Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota and Olympia, Washington, Wolvhammer was formed in 2008 by Micah Leonetti and Heath Rave. The band currently consists of Micah Leonetti, Adam Clemans, Jeff Wilson, and Joe Noel. They are currently preparing for an 11 day run with Atriarch. Micah Leonetti took a few minutes to speak with me.
Side Stage Magazine: Tell me about your band. Who is Wolvhammer? How did you come up with the name?
Micah Leonetti: Heath Rave and I started Wolvhammer in 2008. We were playing in a doom band called Vernal Pool and both desired a faster, more pissed outlet. Being influenced by punk rock and black metal, the sound was a natural choice. In late 2010 we recruited Jeff Wilson and Adam Clemans to round out the lineup. Heath is now out of the band leaving me as the only original member. As far as the name goes, both the wolf and the hammer are symbols of strength. Both appealing to the interests of Heath and I in personal ways, also, it just sounds fucking sick.
I read somewhere that the genre of music is blackened sludge metal. What exactly is that?
That’s pretty inaccurate at this point to be perfectly honest with you. I’ve always kinda disagreed with that label. I’ve never really liked that label. When I think blackened sludge, I think of a band like (unable to understand the name of the band), you know. But, we were doing something way more like upbeat and pissed. We had sludge parts. I don’t know how familiar you are with the genres individually black metal is a lot of temple picking and blast beats and stuff like that. Sludge parts are really slow kinda crushing down tunes stuff. So, you know, having those two elements in there that’s just an easy label to throw on us. But, we pull from everything. We pull from a lot of crush, like crush punk, like U.K. crush punk, like Amebix. You know it even goes deeper than that like (unable to understand the name of the band). That’s all evident on the earlier records. Lately, some of the darker stuff we are into, like Goth and darkwave is poking it’s head through. We’ve even got some kinda Americana rifts on the new record. So, when you say what blacked sludge is, I just don’t think it’s us. I think it’s a bad representation of us.
Your 2014 cd “Clawing into Black Sun” was just released on cassette tape. Do you plan on releasing any other CDs (old or new) on tape?
Clawing was released in summer of 2014 initially via Profound Lore on CD and on vinyl through Disorder Recordings, Jeff’s own record label. And yeah, very recently it was repressed to cassette by Death Culture Tapes. I think it’s safe to say we will be releasing material on cassette in the future. It’s a very cool format.
Do you have any plans for a new cd anytime soon?
Personally I would love to release a new full length at some point in 2016. Is it going to happen? Hard to say, I feel this next year is going to be really big for us regardless of a new record or not. We WILL have releases in 2016… what material they will contain I can’t really say. I know Jeff and I both have ideas for releases and new original material in the works. We will have to see where the chips fall.
Could you tell me a little about your writing and recording process?
The writing process has been kind of weird because of all the lineup changes. On “Black Marketeers of World War III”, our first full length, we worked entirely as a band. We had two demos before that was written as a unit of us four as well. The new record “Clawing into Black Sun” was almost entirely written by Jeff and Adam. In fact a lot of it was written in the studio. So it’s been a totally different writing process for each record. This next record is going to be fairly organic with equal involvement from Jeff, Adam, and myself. Writing together and fleshing out each other’s songs.
Are you shopping around for a label?
That’s kinda too preliminary to talk about at this point honestly just because we’re still loyal to Profound Lore because we are still touring the last record that came out with him. We would like to keep our options open, but we are still obviously willing and open to working with Chris from Profound Lore. We greatly enjoy his company and how he does things, but we are trying to see what would be the best. At this point, it’s hard to comment on that.
If you could work with any producer, who would you want to work with?
Current producers, I would love to work with Steve Albini. Billy Anderson would be amazing as well. Those 2 guys come to mind first and foremost. Our good friend Adam Tucker from here in Minneapolis is a fucking beast in the studio. He is somebody I can almost guarantee we WILL work with.
What’s your favorite song to perform live?
That’s a hard question. I honestly enjoy playing all of our songs live. Each song has its own primal cathartic meaning to each of us. We craft a unique set based on what we are feeling each time we go out. Probably one of my favorite songs to perform live is “The Desanctification” off of Clawing. The way Adam and I work together on vocals is very fulfilling. It also carries a darkness and sadness that is uniquely its own. It’s been a really hard couple of years for some of us personally and that song is so sad and pissed I feel like it encapsulates the vibe of the band really well.
If you could cover any song, any genre, what would it be?
