a review and a conversation with Ashleigh Wulf – The Simmons Voice

Ashleigh Wulf, stage name Wulfur, released her first EP, Wulfer, on May 10th. With eight songs, the album is sixteen minutes long and is a great listen from start to finish. Each track is perfect on its own, but together they create a pleasant and well-mixed experience. Full of intimate lyrics and technically perfect blending, and accompanied by the steady sound of Wulfer’s rhythm guitar, it’s the perfect mix.

Wulfur’s musical aesthetic draws parallels to indie artists such as Alex G and Whatever, Dad, as it offers a dreamlike escape from reality.

When I first heard it, I felt myself sinking into my mattress and my mind drifting into nothingness. Wulfer is not just pure indie: it is a feeling of deep-rooted nostalgia. It took me back to high school and the spiral of teenage angst that is so familiar to me. The melancholic yet contented feeling the music evoked stayed with me for days. To describe the album in one word: it is pure catharsis.

My favorite piece, “White Noise Machine,” is a perfect combination of layering, dreamy vocals, and guitar. Although Wulf’s music uses simple acoustics, it is anything but simple. The instrumentals build on her technical knowledge of the instrument and become a mainstay of the song through their contrast with the gentle vocals.

After listening to the album, I had the opportunity to talk to Wulf and learn more about her and her music.

Wulf, a 2024 graduate of Berklee’s guitar program, started playing in middle school. Her sound changed a lot when she discovered her talent. Before working on her EP, she played as a guitarist in her friends’ bands. After gaining more experience, she embarked on her solo journey.

Like me, “White Noise Machine” was one of her favorite tracks on the EP.

“Both ‘Pill’ and ‘White Noise Machine’ are songs I’m really proud of. The creative production I did, like the little voices and everything, was cool. I don’t consider myself a producer or anything, so I’m really proud of that,” she said.

Wulf shared that she “really likes Alex G and he was a big inspiration for the whole album. Like the way it was recorded, the way you made it yourself, and also the way he wrote the songs. I was also inspired by local bands that make that kind of music.” As a student at Berklee College, she noticed that she was exposed to new sounds and got a lot of her musical knowledge from what she observed.

She also cited Julien Baker’s solo album “Sprained Ankle” and the Shoegaze genre.

Wulfer is constantly writing new songs and plans to film live sessions of some of the EP’s tracks. Wulf plans to book some shows in the summer and will post the details of upcoming concerts on Instagram at. @wulferr.

A final tip from Wulf himself to creative colleagues: “Don’t get hung up on making an idea perfect. Just get it out there.”