Olivia Wolf

With Snake of Diamonds, Olivia Wolf dives deep. After writing her way through life-changing loss with her critically-acclaimed debut album, Olivia Wolf found herself tackling a different challenge during the months that followed: not just how to survive, but how to truly live again. Snake of Diamonds captures that transition. Produced by Sean McConnell, this is Wolf's version of modern-day American roots music: earthy, emboldened, and explorative, beholden to nobody's rules but her very own. For Wolf, an appreciation for rootsy music started early. Her grandfather was the founder of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and Wolf began attending the music festival during the 2000s, catching up-close performances by artists like Gillian Welch, Ralph Stanley, and Guy Clark. When her grandfather passed away, she honored his legacy by joining the old-time bluegrass band he'd formed during his later years. Before long, she was writing her own material and moving to Nashville. Those songwriting chops earned her a hit on Americana radio with "Cosmic Appalachian Radio," a track from her genre-bending breakthrough Silver Rounds. When it came time to write material for a follow-up album, though, Wolf found herself stripping away the full-band approach of her debut album for something more elemental. "I'm focusing on myself now," she says. "Far too often, as a woman, you're taught to make everyone else comfortable. What happens when you put yourself first instead?"