The four members of Wolf Alice are chilling in their backstage area before playing in front of 65,000 people in London’s Hyde Park.Well, not quite chilling, because this is a Portakabin type rest room with closed windows and it’s pretty hot inside on a balmy summer’s day. So much for the glamorous life of a band. Yet they seem happy with the grueling schedule. “We were up early today, but that’s how it goes,” they say. This Friday date at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time is sandwiched between Lisbon on Thursday and Bilbao, Spain, on Saturday. They will earn a lot of Air Miles between Iberia and Britain, and not much sleep.Wolf Alice, for those who are not aware, has been described as one of the most promising rock bands in the world. This is a case where you might believe the hype. Singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie, both in their 20s, started with open-mic sessions in London. (The “Fluffy” video jokes at their story, also satirizing animal-loving vloggers with acoustic guitars.) After a few changes, they added bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey, and the sound exploded.It’s 2.30 p.m. and Joff Oddie, sporting a white Fred Perry polo shirt, could be relaxing before heading off to play at Wimbledon — now that he has recovered from injury. He suffered a nasty cut while thrashing his guitar during the frenzy of “Lisbon” at Glastonbury in June; we watched in pained disbelief as Oddie continued to play with his fretboard covered in blood. He shows the finger is well-healed and insists: “It’s ok, it was not as bad as it looked!” By 5.15 p.m., he is a changed man in a stripy t-shirt, energized as Wolf Alice power through a 45-minute set with the stamina of a quartet of Duracell Bunnies. Oddie attacks his Fender Jaguar guitar with enthusiasm. As the show comes to an end with the song “Giant Peach,” he throws the guitar in the air and then holds it close to the speakers to get maximum feedback, which lasts long after the group leaves the stage.Theo Ellis is lively and opinionated for the interview. He keeps his “Winslow Wrestling” tee-shirt for the later show, with his tattoos and bleach-blond hair completing the look as he sways with his bass. Joel Amey has his rock-star long hair and shades look coming along nicely too, politely offering thanks to those who have supported the band. He also transforms onstage, attacking his drum kit with all the enthusiasm of a young Keith Moon.For our chat, Rowsell, in a t-shirt and torn jeans, sits quietly on a bench and lets the others do the talking at first. Whatever extra pressure there is on this female-fronted band, Rowsell is relaxed, quietly spoken and thoughtful. Onstage, the apparently demure choirgirl just adds a denim jacket but transforms into a showbiz shaman – squealing and screaming into the microphone for the loud bits of “Fluffy,” and providing the crazy guitar on the end of “Moaning Lisa Smile.”Is the latter’s lyric autobiographical, one fan asked on Twitter: “She’s overachieving…it’s out of control.” In fact, Rowsell is quick to point out, the song is not about her. “It’s from one of the episodes of The Simpsons, not autobiographical at all – something quite well-known in Wolf Alice land.” The gig shows Wolf Alice achieving much without losing control or subtlety. The crowd sings along with many of the songs and Wolf Alice surely win a few more converts. Yes, the success has finally come fast – they say it is still sinking in – but they have been a band to watch since maybe 2012. The next question is whether they can really break America.The album was released a little over a year ago. Since then, it seems like they have turned into the hardest-working act in show business, playing shows every few days for months, including at major festivals such as BST. Their upcoming dates include a return to Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 29. Asked to name their favorite shows, they think of a few but are definitely pleased by the last Portugal gig and the apt performance of “Lisbon” there: “That was pretty special.”The group is winning acclaim for its concerts and is up for awards for best live act. Before the interview, an appeal via Twitter to fans for questions produced the same one from many: “When is Wolf Alice going to do a live album?” With the quality of some gigs, one would have thought it has come up. The four are surprised at the idea (“Wow,” says Amey), and then pleased. Ellis thinks about it and says it’s an interesting idea, one that he’s up for. They have a sound sometimes described as the love child of melodic rock, heavy metal, and grunge. The songs now come with some extra power and riffs. Oddie queries how they have changed, and Ellis says it’s just because they like to “give it all we’ve got.”Another question put from fans is when we might hear new songs. Wolf Alice has enough on its plate with the current gigs but has been working on ideas. In all likelihood, at the end of the tour – and a rest to recharge those batteries and enjoy themselves – they will get down to it, says Oddie. “We are making a start on it. Is that cryptic enough?” Perhaps more studio action next year, then.In the meantime, the band has a box set of “My Love Is Cool” out in August, including the original album in vinyl, a download code, the “Creature Songs” and “Blush” EPs, and a 10-track CD of B-sides and rarities.The late-afternoon set in Hyde Park seems a little too early in the rundown, before Alabama Shakes. While Wolf Alice makes a generous reference to the headliners Mumford & Sons shortly before ending, there must have been a fair few people who would like to have seen them still higher up in the running order. Surely in a few years’ time they will be headlining.
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