Folk Singer-Songwriter, Ira Wolf Releases Cathartic New Album, ‘Rock Bottom’
October 13, 2023 BY Emma Orland
Today Ira Wolf, the Montana-born, Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and producer shares her emotionally charged new album Rock Bottom via Nettwerk.
As life prepares us for the future, we absorb the bumps in the road, learn from them, and overcome them a little wiser the next time around. Rock Bottom is a showcase of Ira processing life’s ups and downs and alchemizing them into fascinating folk with alternative experimentation and unassuming pop appeal. Much like how she travels the world in her trusty van, her music sonically echoes a sense of nomadic freedom, while it lyrically channels the intimacy of her own little world in this new body of work. Rock Bottom is available on all digital platforms here.
WATCH MENTAL HEALTH ON THE ROAD, A COLLABORATION WITH SOUNDS OF SAVING AND IRA WOLF – HERE
Ira shares, “I went through a terrible break up with a person I’d been with for five years and was engaged to. I didn’t have any closure, so I’d bounce between being super angry, bitter, or upset and feelings of forgiveness and reconciliation. The writing was a spontaneous outpouring of everything I felt in real-time. I was able to dump all of my emotions into the music and create something beautiful out of the darkest and most difficult time I’d been through. Making the record helped me move on.”
WATCH IRA WOLF LIVE:
“THIS HOUSE” HERE
“MONSTER” HERE
“ROCK BOTTOM” HERE
“FIND LESS” HERE
“THE BOAT” HERE
Rock Bottom was initially teased with the emotionally biting “Find Less,” the airy, dreamy, and electric “The Boat” featuring swooning vocals, and the title track, “Rock Bottom.” After the Pandemic, the breakup, and a whirlwind journey, Ira decamped to Nashville, TN in early 2022 where she recorded Rock Bottom accompanied by a group of friends and collaborators, including a collaborative process with Ira’s close friend and producer, Kevin Harper. With details of love, loss, and heartbreak at its fullest power while conveying comfort, vulnerability, adventure, and authentic connections. This collection of songs earmark Ira’s journey to the other side. By reaching Rock Bottom, Ira emerges stronger than ever and makes her brightest statement.
“I put a lot of time into returning to who I was before the relationship, but I’ve had to accept that’s just not who I’ll ever be again…I’ve learned a lot of lessons. A lot has changed in the world. Going back to this simpler version of myself isn’t a reality. I’m craving community and finding my home. I want to remain undefined right now and explore new spaces and ways of thinking about the world. I’m allowing myself to grow into whatever comes my way.”
Ira grew up in rural Montana “on 20 acres out in the middle of the woods with horses, goats, pigs, and dogs.” As a kid, she fell in love with music while sitting at the piano with her grandfather and making up melodies of her own. She initially pursued opera at University of Montana in Missoula before transferring to Berklee College of Music and, subsequently, dropping out and relocating to Nashville. She consistently captivated listeners with albums such as Fickle Heart [2014], Honest [2016], and The Closest Thing To Home [2017]. A standout from the latter, “Sunscreen” reeled in 44 million Spotify streams followed by “Great Divide” with 14 million Spotify streams. Living out of various vehicles, she canvased the globe and managed to grace stages on six continents. After amassing over 100 million streams and attracting widespread acclaim from The Boot, Nashville Voyager, and more, she uncovers light in dark spaces on her fourth full-length offering, Rock Bottom.
ROCK BOTTOM
TRACKLIST
Rockslide
Rock Bottom
New World
Sleepin In
Find Less
This House
Monster
Currency
The Boat
Home Here
Neither Do I