Little Red Wolf, Annelies Howell, Mackenzie Moore & Jenna Joanis

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courtesy Little Red Wolf

Little Red Wolf (from left): Laura Detert, Kelly Maxwell, Emily Mills, Meghan Rose.

When Laura Detert, Kelly Maxwell, Emily Mills and Meghan Rose combined forces in 2008 as Little Red Wolf they were immediately one of Madison's most winning ensembles. You can be sure the vocal harmonies and instrumental magic will be in full force as they reunite to release The Tops of the Trees, the first new Little Red Wolf album since 2014. As may be expected when a band contains perceptive, empathetic songwriters who have weathered a pandemic, the album's nine tracks contain some somber songs. But this is Little Red Wolf, so the somber is balanced with moments of beauty...and a song about a home invasion by wildlife. Opening are singer-songwriters Annelies Howell (German Art Students) and Mackenzie Moore (joined by Jenna Joanis on drums).

media release: Doors 6:00PM / Show 7:00PM. $15 ADV / $20 DOS. Kids 12 and under free with accompanying parent or guardian.

Little Red Wolf brings together the creativity and collective talents of Meghan Rose, Kelly Maxwell, Emily Mills, and Laura Detert. Formed in 2008 in Madison, Wisconsin, LRW combines elements of indie rock, bluegrass, alt-country, and the harmony-heavy vocals of swing-era ensembles. Over the course of three albums, numerous singles, and hundreds of miles, LRW has created music that is at turns somber, silly, earnest, dark, and joyful.

The band is thrilled to announce that, after a five-year hiatus, their new album, “The Tops of the Trees,” is due out in 2022 and will be available at a few live shows and online at littleredwolf.bandcamp.com.

Annelies Howell began performing at Open Mic nights at the Memorial Union and local coffee houses in the early 90's. She's been a member of The German Art Students, Madison's (Wisconsin) new wave weirdos, since 1997. She's also been a member of a variety of tribute bands honoring Garbage, Hole, Indigo Girls, Pretenders, and Fleetwood Mac (Gold Dust Women won a Madison Area Music Association Award for Cover Band Performer in 2016). She also plays alt-folk-rock in The Fauxtons.

Mackenzie Moore is a Best of Madison/MAMA winning singer/songwriter and WAMI finalist from Wisconsin. Playing all around the Midwest, she’s driven by the sense of community that can be created in a room full of strangers with a heartfelt voice and an acoustic guitar. Her voice has been described as being ‘as smooth and smoky as a glass of good scotch.’ She will be joined for this show by Jenna Joanis on drums.

more on LRW:

Madison-based indie-folk band Little Red Wolf is returning from an 8-year hiatus with a new album and live show, planned for Sunday, August 21 at the Bur Oak (2262 Winnebago St).

Written and recorded over the course of a year, “The Tops of the Trees” marks the band’s 14th year together and celebrates the evolution of their relationships as friends and musical collaborators. A mix of LRW’s familiar folk-pop/country and rock styles, the songs explore everything from the mental health challenges of the pandemic to embracing changing bodies and relationships, to the love of one’s pets. 

Balancing the somber and the sublime, the silly and the serious, this ultimately hopeful album reflects the deep love and respect the band members have for each other and their communities.

First formed in late 2008, Little Red Wolf (Meghan Rose, Kelly Maxwell, Emily Mills, Laura Detert) released their debut album, “If Only We Were Just Like We Are” (2010) to critical acclaim and a “Madison’s Favorite New Band” nod from Isthmus. A remix album, featuring unique interpretations from local electronic artists Caustic, Null Device, Dan Clark, and others, followed shortly thereafter. Their second, full-length album, “Junk Sparrow,” was released in 2014. Throughout this period, the band toured the Midwest and played shows at various Madison-area venues, as well as one particularly notable gig for the Gathering of American Gods at The House on the Rock. 

Children, cross-country moves, career changes, and other Life Stuff forced the band to put a pause on regular music-making in 2015, but the desire to reconnect and create together remained. It took a pandemic to bring things into focus: A gathering in August 2021 resulted in an unexpected surge of songwriting, which led to a weekend-long recording session at Blast House Studios in Madison in February of 2022. The end product was “The Tops of the Trees,” due to be officially released August 20, 2022 on the group’s Bandcamp site. 

Members have spent the intervening years working on a wide variety of other musical projects: Meghan and Emily started their queer-punk duo Damsel Trash in 2013 and have gone on to release three studio albums and one live record. Meghan has also released music as Meghan Rose & the Bones and with the Loud Soft Loud. Laura Detert played with the Werewolverine for many years, and Kelly Maxwell has appeared with numerous local bands, including VO5 and the Fauxtons, in addition to performing with Monkey Business Institute. Kelly and Meg currently play in the Fleetwood Mac tribute act/supergroup, Gold Dust Women.

LRW’s mix of catchy folk-pop, multi-part harmonies, and sense of humor have garnered a dedicated fanbase over the years, one they’re keen to reconnect with via this new album and live show.