Jayli Wolf (born 23 November) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actress, and filmmaker. She began her music career in collaboration with Hayden Wolf under the name Once A Tree. As a solo artist, she broke out with her single and music video "Child of the Government", which made CBC Music's top 10 Canadian songs of 2021 and won Best Music Video at the Venice Short Film Awards.[1]

Jayli Wolf
Wolf in 2019
Background information
Born23 November
Creston, British Columbia, Canada
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2013–present
Member ofOnce A Tree

For her debut solo EP Wild Whisper,[2][3] Wolf was nominated for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2022.[4] She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the American Indian Film Festival for her performance in the film Run Woman Run (2021).

Early and personal life

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Wolf was born in Creston, British Columbia to a teen mother of Danish descent and raised in a trailer with her maternal family. She was told she was half-Mexican growing up, only to learn she was First Nations at the age of eight. Her father reached out to her with the discovery that he was unwittingly taken in the Sixties Scoop and had his ethnicity covered up on his adoption papers. He found his family in the Saulteau First Nation near Chetwynd.[5]

Wolf is bisexual. She grew up a Jehovah's Witness in what she has described as a Doomsday cult. She convinced her collaborator Hayden Wolf, whom she met online through mutual friends, to join her in leaving the religion. They married in 2012 and moved to Toronto together when Jayli won a songwriting contest. She dropped out of university to pursue a career in music. She has reconnected with her paternal family and indigenous heritage as an adult.[6][7]

Discography

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Title Details
Wild Whisper Released: 2021

Label: Studio 71

God Is an Endless Mirror Released: 2023

Label:

Singles

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Year Title Album
2013 "I Can't Remember"
2021 "Child of the Government" Wild Whisper
"Hush"[8][9]
"Lead Me"[10]
2023 "Holding On"
"Blood Orange"

Music videos

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Year Title Album
2021 "Child of the Government" Wild Whisper
"Hush"
"Would You Die"[11]
"Hell"
"Lead Me"

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2014 Being Angel Short film
2017 Ways to Water Girl Short film
2018 Level 16
2021 Run Woman Run Jess
2021 The Exchange Brenda

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2014–2016 Mohawk Girls Tulip Recurring role; 8 episodes
2015 Single Ladies Flight Attendant Episode: "Gone"
2016 Urban Native Girl 2 episodes
2018 rising Herself Documentary
2019 Burden of Truth Ashley 3 episodes
2020 Tribal Susan Episode: "The Road to Hell is Paved"
2020 Trickster Destiny 1 episode
2021 Y: The Last Man Laura / Athena 5 episodes
2023 Spirit Rangers Hedgehog Voice
Episode: "River Ruckus/Sailing Stones"[12]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2021 Venice Shorts Film Awards Best Music Video "Child of the Government" Won [13]
American Indian Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Run Woman Run Nominated [14]
2022 Juno Awards Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year Wild Whisper Nominated [15]

References

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  1. ^ "The top 100 Canadian songs of 2021". CBC Music. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Hot Streak: Jayli Wolf". Instrumental. 5 July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. ^ Leiber, Sarah Jae (2 April 2021). "Jayli Wolf Releases 'Child Of The Government'". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  4. ^ Jackson Weaver, "Charlotte Cardin, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber lead 2022 Juno Award nominees". CBC News, March 1, 2022.
  5. ^ Peters, Alexa (14 May 2021). "Jayli Wolf Reclaims Every Part of Herself on Forthcoming EP Wild Whisper". AudioFemme. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  6. ^ Weekes, Jabbari (6 August 2015). "Once A Tree Want to Save Your Soul". Vice. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  7. ^ Eckersley, Lorne (7 December 2017). "Creston grad and husband recognized by Rolling Stone as new performers of note". Creston Valley Advance. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  8. ^ Estrada, Sienna (18 May 2021). "Jayli Wolf soars in her new single, "Hush" [Video]". EarMilk. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Queer Indigenous artist Jayli Wolf refuses to be silent in new single "Hush"". Queer Forty. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  10. ^ Major, Michael (30 September 2021). "Jayli Wolf Releases Empowering New Single 'Lead Me'". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  11. ^ Valentine, Claire (18 June 2021). "Premiere: Jayli Wolf finds strength in vulnerability in "Would You Die" video". Nylon. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  12. ^ Joey Clift [@joeytainment] (May 3, 2023). "Spirit Rangers Season 2 comes out May 8th and we just announced a bunch of our voice cast!! It was so fun working with all of these Native and Indigenous superstars and I can't wait for ya'll to hear them in the new episodes! #SpiritRangers" (Tweet). Retrieved September 16, 2023 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Rosier, Lauren (5 April 2021). "Indigenous and queer artist, Jayli Wolf, drops new video "Child of the Government" out now". That Mag. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  14. ^ Schilling, Vincent (7 November 2021). "American Indian Film Festival: 126 films, 30 nominees, 6 winners". Indian Country Today. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Jayli Wolf risked it all to leave the past behind and find herself" by David Friend, The Hamilton Spectator (11 May 2022) Retrieved from ProQuest 2661851124
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