b. Patrick Apps, 30 June 1983, County Cork, Eire. Moving to south London, England shortly after his birth, Apps was subjected to a particularly troubled childhood, having to move schools in his early years after being subjected to bullying. Music became a form of escapism for the youngster throughout his teens, and he begun to experiment with recording vocals and violin in his bedroom. By the age of 14, Apps had already performed with the art rock act Minty and was fervently writing music. Leaving home at the age of 16, he made ends meet by busking in a string quartet and performing in his punk band Maison Crimineaux in and around London. It was during a one-off performance in Paris that the newly named Patrick Wolf was spotted by Kristian Robinson (aka Capitol K) of the newly formed Faith And Industry Records and asked to record an album. After delving through his old four-track recordings, Wolf released his debut, Lycanthropy in July 2003. An album in parts thoroughly bizarre and in others a compelling listen, Wolf utilised instruments such as the ukulele, accordion, penny whistle, violin and laptop to produce a variety of weird and wonderful sounds. The result was an electro folk album that, while not perhaps immediately accessible contained moments of exquisite songwriting.
Wolf's second album, Wind In The Wires, was released in February 2005 after he had spent a year studying composition at the Trinity College Music Conservatoire. A more mature, refined sound placed an increased emphasis on Wolf's vocal talents, while retaining his unique mixture of dance, folk rock and electronica. Particularly impressive tracks included album opener "The Libertine," a Jewish-style violin-led piece with digital horse galloping beats running underneath, and the melancholic album closer "Land's End." Wind In The Wires helped cement Wolf's reputation as one of the most innovative and unconventional UK artists of the early twenty-first century.
