Why?

For years, Why? was only the stage name of a Cincinnati rapper and singer, Yoni Wolf, who had used it since 1997. In 2004 he turned it into a group, and the result is an American band working in alternative hip hop and indie rock. Wolf handles lead vocals and multi-instrumentalism, alongside his older brother Josiah on drums and multi-instrumentalists Doug McDiarmid and Matt Meldon. The sharpest turn came with the debut full-band album Elephant Eyelash in 2005, which moved well beyond the sound of Wolf's final solo record under the name, Oaklandazulasylum, and into the fuller texture of an indie rock band.

The group toured as a four-piece in 2005, became a trio when Meldon moved to San Juan Island to be with his girlfriend, and restored its four-piece line-up in 2008 when bassist Austin Brown joined. Alopecia (2008) drew on photographs of fans' palms for its artwork, and its single "The Hollows" came with remixes by Boards of Canada and Xiu Xiu. Later releases include Mumps, Etc. (2012), Moh Lhean (2017) and The Well I Fell Into (2024), with Mol Sullivan added on guitars and keyboards.