Interview: The Howlers
The Howlers by Hannah Driscoll
Following the release of their debut album What You've Got to Lose to Win It All, The Howlers are set to embark on a highly anticipated UK tour this September and October. The East London trio, celebrated for their compelling mix of desert rock, soul, pop, rock, and folk, continue to make waves with their raw and emotive sound.
In this candid Q&A session, Adam from the band delves into their creative process, the obstacles they've surmounted, and their excitement for the upcoming tour. From the introspective and anthemic single "I Need Your Love" to the cinematic landscapes of "El Dorado," The Howlers share the stories behind their music and the personal experiences that have shaped their journey. As they prepare to hit the road, we dive into the heart of their artistry and the thrilling adventure that lies ahead.
Congratulations on the upcoming release of your deluxe version of your debut album, What You've Got to Lose to Win It All! How does it feel to finally share this body of work with your fans?
It’s a strange experience putting out your first record particularly when the industry shunned it so we set out to prove a lot of people wrong and exceeded our own expectations, to see the record chart as high as it did without any major press or radio or playlisting in this country is truly a testament to the fans and the songs.
Can you tell us about the journey from your debut EP to now, with your first full-length album? How has your sound evolved?
I think it’s become more defined that’s for sure, releasing music is a journey and you should always strive to be better and seek new ideas and inspirations its all too common these days that artists are carbon copying other artists, so we just wanted to create something that was quintessentially us and sounded like us.
"I Need Your Love" is one of the main singles from your album. What does this track mean to you personally, and how does it fit into the broader narrative of the album?
It was one of those songs that sort of set the tone of the record, especially in pre-production as it was a brave step to be more pop-orientated, the album as a whole tells a narrative of the journey we've been on and the things we've had to fight through to even get here, so it’s part of that for sure.
What does the album title signify for the band, both lyrically and thematically?
The title was actually a lyric that cropped up in slightly different ways in multiple songs, but ultimately the title represents our story our journey we've been through more than our fair share of the worst things all of us at some point go through in our lives it just so happens we've been through more than most and pulled each other out the other side, that love, loss, grief and unimaginable pain, needed a meaning otherwise what was it all for on a grander scale to lose countless family and friends on this journey it takes its toll. So this record has a small part of everyone that's no longer here in it, that's the only way we came out the other side smiling.
How did the creative process for this album differ from your previous recording experiences, especially considering the challenges and successes you've faced as a band?
As mentioned previously the writing process was cathartic for all the pain we were going through, so that defiantly informed the record and meant the recording process when that came around had a lot of pressure on our shoulders to get it right, that being said when you pour your heart and soul into a record it has meaning and 70+ labels shun it or belittle you and then not a single major press outlet or major radio station in this country support it on release that’s hard in stark contrast to Europe where the record took of massively but despite all that, it got to number 15 here as a totally independent band without all that so what does the industry know anyway.
You've mentioned the album includes elements of desert rock, soul, pop, rock, and folk. How did you navigate blending these diverse influences into a cohesive sound?
Those elements are who we are as individuals and we bring them together to make this sound what it is that's how it should be everyone has a say everyone puts their stamp of individuality into the band, there is nothing worse than a band who all clearly like the same band have the same hair cut and dress the same, its comedy, there's no identity in that
The Howlers have been described as 'leather-clad, cigarette-chomping outlaws' by the press how does this image resonate with your music and stage presence?
As far as iconography goes pretty accurate we would say but behind that were just 3 working guys who I like to think have hearts of gold and give everything to what we do there are no gimmicks here we are who we are, and being on stage is just an extension of that but it isn’t who we are.
Could you share some insight into the decision to work with Black Honey on this album? How did their involvement influence the recording process?
Adam has worked with Chris for a long time on various production bits and pieces so it was a natural progression for sure, they are great friends, great mentors and good people to boot the whole process of creating this record together was not only a first for us but them also, Chris and Tommy had never produced an album so it was sort of like a mutual belief and trust were all so proud of the album and Chris and Adam are so in sync now they just know whereeach other wants to go with a song or what the other person is thinking.
"El Dorado" has been highlighted as a significant track on the album. What inspired the lyrics and musical arrangement for this song?
We wanted a track that was not only Grand but cinematic a song that represented our whole being and sound in one neat little 3-minute package, but its a song about the struggles of living in today’s world, about being penniless and dreaming big! It was the first demo Tom heard when he joined the band so it has special meaning for us and took on a whole new life after that.
As you prepare for your UK tour, what can fans expect from your live performances? Any surprises or special moments planned?
We’re looking forward to it for sure, a few surprises up our sleeves I think we are debuting 3 new songs that might be a precursor to album 2 but who knows?
You've had a remarkable journey as a band, including navigating personal challenges and lineup changes. How have these experiences shaped your music and your bond as a band?
I think there intrinsically who we are now those experiences inform how we move forward and how we grow around the past, without each other it wouldn't of been possible to still be here I say that with absolute certainty that 99% of bands would of torn themselves apart by now if faced with half of what we have had to overcome.
What are you most looking forward to about hitting the road for your upcoming tour dates?
Playing cities we’ve never played and returning to cities we haven’t played in a few years we purposely made these venues smaller to make it more about the fans than us.
How do you approach translating the intricate arrangements and production of your album into the live concert setting?
We try to be as true to the recording as possible as that what fans fall in love with right those songs how they sound, but let’s be real who doesn’t like a song being a bit heavier or gritter
"Lady Luck," "El Dorado," and "Cowboys Don't Cry" have received praise as singles. How do these tracks represent the overall themes and energy of the album?
All 3 of those songs represent different parts of the overall story so when we put this record out we wanted to show a broad spectrum of what is on the record after all there are 15 tracks and they are all different so how do you show that in a handful of singles.
Reflecting on your musical journey so far, what have been some of the most memorable moments for The Howlers?
Album release night was a great time for us, lots of issues on stage but the crowd was with us for it, and to pack out Rough Trade like we did as an independent totally as an outsider, even the staff commented that an unsigned band doesn’t do that so that was special, I think though how much Europe has backed the record so much so we have an extensive tour booked for March 2025, in stark contrast to our own country to get to number 15 in the face of heavy heavy resistance here is a big F.U to the people who doubted us or wrote us off for absolutely no reason, it’s strange how much 1 or 2 persons views can dictate success or not.
What role does storytelling play in your songwriting process, particularly when crafting songs that resonate emotionally with your audience?
Adam writes mostly from experience and that's something we all share fan or not, It's not necessary about crafting a story more about speaking from the heart and hopefully the fans get that, after all we are still a massive outsiders so all we can do is be true to ourselves.
How has the East London music scene influenced your sound and identity as a band?
London is an amazing city, to us it represents this melting pot of ideas, cultures, faiths, beliefs, genders and everything else, we often say it is a city that represents what we want to stand for as a band, we are not a northern band, were not a southern band, were not anything but a band that hopefully connects with people no matter who they are, the east end is the pinnacle of that, working-class communities who come together.
Looking beyond the UK tour, what are your aspirations for The Howlers in terms of future albums and musical exploration?
Album 2 is well underway writing and demoing so we shall see it’s already going in a new direction and moving forward.
If you could listen to one song again for the first time, what would it be?
Richard Hawley - The Ocean, if you've not heard it as a movement of music its just on another level you can only aspire to get close to.
Finally, what message or feeling do you hope fans take away after experiencing What You've Got to Lose to Win It All?
There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
What You've Got to Lose to Win It All by The Howlers is out now. Catch the band on tour across the UK this September and October.
