The band began in 2010, initially as a solo project of Ellie Rowsell, with the name taken from a short story by Angela Carter. She was joined by guitarist Joff Oddie and later by Joel Amey and Theo Ellis. They released a self-titled EP, Wolf Alice in 2012 as well as a single called "Leaving You" which gained airplay from BBC Radio 1 and featured in NME's 'Radar' section.
They then toured with Peace, recorded a session for Huw Stephens' Radio 1 show in January, and released their first physical single "Fluffy" in February 2013 on the Chess Club label. Their second single "Bros", released in May, is about friendship and is one of the first songs Rowsell wrote and the band usually played it during their early stages.
2017–2020: Visions of a Life, Mercury Prize Win
In June 2017, Wolf Alice released the lead single "Yuk Foo" off their second studio album, Visions of a Life. They released three more singles, "Don't Delete the Kisses", "Beautifully Unconventional", and "Heavenward", before the release of their album on 28 September. In 2018, they also released "Formidable Cool", "Sadboy" and "Space & Time" as singles from the album.
In September 2018, the band won the Mercury Prize for their album Visions of a Life
2021–present: Blue Weekend
On 15 February 2021, the band's website was updated to show a looping video of an eye, with the heading "The Last Man on Earth". On 22 February 2021, the band announced that their single "The Last Man on Earth" would be released on 24 February 2021, and would debut on Annie Mac's show on BBC Radio 1. The release of the single was backed by the announcement of their third studio album, Blue Weekend, which was released on 4 June 2021. The second single from the album, "Smile", was released on 20 April 2021.
Blue Weekend received widespread critical acclaim, and was nominated for the 2021 Mercury Prize. On release, music publication The Forty-Five called Blue Weekend "a ballsy idyll of feeling: the sound of a band satisfying themselves rather than proving themselves, and completely filling the space they’ve carved out over the years."
Wolf Alice won the 2022 Brit Award for Group of the Year.
On October 29th 2021, the band released Blue Weekend: Tour Deluxe which includes four live versions of tracks from the album ('Smile', 'How Can I Make it OK', 'Safe From Heartbreak', and 'The Last Man on Earth') as well as a live cover of 'Bobby' by Alex G.
On 5 May 2022, the band released a lullaby version of "The Last Man on Earth" as a single and announced Blue Lullaby, an EP featuring reworked lullaby versions of five tracks from Blue Weekend, which was subsequently released on 24 June 2022. During the summer of 2022, the band played 17 shows supporting Harry Styles' Love On Tour, the first date in Hamburg on the 26th of June and the last show in Lisbon on the 31st of July.
Official site
Turn To Dust
Wolf Alice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make sure I don't turn to dust
If fear is in the mind, then my mind lives in fear
As deep in this voice as the dirty British sea
Keep your beady eyes on me
To make sure I don't turn to dust
Then paths where I can skip
And a path to thread lightly with the clouds beneath my feet
(Ooh)
(Ooh)
When the light creeps from the blinds
I dance in Heaven
It's just old passing time
It rains dead weather, oh
(Ooh)
(Ooh)
(Ooh)
Keep your beady eyes on me
To make sure I don't turn to dust
In Wolf Alice's song Turn To Dust, the lyrics portray feelings of fear and insecurity that the singer has. The repetition of "keep your beady eyes on me" emphasizes the idea that the singer is seeking assurance from someone else, possibly a lover or a friend. The fear of "turning to dust" suggests the singer's fear of losing themselves or losing their identity. The line "if fear is in the mind, then my mind lives in fear" further emphasizes the singer's anxiety and their struggle with their own thoughts.
The second stanza shifts to a more positive note, suggesting there are different paths that the singer can take. There are paths that make the heart beat and ones where the singer can skip. The last line of the stanza suggests a path where the singer can "thread lightly with the clouds beneath my feet," which could represent a sense of weightlessness and freedom. The lines "when the light creeps from the blinds, I dance in Heaven" could be interpreted as the singer finding solace in moments of joy despite their struggles with fear and anxiety.
Overall, the song uses vivid imagery and repetition to convey the emotions of fear, anxiety, and hope. The lyrics are powerful and relatable, and the melancholy tone of the song adds to the emotional impact of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep your beady eyes on me
Please, keep watching me closely to ensure that I don't lose myself in everything around me.
To make sure I don't turn to dust
By paying attention to me, make sure I don't disappear or fail to live up to my potential.
If fear is in the mind, then my mind lives in fear
Since fear is a mental state, and it's always in my head, it's like my brain is constantly stuck in fear-mode.
As deep in this voice as the dirty British sea
The sound of my voice is like a reflection of how murky and gloomy the British sea can be.
There's paths to make the heart beat
There are different strategies to make a person feel alive and excited.
Then paths where I can skip
There are options for me to take a lighthearted, joyful approach instead of always being so serious.
And a path to thread lightly with the clouds beneath my feet
I can also choose to take a peaceful or serene path, where I feel weightless, even like I'm walking on clouds.
(Ooh)
This is a nonverbal sound, used to convey emotion or add emphasis to the preceding line.
When the light creeps from the blinds
At daybreak or when the sun begins to shine, there is a sliver of light that peeks through the window blinds.
I dance in Heaven
At this moment, I feel unbridled happiness and joy, as though I'm dancing in heaven.
It's just old passing time
However, this is just a temporary distraction from the passage of time and the inevitability of death.
It rains dead weather, oh
The weather is dreary or depressing, like it's raining something that's already dead.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ellen Ciara Rowsell, Joel Donald Scott Amey, Jonathan David Oddie, Theodore Joseph Ellis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind