Olivia Wolf.

Olivia Wolf’s musical background connects folk, country and Americana with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Her grandfather founded the festival, where she attended performances during the 2000s by Gillian Welch, Ralph Stanley and Guy Clark. After his death, she joined the old-time bluegrass band he had formed. She later began writing her own songs and moved to Nashville.

Start with “Cosmic Appalachian Radio,” a song from Silver Rounds. Her official biography places that record within her response to bereavement and describes the writing of its follow-up as a shift toward her own future. The catalog gives listeners a way into both chapters of her songwriting.

The next album, Snake of Diamonds, is scheduled for January 22, 2027. Sean McConnell produced the record, and Justin Tocket engineered and mixed it. Its announced ten-song sequence includes “Fever Dream,” “Drag It Back,” “Faded” and “Galilee,” which features Buddy Miller.

Wolf’s account of the sessions describes a deliberately sparse approach. The musicians built rhythms from foot stomps, rings striking surfaces and loops instead of a conventional drum kit. Acoustic guitar, mandolin and open tunings also feature in the album’s recording story.