Kalan Wolfe & The Shift - Artist Spotlight

Name: Kalan Wolfe & The Shift

Genre: A blend of Folk, Rock, and Reggae

Birthplace of the Band: Washington

Associated Acts: Wolfe & Crow, Ember Brightheart & The Shift

Members:

Kalan Wolfe - Lead Vocalist, Acoustic Guitar

Keely Crow-Ka - Vocals, Band Manager

Ember Brightheart - Vocals, Ukulele

Sam Stockard - Drums

Karl "Bapa" Hatton - Alt Percussion

Walter Harris - Bass

Casey Greenspane - Back-Up Bass, Alt Percussion

Bio

Kalan Wolfe and The Shift, are more than a band. They are a family of trailblazers, breaking the mold on genre, and forging works of art that inspire and reflect upon a global shift in consciousness. The band is led by Kalan and managed by his wife and bandmate Keely, with support from their daughter Ember, and Kalan's father "Bapa". Their music blends elements of folk, rock, reggae, and more into their own unique and ever-evolving sound. Releasing 3 full-length albums and a handful of singles since 2020, The Shift has quickly found their groove and is beginning to make waves in the festival scene, including starting their own festival: Departure Fest NW.

If you put Kalan Wolfe & The Shift's discography on shuffle you will quickly realize that this band is versatile, creative, and overflowing with passion for music. Their sound is impossible to pin down, inexplicably weaving styles, lyrics, and sounds into a next-level audio experience totally their own. Even daughter Ember Brightheart's single "Stars" hits like a billboard chart-topper. The Shift has also released several songs featuring other artists, including reggae artist Jus Wright, Mark Murphy of Wookiefoot, and violinist Tim Snider, each of which perfectly morphed styles to complement the featured artist.

If you check out everything Kalan Wolfe & The Shift have put out you won't be disappointed. There is enough variety in their sound that there's something for everyone!

"If we want to go way back, I got my start from learning the love of music from my grandparents Trevor and Laurel Gloor. They inspired the song Grandpa's Guitar, which will be on this coming album (The Shift - Out Now). As a young fledgling, I was a busker on the streets of Bellingham, where I was going to college. Later, still in Bellingham, I joined the reggae band Barefoot Brothers as their bassist, where I got experience performing for large audiences. In 2019 my wife signed me up for American Idol and basically just told me that I needed to do it, so I did. Out of 120,000 applicants, I made it into the top 50 and got some airtime and a little recognition. All in all, it was a fun experience. My Dad (Bapa), Walter, and my wife Keely would keep busy playing as a 4 piece band at bars and smaller venues. Often, we were playing 2 or 3 shows a weekend. When COVID hit, our music came to a halt very abruptly. After a couple of years, we were really itching to get back to it, so we created "Departure Festival" back in 2021. This was right around the time we put together the full band. I believe the first Departure Festival was our 3rd show as a full band. Really we are a pretty new thing, about two years old, but we have come pretty far in that short amount of time and are starting to book bigger festival gigs out of state in the conscious music scene." - Kalan Wolfe - 6/6/2023

Important Causes to the Band:

"As artists, we have learned that music is a powerful tool when it comes to building bridges and uniting diverse people. Through music, people will open their hearts and minds in a way that they might not otherwise. We are dedicating ourselves to not only building our own conscious music festival, but we are working to acquire our own land to host events year round. As the project grows, we hope to one day have an artist residency program which will allow for artists to live affordably, so they are able to focus their efforts and do what they do best."

Words of Wisdom to the World:

"We have more in common than not. I think that's an easy thing to forget, in a time where we have such easy access to media with agendas, but it's such an important thing to try and remember. We have to keep believing in the goodness of humanity, even if we are often misled, and hold onto the hope of creating a brighter future for the coming generations."

Discography:

The Shift (2023)

Purchase ~ Lyrics

Departure (2021)

Purchase

Home (2020)

Purchase (Digital)

Links: