Wolf Parade

Biography

Wolf Parade is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Montreal, in 2003. The band consists of Spencer Krug (vocals, keyboards), Dan Boeckner (vocals, guitar) and Arlen Thompson (drums). During live performances, the band are currently joined by Arcade Fire's Tim Kingsbury on various instruments. Multi-instrumentalist Dante DeCaro and synth-player Hadji Bakara are both recurring former members of the band.
The band released five full-length albums – Apologies to the Queen Mary×Apologies to the Queen Mary27 September 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son2:542Modern World2:523Grounds for Divorce3:254We Built Another World3:155Fancy Claps2:516Same Ghost Every Night5:447Shine a Light3:478Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts3:399I’ll Believe in Anything4:3610It’s a Curse3:1211Dinner Bells7:3412This Heart’s on Fire3:5913Killing Armies2:5214Modern World (original)2:46 (2005), At Mount Zoomer×At Mount Zoomer17 June 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Soldier's Grin4:372Call It a Ritual2:453Language City5:024Bang Your Drum3:105California Dreamer6:016The Grey Estates3:267Fine Young Cannibals6:328An Animal in Your Care4:199Kissing the Beehive10:52 (2008) and Expo 86 (2010) – before taking a five-year hiatus in 2011. They announced their return in 2016, releasing a self-titled EP in May of that year, and a fourth studio album, Cry Cry Cry×Cry Cry Cry6 October 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Lazarus Online3:262You’re Dreaming3:393Valley Boy3:394Incantation4:235Flies on the Sun3:436Baby Blue6:007Weaponized6:408Who Are Ya3:449Am I an Alien Here3:3610Artificial Life3:4811King of Piss and Paper4:48, in October 2017. Their fifth studio album, Thin Mind×Thin Mind24 January 2020 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Under Glass3:212Julia Take Your Man Home4:353Forest Green5:044Out of Control4:205The Static Age3:586As Kind as You Can5:107Fall Into the Future3:128Wandering Son4:569Against the Day4:1210Town Square3:44, was released on January 24, 2020.

2003–2005: Formation and early work

Wolf Parade began in April 2003, when former Frog Eyes member Spencer Krug was offered a gig by Grenadine Records' Alex Megelas. With only a three-week deadline to form a band, Krug contacted a fellow Canadian guitarist Dan Boeckner (formerly of British Columbia band Atlas Strategic) and began writing songs in Krug's apartment. Initially using a drum machine for their rhythm section played through computer speakers, Krug later invited Arlen Thompson to the lineup as the drummer; however, the newly formed trio rehearsed as a full band only the day before their first show. During the tour, Wolf Parade recorded and released their self-titled debut EP (also known as their 4 Song EP).
In September 2003, Hadji Bakara joined Wolf Parade, contributing his synthesizer and sound manipulation skills to the lineup. By the summer of 2004 the band released its second independent, self-titled EP, commonly referred to as the 6 Song EP.
In September 2004, the band traveled to Portland, Oregon to record with Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock. Brock had recently signed the band to Sub Pop when he was an A&R man for the label at the time. He had known Dan Boeckner from his days in Atlas Strategic, who had toured with Modest Mouse and were offered a Sub Pop signing just before the band split up. Wolf Parade spent two and a half weeks working 14-hour days in Portland. After some remixing, the band returned to Montreal to finish recording. The album was scheduled for a May release, but then pushed back. On its new record label, the band released its first widely distributed EP, Wolf Parade, in July 2005.

2005–2008: Apologies to the Queen Mary and At Mount Zoomer

In September 2005, the band's debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary×Apologies to the Queen Mary27 September 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son2:542Modern World2:523Grounds for Divorce3:254We Built Another World3:155Fancy Claps2:516Same Ghost Every Night5:447Shine a Light3:478Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts3:399I’ll Believe in Anything4:3610It’s a Curse3:1211Dinner Bells7:3412This Heart’s on Fire3:5913Killing Armies2:5214Modern World (original)2:46 was released on Sub Pop Records to critical acclaim, earning a 2006 Polaris Music Prize nomination.
Dante DeCaro (formerly of Hot Hot Heat) joined sometime in 2005 as a second guitarist and percussionist. In 2008, an arrangement by Kenji Fusé of the Wolf Parade song "I'll Believe in Anything" for full symphony orchestra received a reading by the Victoria Symphony.
The band's second album, At Mount Zoomer×At Mount Zoomer17 June 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Soldier's Grin4:372Call It a Ritual2:453Language City5:024Bang Your Drum3:105California Dreamer6:016The Grey Estates3:267Fine Young Cannibals6:328An Animal in Your Care4:199Kissing the Beehive10:52, followed in June 2008. An on-stage announcement in November 2008 that Dante DeCaro would no longer be playing with the band was later revealed to have been a joke. Hadji Bakara left the band in 2008 to pursue an academic career in literature.

