Eric Michael Pollard, known professionally as Actual Wolf, was born on March 21, 1980, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He began his musical career playing drums for Retribution Gospel Choir and touring with Low and Sun Kil Moon, also contributing vocals to the Sun Kil Moon album April. In 2012, Pollard self-released the EP Lightning and the Wolf, featuring vocals by Haley Bonar, which marked a significant breakthrough. This led to a residency at the Turf Club and a show on the main stage at First Avenue in Minneapolis. The following year, he released his debut full-length album Actual Wolf under the Chaperone record label. Once his probationary restrictions were lifted, Pollard moved to Nashville, working as an instrumental sideman with artists like Nikki Lane and JP Harris. In 2015, he released the cassette-only collection Itasca, named after Itasca County, Minnesota. He then relocated to Oakland, California, and began work on his second full-length LP, Faded Days, which was released in 2017 on Red House Records.
