduce you to this new chapter of her music on Open Air.