2009–2015: Expo 86 and indefinite hiatus

Wolf Parade reconvened in November 2009 to begin work on their third album, Expo 86×Expo 8628 June 2010 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Cloud Shadow on the Mountain4:212Palm Road4:413What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)5:424Little Golden Age5:005In the Direction of the Moon5:466Ghost Pressure5:167Pobody's Nerfect5:498Two Men in New Tuxedos3:099Oh You, Old Thing5:4610Yulia3:4611Cave-o-Sapien6:18. In an interview with Exclaim! magazine, Dan Boeckner stated that the album may be released as a double album or as an LP and an EP, given the sheer number of quality songs to come out of the sessions. The five members realized they had all been at Vancouver's World Fair in the same week when they were kids, which is how the album got its name. The album was produced by Howard Bilerman and was released in the United States on June 29, 2010.
In 2010, the song "Shine a Light" from Apologies to the Queen Mary appeared in the "Criminal Minds" episode "The Fight".
Wolf Parade kicked off their 2010 North American tour in Montreal. Following the tour, the band announced it would go on indefinite hiatus after playing a small number of shows in 2011, including the Sasquatch! Music Festival.

2016–2019: Reunion, Cry Cry Cry and DeCaro's departure

On January 14, 2016, Wolf Parade updated their website adding "2016" and launched new Twitter and Instagram pages, indicating the band's return from hiatus. The following day, they announced a series of concert dates for later that year, and that they had been working on new music. On October 6, 2017, the band released their fourth album titled Cry Cry Cry×Cry Cry Cry6 October 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Lazarus Online3:262You’re Dreaming3:393Valley Boy3:394Incantation4:235Flies on the Sun3:436Baby Blue6:007Weaponized6:408Who Are Ya3:449Am I an Alien Here3:3610Artificial Life3:4811King of Piss and Paper4:48.
On February 4, 2019, Wolf Parade announced that Dante DeCaro had decided to leave the band and that they would carry on touring and composing as a trio.

2020–2024: Thin Mind and Bakara's return

Wolf Parade released their fifth studio album, Thin Mind×Thin Mind24 January 2020 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Under Glass3:212Julia Take Your Man Home4:353Forest Green5:044Out of Control4:205The Static Age3:586As Kind as You Can5:107Fall Into the Future3:128Wandering Son4:569Against the Day4:1210Town Square3:44, on January 24, 2020. The album was their first to be released as a three-piece.
In April 2022, the band announced a series of shows where they would perform Apologies to the Queen Mary in its entirety. The band also confirmed that Bakara would return for the tour, marking his first shows with Wolf Parade in fourteen years. Bakara departed from the band again following the tour's completion.
Throughout 2022 and 2025, Boeckner toured with Arcade Fire as a session musician and contributed to the recording process of the band's seventh studio album, Pink Elephant (2025). In 2022, Spencer Krug reunited his art rock band Sunset Rubdown after a thirteen year hiatus. The band recorded and released their fifth studio album, Always Happy to Explode, in 2024.

2025–present: Renewed success

In March 2025, the band embarked on a short seven-date Canadian tour, with Arcade Fire's Tim Kingsbury joining the core three-piece of Krug, Boeckner and Thompson. Kingsbury had previously contributed to the recording of the band's debut album, Apologies to the Queen Mary×Apologies to the Queen Mary27 September 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son2:542Modern World2:523Grounds for Divorce3:254We Built Another World3:155Fancy Claps2:516Same Ghost Every Night5:447Shine a Light3:478Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts3:399I’ll Believe in Anything4:3610It’s a Curse3:1211Dinner Bells7:3412This Heart’s on Fire3:5913Killing Armies2:5214Modern World (original)2:46 (2005), and had briefly toured with the band in 2005.
In December 2025, Wolf Parade's song "I'll Believe in Anything" went viral for its use in an episode of the same name of the Crave TV hockey romance Heated Rivalry. The episode, the fifth of season one of the series, aired on December 19, 2025, and by December 27, plays on Spotify were reported to have increased by 2658%. The song's continued success resulted in it peaking at number four on Billboard’s Alternative Digital Song Sales chart and at number seven on Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales.
Reflecting on the band's continued success in 2026, Boeckner stated: "As a musician, I don’t think there’s anything better you can ask for, really, than to have like a moment in the zeitgeist but also a moment that reinforces the value of your career. It’s really interesting to see what [other songs] people have grabbed onto. "Fine Young Cannibals" is, I think, our second most-streamed track, and we put it back in the setlist, and people were going bananas."
On May 15 2026, Spencer Krug released his third solo album, Same Fangs, which will be accompanied by a solo piano tour. As of 2026, Wolf Parade are currently recording new material between tours.

