Jack Stratton | |
|---|---|
.jpg/1280px-Jack_Stratton_looks_away_from_a_keyboard_(cropped).jpg) Stratton in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Vulfmon |
| Born | c. 1987 (age 38–39) Cleveland Heights, Ohio |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | Vulf Records |
| Member of |
|
| Formerly of |
|
.jpg){kind=link}
Jack Stratton (born c. 1987), also known by the mononym Vulfmon, is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and video producer based in Los Angeles. He is best known as the founder and bandleader of the funk band Vulfpeck. He released his first full-length album, Here We Go Jack, in 2022 and has since released three additional albums.
Early life
Stratton grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and started on drums at an early age. Growing up, he played in his high school band and in his father's klezmer band.[1][2] He studied performing arts technology at the University of Michigan.[3][a] While in college he formed a band called Groove Spoon.[5] The band released an EP titled Live From the Dude in 2010.[6] Early on, Stratton released several short comic-music skits. In these he performs as the fictional characters Mushy Krongold, Craigs Stewarts, and DJ Bean Ornish.[7][8][9]
Career
In 2011, Stratton founded Vulfpeck. The band has released six studio albums and four extended plays. Stratton does most of the band's management and production.[2][10] He first adopted the persona of Vulfmon, an old-school German record producer, to promote a Kickstarter project for the band's first vinyl record.[8] As the band's producer, he experimented with audio compressors and helped develop the Vulf Compressor audio plug-in in collaboration with Goodhertz Inc.[3][11][12]
In 2014, Vulfpeck released Sleepify, a silent album on Spotify. Royalties from the album (which had no audible sound) financed an admission-free tour and attracted international media coverage.[13][14] In 2019, the band headlined a sold out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[10]
In 2020, Stratton performed a publicity stunt and fundraiser for Vulfpeck by auctioning the "real estate" of track 10 on Vulfpeck's album The Joy of Music, The Job of Real Estate.[15] The rights to publish on track 10 were sold to the New York-based band Earthquake Lights. A portion of the proceeds were donated to public schools through the DonorsChoose organization.[16][17]
Stratton conceived the instrumental band The Fearless Flyers, which was formed in 2018 with Stratton as producer. He produced the band's music through 2024.[18][19] In 2023, he released a live album of klezmer music with the three-piece band Yiddishe Pirat consisting of Michael Winograd on clarinet, Josh Dolgin on piano, and Stratton on drums.[20]
In 2022, Stratton released his first solo album, titled Here We Go Jack, under his mononym Vulfmon. He has since released three more albums, titled Vulfnik, Dot, and Deg.[21] On streaming services, he categorizes his solo albums as pop and R&B/soul.[b] The albums feature contributions by Louis Cato, Jacob Jeffries, Evangeline, Harrison Whitford, Monica Martin, David T. Walker, Drew Taubenfeld, Mike Viola, Antwaun Stanley, Rich Hinman and others.[c] Stratton's music has been featured on Radio Milwaukee and on David Byrne Radio playlists.[22][23]
Influences
Stratton has named Bernard Purdie, The Meters, The Jackson 5, and Mickey Katz as musical influences, among others. Doug Lussenhop is an inspiration for Stratton's video editing, along with Mel Brooks and Woody Allen.[1][2][10][24]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Here We Go Jack |
|
| Vulfnik |
|
| Dot |
|
| Deg |
|
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Interstitials I |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Album/EP |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "How Much Do You Love Me?" (with Jacob Jeffries) | Here We Go Jack |
| "Boogie Man" (featuring Mason Stoops & Tyler Nuffer) | ||
| "Alone Again, Naturally" (featuring Monica Martin) | ||
| "Contrapunctus I" (featuring Michael Winograd) | ||
| "Take Me to a Higher Place" | ||
| "Never Can Say Goodbye" (featuring David T. Walker & Solomon Dorsey) | ||
| "Let's Go! Let's Go!" (featuring Mike Viola) | ||
| "Bach Pedal" (featuring Rich Hinman) | ||
| "Here We Go Jack" | ||
| "Rutgers" | ||
| 2023 | "I Can't Party" | Vulfnik |
| "Ucla" (with Louie Zong) | ||
| "Bonnie Wait" | ||
| "Harpejji I" | ||
| "James Jamerson Used One Finger" | ||
| "Lord Will Make a Way" (with Antwaun Stanley, written by Thomas Dorsey) | ||
| "Harry's Theme (Lite Pullman)" (with Harrison Whitford) | ||
| "Nice to You" (with Jacob Jeffries) | ||
| "Blue" (with Jacob Jeffries) | ||
| "How Much Do You Love Me" (with Jacob Jeffries, remix by Ellis) | ||
| "Too Hot in L.A." (with Woody Goss and Jeremy Daly) | Dot | |
| "Surfer Girl" (with Drew Taubenfeld) | ||
| 2024 | "Letting Things Go" (with Evangeline) | |
| "Little Thunder" (with Jacob Jeffries and Harrison Whitford) | ||
| "Tokyo Night" (with Jacob Jeffries and Evangeline) | ||
