Jack Stratton (musician)
Jack Stratton | |
|---|---|
 Performing with Vulfpeck at the Crystal Ballroom in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Vulfmon, Mushy Krongold |
| Born | c. 1987 (age 37–38) Cleveland Heights, Ohio |
| Genres | Nu-funk |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Vulf Records |
| Member of |
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| Formerly of |
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Jack Stratton (born c. 1987), also known by the mononym Vulfmon, is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and video producer. He is a founding member, bandleader, and producer of the funk/soul band Vulfpeck. He released his first full-length album, Here We Go Jack, in 2022 and has since released two additional albums.[1][2][3]
Career
Stratton grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and started on drums at an early age. His father, Bert Stratton, plays clarinet in the Klezmer band Yiddishe Cup and Stratton filled the role of drum player.[4] He attended The University of Michigan for recording engineering and drums where he formed Groove Spoon in 2009.[4][5]
Stratton does most of Vulfpeck's management and production.[6] He has been fooling around with audio compressors since the earliest days of the band.[7]
He is also known for side projects within the Vulf Records label such as The Fearless Flyers[8] and Vulf Compressor[9]. Alongside these projects, Stratton has executed many publicity stunts including Sleepify, which gained national notoriety to promote Vulfpeck's completely free 2015 tour[10][11].
In 2020 he performed a publicity stunt and fundraiser for Vulfpeck by auctioning the "real estate" of track 10 on their album The Joy of Music, The Job of Real Estate on eBay.[12] It sold for $70,100 to the band Earthquake Lights (band).[13] A portion of the proceeds were given to DonorsChoose campaigns.[14]
Stratton first adopted the persona of Vulfmon, an old-school German record producer, for the band's Kickstarter project to release its music on vinyl.[15] In 2023, Stratton released a funk track featuring the Harpejji, a cross between a piano and a guitar.[16] In 2024, "Harry’s Theme (Lite Pullman)" was featured on a list of David Byrne's favorite instrumental songs.[17]
Stratton has released several collaborations with singer Evangeline, including "It Might Have To Be You," featured on Radio Milwaukee's best new music show.[18]
Influences
Stratton has named Bernard Purdie, the Meters, The Jackson 5, and Mickey Katz as musical influences, among others.[2] Doug Lussenhop is an inspiration for Stratton's video editing, along with Mel Brooks and Woody Allen.[4]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Here We Go Jack |
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| Vulfnik |
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| Dot |
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| Deg |
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Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Interstitials I |
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Singles
| Year | Title | Album/EP |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "How Much Do You Love Me?" (with Jacob Jeffries) | Here We Go Jack |
| "Boogie Man" (featuring Mason Stoops & Tyler Nuffer) | ||
| "Alone Again, Naturally" (featuring[Monica Martin) | ||
| "Contrapunctus I" (featuring Michael Winograd) | ||
| "Take Me To A Higher Place" | ||
| "Never Can Say Goodbye" (featuring David T. Walker & Solomon Dorsey) | ||
| "Bach Pedal" (featuring Rich Hinman) | ||
| "Here We Go Jack" | ||
| 2023 | "I Can't Party" | Vulfnik |
| "Ucla" (with Louie Zong) | ||
| "Bonnie Wait" | ||
| "Harpejji I" | ||
| "James Jamerson Used One Finger" | ||
| "Lord Will Make A Way" (with Antwaun Stanley, written by Thomas Dorsey) | ||
| "Harry's Theme (Lite Pullman)" (with Harrison Whitford) | ||
| "Nice To You" (with Jacob Jeffries) | ||
| "Blue" (with Jacob Jeffries) | ||
| "How Much Do You Love Me" (with Jacob Jeffries) | ||
| "Too Hot In L.A." (with Woody Goss and Jeremy Daly) | Dot | |
| "Surfer Girl" (with Drew Taubenfeld) | ||
| 2024 | "Letting Things Go" (with Evangeline) | |
| "Little Thunder" (with Jacob Jeffries and Harrison Whitford) | ||
| "Tokyo Night" (with Jacob Jeffries and Evangeline) | ||
| "It Feels Good To Write A Song" (with Antwaun Stanley and Jacob Jeffries) | ||
| "Got To Be Mine" (with Evangeline) | ||
| "Disco Snails" (with Zachary Barker) | ||
| "Hit The Target" (featuring Eddie Barbash) | ||
| "It Might Have To Be You" (with Evangeline) | Deg (Expected) | |
| "Gloves Off" (with Tyler Ballgame) | ||
| 2025 | "Dawn" (with Jacob Jeffries and Harrison Whitford) | |
| "Big Boy 4014" (with Harrison Whitford) | ||
| "Valk" | ||
| "Chicago Summer" (with Evangeline) | ||
| "Rutgers II" (with Louis Cato) |
References
- ^ Danny Hazan (May 18, 2015). "Can't Fake the Funk". Medium. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ a b Josh Fischel (October 16, 2024). "An Interview with Jack Stratton". The Believer. No. 147. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ "Apple Music: Vulfmon". Apple Music. 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Jack Stratton on the Third Story Podcast". Third Story Podcast. November 8, 2017. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
- ^ "Interview with Vulfpeck's Jack Stratton (transl. from Jazzism)". September 19, 2017.
- ^ Fischel, Josh (2024-12-06). "Excerpts from The Believer: An Interview with Musician Jack Stratton". McSweeney's Internet Tendency. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ Lapin, Andrew (2021-12-04). "No Label, No Problem". Alumni Association of the University of Michigan. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ "The Fearless Flyers, by The Fearless Flyers". Vulf Records. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "Vulf Compressor, by Goodhertz". goodhertz.co. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ McIntyre, Hugh. "How a Band Made $20,000 on Spotify from 5 Minutes of Silence". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "Vulfpeck ... the band who made $20,000 from their 'silent' Spotify album". the Guardian. 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "FOR SALE: TRACK 10 ON VULFPECK'S NEW RECORD on EBAY". YouTube. Aug 7, 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
- ^ "Vulfpeck Contributes 'Track 10' Proceeds To 'DonorsChoose' Campaigns". September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Vulfpeck Tweet". Twitter. September 8, 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
- ^ Runyon, Nicholas (2025-10-23). "Vulfpeck: The Best Comedy Band That Isn't A Comedy Band • The Daily Fandom". The Daily Fandom. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ Rogerson, Ben (2023-05-22). "Vulfpeck's Jack Stratton serves up 90 seconds of serious harpejji funk on his new Vulfmon single". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ Potter, Jordan (2024-03-03). "David Byrne picks his favourite instrumental songs". faroutmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ^ Wolf, Erin. "Best new music: Vulfmon & Evangeline pack their talent into another tune". Radio Milwaukee. Retrieved 2025-08-11.