Lone Emily Wolfe proves to be an ‘Outlier’ with new album

If it’s about the company you keep, Emily Wolfe is in good hands. It’s not surprising that after a spin of the emerging singer-songwriter-guitarist’s new album “Outlier” that Wolfe comes off as a bit of a badass. Wolfe, 31, has toured with a pair of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and Joan Jett, both tough as nails.

“Chrissie was watching my soundcheck at the Moody Theater in Austin a couple of years ago, and my wife, Britney, asked her if she ever played there,” Wolfe said. “ ‘I don’t … know,’ ” Chrissie said. ‘Probably.’ When I look at Chrissie and Joan, I just want to keep that legacy going of the iconic female musician. I’ve read biographies on Chrissie and Juliana Hatfield. To be a female musician at a time when Chrissie and Joan are performing is wild.”

Wolfe is making her own way by crafting bluesy rock that’s catchy, edgy and provocative. Wolfe airs it out during “LA NY,” a song about not being either industry town. The song is autobiographical; Wolfe lives between the two meccas in Texas.

“This is where I’ve lived since I was 8, and it’s helped shape me,” Wolfe said while calling from her Austin home. “Music is everywhere here. I grew up with my dad playing classic rock, and my parents gave me a ton of vinyl. I was exposed to it, and I love it.”

Wolfe is a millennial, but she has an old-school approach. Wolfe avoids releasing an EP with a single and four songs that sound like the featured track. The aptly named “Outlier” is a throwback since each track is its own entity.

“The goal of mine with this record was to make an album like they did back in the day with tracks that stand on their own,” Wolfe said. “I didn’t want to make the same song twice.”

The powerful “No Man” is a statement song. It’s about how no guy is going to hold Wolfe back. “That song is inspired by four dudes who had opinions about me,” Wolfe said. “It’s about where I should go in terms of my career. I got so sick of men telling me what I should do. The song is about oppression. It’s about me screaming for independence.”

And then there’s the lighter and hook-laden “My Lungs Give Out.” “That song is about my love for the Cars,” Wolfe said. “It’s my ’80s tribute.” Wolfe’s prowess has been recognized by Epiphone, which is producing her signature guitar, the Epiphone Sheraton Stealth.

“It’s so awesome to be part of this amazing brand, which is supportive of emerging recording artists,” Wolfe said. “In the past, you had a signature product after you had 40 years under your belt. It’s so cool to have a guitar like this.”

Wolfe is pleased with Pride Month, which concluded Wednesday. “Our community has made a lot of progress,” Wolfe said. “I believe we’ve made great strides over the last year in terms of equality and acceptance. However, there are still people out there who don’t support marriage equality, and that sucks. But overall, we’re doing well.

“To me, gender is an expression of how you feel. It’s really fluid for me. It’s been a fascinating journey. I grew up in suburbia in a Christian environment. I’ve come a long way to where I am right now.”

Wolfe hopes to make her Pacific Northwest debut this year. “I’ve never been up there,” Wolfe said. “That has to change. I would love to play Spokane.

“Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to play there. I would love to see what it’s like there. It looks like a cool place.”