| "It Feels Good to Write a Song" (with Antwaun Stanley and Jacob Jeffries) | ||
| "Got To Be Mine" (with Evangeline) | ||
| "Disco Snails" (with Zachary Barker) | ||
| "Hit the Target" (featuring Eddie Barbash) | ||
| "It Might Have To Be You" (with Evangeline) | Deg | |
| "Gloves Off" (with Tyler Ballgame) | ||
| 2025 | "Dawn" (with Jacob Jeffries and Harrison Whitford) | |
| "Big Boy 4014" (with Harrison Whitford) | ||
| "Valk" | ||
| "Chicago Summer" (with Evangeline) | ||
| "Rutgers II" (with Louis Cato) | ||
| "Merengue alla Turca (Mozart Rondo)" (with Andy Arthur Smith) | ||
| "Banc de poissons" (with Jacob Jeffries) | ||
| "I Finally Feel Funky (ポケトだけ)" (with glitter party) |
Notes
- ^ "All of us went to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I studied recording engineering and drums."[4]
- ^ Namely on the Apple Music streaming service
- ^ Contributors as listed on official Vulfmon music video descriptions on Vulf Records YouTube channel
References
- ^ a b Leo Sidran (November 8, 2017). "The Third Story Podcast – Episode 86: Jack Stratton (Vulfpeck)" (Podcast). third-story.com. Event occurs at 8:15–9:30, 11:45–13:30, 17:50–18:50. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c Danny Hazan (May 18, 2015). "Can't Fake the Funk". medium.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ a b Andrew Lapin (Summer 2017). "No Label, No Problem". Alumni Association of the University of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 26, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ^ Gert-Jan Hox (September 19, 2017). "Interview with Vulfpeck's Jack Stratton (transl. from Jazzism)". Jazzism magazine. No. May–June 2017. Translated by Robert-Jon Eckhardt. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2025 – via medium.com.
- ^ Addie Shrodes (April 6, 2010). "The hyper-talented 10-piece Groove Spoon rocks the 'U'". The Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Live From the Dude (11.8.09) by Groove Spoon". bandcamp.com. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Vulfpeck keeps the funk on its own terms". columbiachronicle.com. February 15, 2016. Archived from the original on May 18, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ a b Runyon, Nicholas (October 23, 2020). "Vulfpeck: The Best Comedy Band That Isn't A Comedy Band". The Daily Fandom. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ^ Personas:
- "Vulf Channel on YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- "Apple Music: DJ Bean Ornish". Apple Music. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ a b c Josh Fischel (October 16, 2024). "An Interview with Jack Stratton". The Believer. No. 147. Archived from the original on November 19, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ "The Vulfpeck Sound: Jack Stratton Explains the Story of Vulf Compressor and the Boss Dr. Sample SP-303". Zumic. November 9, 2015. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Vulf Compressor — by Goodhertz, Inc". Goodhertz. Archived from the original on May 22, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ Tim Jonze (July 25, 2014). "Vulfpeck ... the band who made $20,000 from their 'silent' Spotify album". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ Jared Newman (May 7, 2014). "Silent Album Games Spotify to the Tune of $20,000". Time. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ Cerys Kenneally (August 10, 2020). "Vulfpeck are selling track 10 from their upcoming album on eBay". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on September 29, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ Nathan Zeller (September 14, 2021). "Is The Joy of Music, The Job of Real Estate Vulfpeck's Undoing?". analogplanet.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ Scott Bernstein (September 8, 2020). "Vulfpeck Contributes 'Track 10' Proceeds To 'DonorsChoose' Campaigns". jambase.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ Jake May (October 11, 2022). "Swing Time: The Fearless Flyers". Relix. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ Andrew O'Brien (February 26, 2024). "How The Fearless Flyers Found Creativity In Specificity". liveforlivemusic.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ Jake Wasserman (March 15, 2023). "They're your cool friend's favorite funk band. Their frontman released a klezmer album". The Forward. Archived from the original on July 10, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Apple Music: Vulfmon". Apple Music. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ Erin Wolf (November 25, 2024). "Best new music: Vulfmon & Evangeline pack their talent into another tune". Radio Milwaukee. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ^ "David Byrne Radio Presents: Who Needs Words?". DavidByrne.com. February 1, 2024. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
- ^ Tim Heidecker (August 27, 2020). "Episode125. Jack Stratton, Rodney Dillard ..." (Podcast). Office Hours Live Podcast. Event occurs at 1:15:30–1:17:00. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
External links
- Vulf's channel on YouTube
