Helping curious listeners discover remarkable music beyond the algorithms
wulf radar is my invitation to become more curious about music.
Every week I seek out songs, artists and albums that deserve a wider audience—often independent musicians, emerging songwriters and hidden gems that may never find their way into your feed. I believe great music is still being made every day. Sometimes we just need to go looking for it.
wulf radar exists to help us discover, share and celebrate that music together.
Recent discoveries
I first came across Mia Kelly when she was supporting John Smith at a gig.
What struck me most was the combination of a gorgeous voice and lyrics that felt more like stories than songs. There’s a maturity and honesty to her writing that draws you in, and she has that rare ability to make even the most personal songs feel universal.
Her earlier work sits firmly in the folk tradition, but her latest album, Big Time Roller Coaster Feeling, takes a step into a richer, more expansive sound without losing any of the intimacy that makes her music so compelling.
If you're looking for a place to start, I'd recommend Sea to the Moon — a beautifully observed song about unrequited love that has stayed with me long after the first listen.
I first saw Georgia Harmer supporting Folk Bitch Trio in Manchester. Armed with little more than a guitar and a beautifully expressive voice, she had the audience hanging on every word.
There's something of the Joni Mitchell tradition in her songwriting: thoughtful, observant songs delivered with honesty and grace. Georgia comes from Canadian musical royalty—she's the niece of acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer—but she's very much her own artist. Signed to the wonderful Arts & Crafts label, she combines intimacy, warmth and emotional depth in a way that keeps drawing me back.
If you're looking for a place to start, try Slow Down from her latest album Eye of the Storm.
I saw for the first time Dan Mangan when he played a festival in Leicester many years ago. I bought his album almost immediately, and while he drifted off my radar for a while, his recent album Natural Light brought him firmly back again.
Dan has a gift for combining memorable melodies with thoughtful, often challenging songwriting. Natural Light is full of warmth, humanity and sharp observations about the world we live in. The standout track for me is Soapbox—a powerful, hard-hitting song that seems to capture much of what I feel about where we are heading.
Beyond his music, Dan also hosts the excellent Dying of Exposure podcast, where he has thoughtful and surprisingly deep conversations with musicians, actors and other creative people.
If you're looking for a place to start, try Soapbox and then spend some time with the rest of Natural Light.
I was introduced to Jesse Welles by a friend and arrived at the gig knowing very little about him. By the end of the evening, I was completely won over.
In many ways, he feels like a modern-day Woody Guthrie, with a touch of Bob Dylan's wit and storytelling. His songs tackle some of the biggest issues of our time—war, inequality, political power and the growing influence of billionaires—but they never feel like slogans. They're thoughtful, incisive and often remarkably nuanced, asking difficult questions rather than offering easy answers.
Whether performing solo or backed by a band, Jesse has a rare ability to hold an audience in the palm of his hand. Try Devil's Den to start.
