Ahead of the pack

When controversial American Idol contestant Sanjaya sang his teary farewell, he cleverly improvised “Let’s give ‘em something to talk about … other than hair.” While Bonnie Raitt may not get it, chances are Aussie rocker Andrew Stockdale—front man of Wolfmother—shares the sentiment.

Wolfmother is more than just arena rock with curly locks.

Known for his towering halo of curls as much as for his ‘70s-esque howls and wailing guitar riffs, Stockdale once quipped to an interviewer: “I am almost bald. I have a massive curly comb-over and I use spray-on hair from a can as well.”

But, tresses aside, Stockdale does have a lot to talk about—and not just his recent Grammy win, either.

Redefining decadence

Many bands have shouldered (and faltered under) the weight of “saving” rock music. The Strokes, for instance, whose much-hyped career stagnated after their third album. Or The Vines, another Australian group fronted by schizo-stoner Craig Nicholls. (It turned out the singer’s career-vaulting/stunting rock-star antics were the byproduct of Asperger Syndrome.)

Wolfmother, on the other hand, might be tapped to resurrect rock; namely stadium-worthy metal psychedelia a la Black Sabbath.

“The song ‘Woman’ is a fully realized vision of a rock song,” Stockdale says of the hit that won his band a Grammy this year (beating out songs from System of a Down, Tool, Buckcherry and Nine Inch Nails). Critics panned the tune as predictable, down to the Zeppelin riffs. Fans loved it. Stockdale, unfazed, isn’t about to become a one-trick pony.

“I’ll never be able to recreate as good a song in the same way,” he says. “It’s finished. I was really happy with ‘Joker & the Thief’ [featured in Jackass: Number Two and Need for Speed: Carbon] because it was a departure from ‘Woman.’ I think that’s the way you move forward: You can’t keep doing the same trick and expect people to applaud.”

So what does Stockdale have in mind for the future? Surprisingly, it’s not as simple as sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. The singer may bellow garage-tinged lyrics for a living, but off stage he’s low-key, thoughtful and well-spoken. Oh, and he’s a Marc Boland fan.

“I’ve written a few songs that are similar to T. Rex,” he confirms. “The production needs to be a very full, warm sound. It’s got to have a seductive quality to it … I’d like to explore that even more.” Can fans expect a certain glam turn on future albums? “Without a doubt,” Stockdale declares.

“There are things I’m interested in exploring creatively,” he continues. “What I’d really like to do is a record that’s absolutely uncompromising in the production … a creatively pure vision. Whether that’s successful or furthers our career, you never know.”

For the time being, Wolfmother’s career is doing just fine. In between shows, they’ve been hitting the studio and making appearances on Last Call with Carson Daly, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and The Late Show with David Letterman. They’re slated to perform at the high-profile Live Earth Concert in Sydney, Australia, this summer.

An anti-global-warming benefit seems like a strange place to find rockers who arrive on gas-guzzling tour buses. Still, Stockdale insists that “it’s exhausting that people think rock ‘n’ roll is just this decadent vehicle.”

Wolfmother was “never,” he decides, “a decadent band. But people thought we were when they heard [our first] EP.”

Apparently, the band wants to leave behind more than a trail of broken-hearted groupies. “We decided with the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack to donate a percentage of the [profits] from [Wolfmother song] ‘Pleased to Meet You’ to an environmental cause [yet to be determined],” he reveals.

It’s definitely a new paradigm for the rock world—one Robert Plant likely never envisioned in his excess-soaked prime. “We’d like for our music to make a positive impact on the world, so we’re starting by giving away our money,” Stockdale says with a laugh.

Wolfmother stops by The Orange Peel (101 Biltmore Ave.) on Friday, May 4. 9 p.m. $23/$25. 225-5851.