There’s a number of Nick Cave songs I’d like to cover and a select few Type O Negative songs. I’m not going to tell you which ones because quite possibly we might be doing that the next couple of years. Some of the deeper cut Nick Cave stuff that you wouldn’t expect a band like Wolvhammer to cover, I’d like to cover. Some of the more sad, melodramatic piano ballads, I’d like to rewrite it in a sense to give it our interpretation. Type O negative would be fun to cover.
What’s your biggest accomplishment as a band so far? What would you like to accomplish?
When Heath and I started the band back in 08 we simply wanted an outlet for the bullshit that was happening to us at the time, the forever darkness and hate that’s in our mind, and a band we could go fast in. It was just an outlet. That’s all it was. Now, here we are, three full length albums later, touring the world as support for some killer acts, running our own successful headlining tours… I think the fact that we are still breathing as a band and haven’t been put down yet is a huge accomplishment in and of itself. In today’s day and age if you put out three full lengths you are one of the lucky ones. I really feel like we have some staying power. I feel like THAT is our biggest accomplishment.
I know you have some planned tour dates coming up this month. Do you have any tour plans for 2016? What’s coming up in the future for Wolvhammer?
We have some offers on the table for full US runs in 2016. Nothing I can really talk about just yet but we will be out there fuckin beating the road in 2016.
Where can your fans purchase your music?
Mostly online, you’ll find our stuff at select shops if your local record store carries some more boutique metal stuff, they’ll be able to find some Profound Lore releases and we should be in there as well. Your best and probably your cheapest best is to go to our page www.indiemerch.com/wolvhammer or go through www.profoundlorerecords.com as well.
Fans bring things to bands sometimes. Have you guys ever received anything from bands, and if so, what’s the weirdest thing you have ever received?
Our fans aren’t like that really. We do get drugs which is really cool because we like drugs a lot. That can go on record, we like drugs, A LOT. We really like alcohol, a lot. We’ve had people tell us we are the drinkingest band they’ve ever worked with. We’ve had guitar techs for other bands threatened to be sent home because they are partying with us too much. We really like to get fucking greasy. So, usually, if people bring us stuff, it’s like a bottle of booze or some other illegal shit I can’t really talk about. It’s to get stuff that makes you forget.
What’s your one go to food spot or type of food to eat on the road?
We will go out of our way to Del Taco. We like to party. We bring a driver out with us every tour. No band member drives because we like to get fucking drunk. When we do so, after the show, we go to Del Taco if we are around. It’s a must go. They are the supreme leader of the food chains and they rule with an iron fist. It’s a very important fast food chain. Del Taco is highly recommended. We end up doing a lot of Pho. That’s really big, because it’s a good hangover cure. It’s really cheap and can be found in any city. Sometimes we eat Indian food. We eat regional food. Whatever’s hip in the region, we eat.
Do you think the recent terrorist attacks in Paris has changed the concert going experience? Are you more nervous than before getting on the stage if at all?
No. I’m not nervous about being on stage. Because we cater to a really niche, rabid audience I do not worry about our safety on stage. I don’t feel threatened in any way by our fans or anyone that might attend the show. I think as far as a grander scale goes, yeah it’s scary. It’s always a risk you take when you put yourself in the spotlight. My heart goes out to the people of Paris and Eagles of Death Metal. That was OBVIOUSLY very traumatic for them. I don’t think it’s a concern for us but globally and on the level that a band like EoDM is it should certainly be a concern.
What question have you never been asked in an interview that you’ve always wanted to answer?
Probably but I wouldn’t know what it would be because I haven’t been asked before. Generally speaking, musicians doesn’t normally like doing interviews. I don’t mind them. I just like talking about the band’s history, maybe some casual stuff about food or the band’s future.
Is there any message you want to pass along to the fans? Anything you want to say?
Look for big things from us in the coming year. We’ve got some really bitchin things planned. Each member has their own personal endeavors, and there are some really cool stuff on the horizon for each of us individually. Stick with us, come out to shows. Remember, the quickest way to our hearts is with drugs and booze. Keep your eyes and ears out because we will be out there!
Keep up with Wolvhammer on their Facebook page facebook.com/Wolvhammer.
Check out Wolvhammer on tour with Atriarch this month!
12/10 – Vancouver, BC – The Media Club
12/11 – Bellingham, WA – The Shakedown
12/12 – Seattle, WA – Highline
12/13 – Olympia, WA – Cryptatropa
12/14 – Boise, ID – The Shredder
12/15 – Reno, NV – PB&J
12/16 – San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
12/17 – Ventura, CA – The Garage
12/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Lexington Theater
12/19 – Sacramento, CA – Starlite Lounge
12/20 – Portland, OR – Panic Room
