Lone Wolf - Lodge

The Lodge, a recording studio in Bridlington, is where this wolf man feels most human. The shock of learning that it was going to close brought Lone Wolf/Paul Marshall out of his frozen state and back into recording music. I first came across him when he released ‘The Devil and I’. I saw him at the Green Man Festival in 2010. The line up was full of bands and singers with enigmatic names relating to the animal and natural world - Mountain Man, Megafaun, Bear in Heaven, Doves, and Je Suis Animal to name a few. Lone Wolf seemed to fit, but I couldn’t place him. Was he American? Scandinavian? There was a dark country vibe to his ballads of desolation and abandonment. His anxiety and depression were not a fictional account, and with his second album ‘The Lovers’ he revealed the state of mind that has led to his silence and creative hibernation since 2012. For this new album he spent six days in the Lodge with trusted companions, James Kenosha, his producer, and David Warmegard, trumpet player. He turned away from his guitar to use the piano as his main instrument. There’s a tale told in looking at some of the song titles - ‘Wilderness’, ‘Give Up’, ‘Crimes’, ‘Mistakes’, ‘Mess’, ‘Art of Letting Go’, and ‘Get Rough’. It is deceptively beautiful music, with a stripped down Scandinavian feel. You can find harmony in the vocals, but the lyrics tell a different story. You could be lulled into a false sense of security if you fail to pay attention to the personal revelations in the lyrics . Music has been my comfort and solace throughout my life, evoking emotional responses. That’s me as a listener, not a creator or performer. What must it be like to be driven to reveal so much in the songs you write and then share? There are some familiar melodies, some hints of what has been before. Who will emerge from this Lone Wolf incarnation? Who will Paul Marshall become? A lodge can be a gatehouse, a portal, a group of like minded people, a home for a shy wild creature. There’s a sense of spaciousness and spirituality in these songs. These are love songs to a recording studio, a sacred space with a particular resonance for this artist. It’s a reminder that the studio space is a significant part of any recording, as much as the venue is important for a performance. These are songs of praise. It’s good to hear his voice again.