Another Sequim grad is making sound waves on the airwaves with his unique vocal styles.
Kalan Wolfe, a 29-year-old singer/songwriter now living in Quilcene, has been playing across the Olympic Peninsula for a few years now, and the father of seven is now a featured contestant on ABC’s “American Idol.”
“I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” Wolfe said.
“Honestly, I was really surprised. All along the way from the very beginning, people who work for ‘American Idol’ are just great people. Super kind, easy to talk to.”
Wolfe was one of hundreds of people to audition in Bellevue last summer for the show and one of tens of thousands of people across the country seeking their shot at stardom.
Wolfe said he barely got into the audition with the age cutoff at 28, and his birthday within a month of the deadline.
“I had people telling me left and right, to sign up,” he said. “I was real skeptical at first but my wife signed me up and I thought ‘This is going to be fun; an adventure. I might meet some influential people and get my name out there.”
For his Bellevue judge, he told her he’d play “House of the Rising Sun” to which she resisted.
“She told me she hears that all the time and asked me to play something else,” Wolfe said.
“I told her, ‘I don’t think you’ve ever heard it like this.’ She said I was right.”
Spokesmen for “American Idol” said Wolfe advances to Hollywood Week but his initial audition will not be seen on the show.
The show airs at 8 p.m. Sundays and Mondays on KOMO-4 in Western Washington with judges Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.
Sequim life
Wolfe said he spent his high school years, 2004-2008 living in Sequim and found an early calling at the former coffee shop The Buzz’s open mic nights on Sequim Avenue.
“Those were good times,” he said. “It was influential to play in front of an audience, even if it was small. Those were my people.”
He also played stand-up bass and cowbell in Sequim High School’s bands.
Wolfe feels his time here helped spawn his musical career along with his family’s musical roots.
“We all sang growing up,” he said.
For shows nowadays, Wolfe tends to play with his grandfather Trevor Gloor on cajón (percussion) with occasional backup singing from his sister Olivia, wife Keely and 9-year-old
stepdaughter Ember.
After Sequim, Wolfe continued playing, including time in the Barefoot Brothers Band in the Bellingham area.
He’s remarried and along with raising seven children between his wife and himself, he’s worked a variety of jobs from lifeguarding to landscaping but music is what he wants to focus on.
“I’m doing just music right now,” he said. “I’m trying to make a go of it. Last weekend, I played three shows in 24 hours.”
That includes shows across the peninsula including monthly stints at Sirens in Port Townsend and Wind Rose Cellars in Sequim. He next plays in Sequim at 7 p.m. Friday, March 29, at Wind Rose, 143 W. Washington St.
Medicine Music
Wolfe’s style, he says, is called “Driven Medicine Music” that looks to provide uplifting and hopeful messages.
“It’s really a big part of why I’m interested in ‘American Idol’ and having something that’s a little different,” he said. “I’m really about bringing music that hopefully leads to making positive change in their life and thinking about the world we’re living in and offering some solutions.”
One example is “Man Song” from his newest album “Magic and Gravity” he released in January where he encourages men to be stronger examples and more respectful of the people around them.
Looking ahead, as “American Idol” continues to reveal his fate, Wolfe plans to keep spanning out, including the possibility of a West Coast summer tour.
He plans to play events like the fall and spring Barter Faire in Tonasket, Shrimp Fest in Brinnon, Moon Fest in Quilcene, Sequim Lavender Festival and much more.
For more information on Kalan Wolfe, visit www.kalanwolfe.com.
Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
Kalan Wolfe, a 2008 Sequim graduate, performs on “American Idol” before judges leading him to advance to “Hollywood Week.” The show airs in Western Washington at 8 p.m. Sundays and Mondays on KOMO-4. Photo courtesy of AMERICAN IDOL – Coverage. (ABC/Kelsey McNeal)
Kalan Wolfe said he auditioned for “American Idol” to bring his music to people in hopes of making a positive change in people’s lives. Photo courtesy of AMERICAN IDOL – Coverage. (ABC/Kelsey McNeal)
For a few years, Kalan Wolfe has played across the Olympic Peninsula and says he got his start playing open mic nights in Sequim while in high school. Photo by Oddly Photography
Now living in Quilcene, Kalan Wolfe said he hopes to make a living writing and performing music full-time. He hopes “American Idol” is a part of helping him jump to the next level. Photo by Oddly Photography
Kalan Wolfe’s newest album “Magic & Gravity” released in January and he hopes to set up a tour this summer across the West Coast. Photo courtesy of Kalan Wolfe
Kalan Wolfe’s newest album “Magic & Gravity” released in January and he hopes to set up a tour this summer across the West Coast. Photo courtesy of Kalan Wolfe
Kalan Wolfe’s newest album “Magic & Gravity” released in January and he hopes to set up a tour this summer across the West Coast. Photo courtesy of Kalan Wolfe
