Remi Wolf Interview

Clad in baggy jorts that skim the top of buckled cowboy boots, a diamante encrusted cap of the Y2K variety, and a mane of artfully dishevelled curls, Remi Wolf is the picture of pop stardom. But while she wouldn’t look out of place on stage – performing to a sold-out London O2 arena just a couple of hours after we met, to be exact – Wolf seemed equally at ease in the Mob studio, where she effortlessly weaved around the usual barrage of recipe testing and shooting to create her own dish, a Spiced Sausage Pasta.

Wolf strikes me as someone who seems to be good at most things. First and foremost, her music skillfully combines elements of pop, disco, and funk, with pop culture-littered lyrics – ‘Billy Bob and Angelina/Get my milk from Altadena’ anyone? – to create something entirely unique. This genre-bending fusion works perfectly with Wolf’s signature powerhouse vocals, which oscillate between stretching the boundaries of pop and delivering a chorus that will stay in your head for approximately three working days. And she hasn’t gone unnoticed; Wolf remains booked and busy, from supporting Olivia Rodrigo on the ‘GUTS’ worldwide tour to the announcement of her highly anticipated new album ‘Big Ideas’.

To top this all off, Wolf used to be an Olympic-level competitive skier. Yes, really. So it was hardly surprising to learn she is also an avid cook, having learnt the tricks of the trade from her mother, a professional chef back in California. Music, skiing, and cooking aren’t exactly a common triple threat, but there’s no denying that Wolf is one.

We managed to get her into the Mob studio to talk cooking, food on tour, and what she thinks of British food (spoiler: she likes it).

Hi Remi! Can you describe what you have been cooking today?

Sure. I have made a vaguely spicy Italian sausage and cream of tomato spaghetti.

Sounds delicious. Would you say that cooking is something you’re passionate about?

Yeah, I love cooking. It’s probably, like, my second or third favourite creative activity. My mom is a chef so I’ve kind of been cooking my whole life. My family has a big background in owning restaurants and stuff so I’m pretty good at it, I’d say, or at least I’d like to think I’m good at it. My friends tell me that my food tastes good anyway, and I cook for them pretty often when I’m at home.

What’s your favourite thing to cook at home?

My go-to is probably some kind of pasta or soup. I like them because they’re pretty versatile and you can kind of do anything with them, they’re almost like a blank slate so you can get really creative with them. And then if I’m doing something really simple I’ll just make toast with some canned tuna or something. I’m a big fan of tinned fish, I think it might be because they go so hard with the packaging.

Your music is quirky, eclectic, and most importantly fun – would you say that it’s also important to have fun in the kitchen when cooking?

Yeah, I try to be as free and as fun as I can in both my cooking and music-making. I can also be incredibly serious as I take music very seriously and the same applies to my cooking, which is just ingrained in my DNA and my personality, I think. The primary crossover is that I love to have the freedom to explore and express myself in both the kitchen and the studio, and I do think it’s important to have fun with it when I can. It’s about striking a balance, I guess.

Your music career seems to have blown up in the past couple of years. Have you noticed a difference in the things you cook or the food you eat in recent years?

I think it's changed in the sense that I can buy quality ingredients instead of relying on pre-packaged stuff. But I think that the way I cook is the same, I still approach it in the same way and I still like the same flavours. I’ve been to more countries now and I think I have way more food and flavour knowledge now than I had before I got the opportunity to travel which has been really cool. I’ve tried a bunch more food and gone to some really incredible restaurants and that’s been fun, but I think at the end of the day I’m such a lover of Californian cooking that I’m happy buying good quality ingredients and eating relatively clean. I just love that Californian fresh vibe.

Can you find good Mexican food in California?

In LA, yes. I personally think the best food you can get in LA is a burrito from a taco stand on the corner, of which there are loads, and they’re all just absolutely delicious, like some of the best food you will ever eat in your life. The first time I had a burrito from one of the taco stands in LA triggered a chemical change within me, honestly.

Have you found British food to be a bit of a shock to the system then?

Actually, not really no! I mean, every time I come to London, at least, I find myself eating really good food. I love fish and chips, I love a Yorkshire pudding, I love a roast – honestly, a roast is one of the biggest comfort foods there is. But I would definitely stay away from Mexican food in the UK – I mean, I wouldn’t even try Mexican food in New York, to be honest. We’re way too spoiled in California!

I think that’s probably for the best. Have you tried anything during your tour that’s stuck with you?

Spitalfields in Dublin was really good. It was elevated pub food and it was just really, really delicious. And then in London, last night we went to The Smoking Goat in Shoreditch for Thai food which was delicious. I feel like every Brit I say this to is always rolling their eyes, but I love Dishoom. I got the black dal, obviously, the garlic naan, the broccoli salad thing… I mean it’s so good, I don’t know why you guys are such haters! My guitar player is from here too and every time I mention it he’s like ‘Oh my god, shut up’. But I stand by it.

Do you have a go-to meal or snack for when you’re touring?

A banana. Sometimes I have to eat for fuel and not pleasure – that, for me, is a banana and a granola bar. I hated every second of it but I have to do it. I don’t like eating a heavy meal before I go on stage so a lot of the time I’ll just go for a granola bar and a banana. I can feel a bit puke-ish before a show so I always have to make sure that I eat a good while before I’m up there.

Do you have any exciting projects coming up that you could tell us about?

I’m releasing an album called ‘Big Ideas’ on July 12th this year which is really exciting. I have this tour that I’m doing right now with Olivia Rodrigo and then I’m going on tour in the US in September. So yeah, lots of touring, lots of album-ing.

'Big Ideas' is out now. Check out Remi’s dish here and see what she got up to in the studio.