Members

Current members

Spencer Krug – vocals, keyboards, synthesizers (2003–2011, 2016–present)
Dan Boeckner – vocals, guitar (2003–2011, 2016–present)
Arlen Thompson – drums (2003–2011, 2016–present)
Current touring members

Tim Kingsbury – bass guitar, guitar, synthesizers (2005; 2025–present)
Former members

Dante DeCaro - bass guitar, guitar, percussion, keyboards (2005–2011, 2016–2019)
Hadji Bakara – synthesizers (2003–2008, 2022)

Other projects

Wolf Parade has been referred to as a "supergroup in reverse", as the members have achieved success with numerous projects formed after Wolf Parade. Additionally, Dante DeCaro's previous band Hot Hot Heat had received acclaim for their first album, Make Up the Breakdown, prior to his departure. Below is a partial list of the members' other projects:

Spencer Krug releases solo music under the name of Moonface and is the lead singer of the rock band Sunset Rubdown. He was previously in Frog Eyes, Fifths of Seven, and Swan Lake. Beginning in 2021, Krug began recording albums under his own name and on his own label Pronounced Kroog. As of June 2022, he has released two albums in this manner: Fading Graffiti and Twenty Twenty Twenty Twenty One.
Arlen Thompson played drums on the Arcade Fire song "Wake Up". He also helped produce both Handsome Furs albums at his Mount Zoomer recording studio in Montreal. He is a member of the side project formerly known as Treasure Hunt, whose name was changed to avoid confusion with the moniker of experimental musician Myles Byrne-Dunhill.
Dan Boeckner was formerly a member of the indie rock duo Handsome Furs which he formed with his now ex-wife, Alexei Perry. Before joining Wolf Parade, Boeckner played in Atlas Strategic. He would go on to play in the bands Divine Fits and Operators. In 2022, Boeckner joined Arcade Fire in a session capacity, touring with the band in support of the band's sixth studio album, WE, and contributed to the recording process of their seventh album, Pink Elephant (2025).
Dante DeCaro fronts a project called Johnny and the Moon. Prior to Wolf Parade, DeCaro played in Hot Hot Heat.
Hadji Bakara is a member of the synth-bass-dance-rap production team Megasoid, along with Speakerbruiser Rob, formerly Sixtoo. He also helped with treatments on "Black Mirror", "Neon Bible" and "My Body Is a Cage" off Arcade Fire's album Neon Bible.

EPs

Wolf Parade (2003) Self-released
Wolf Parade (2004) Self-released
Wolf Parade (2005) Sub Pop
Wolf Parade (2016) Self-released

Other singles

"Modern World" (2006, Sub Pop)
"Shine a Light" (2006, Sub Pop)
"Call it a Ritual" (2008, Sub Pop)
"Language City×Language City2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Language City4:50" (2008, Sub Pop)
"Semi-Precious Stone×Semi-Precious Stone2 November 2010 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Semi-Precious Stone5:502Agents of Love4:21" / "Agents of Love" (2010, Sub Pop)
"Valley Boy×Valley Boy20 July 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Valley Boy3:39" (2017, Sub Pop)
"You're Dreaming" (2017, Sub Pop)
"King of Piss and Paper" (2017, Sub Pop)
"Against the Day×Against the Day16 October 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Against the Day4:13" (2019, Sub Pop)
"Forest Green×Forest Green11 November 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Forest Green5:04" (2019, Sub Pop)
"Julia Take Your Man Home×Julia Take Your Man Home8 January 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Julia Take Your Man Home4:35" (2020, Sub Pop)

Compilation appearances

"Claxxon's Lament" on The Believer 2005 Music Issue CD