Fox Reviews Rock

Introduction

Fresh off the launch of their debut album “What You’ve Got To Lose To Win It All,” The Howlers are here for an exclusive interview! Their sound is a unique blend of indie , with great guitar riffs and a voice that cuts through the pack! With a unique twist on rock which they coined the term “Desert Rock,” for we’re confident you’ll love their sound!

For Fans Of – Hola Ghost, The K’s , The Sherlocks.

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Interview

You’re based in London, but from various parts of the country and The Netherlands. What made you pick London as your base of operations?

We were all living there at the time. However, London is an amazing place to us. It represents the melting pot of culture, community, beliefs, and dreams that are all in harmony under one roof. That’s what we are as a band. We are from all over the place, but the thing that brings us together is the very things that make us different.

As previously mentioned, you’re from all over. Would you say being from different areas gave you all different influences?

Of course, but in the same breath, no. As mentioned, it’s those differences that bring us together, because you need that experience and depth of experience to grow. Nothing’s worse than like-minded people doing the same thing. Break the mold, strive to break out!

Debut album “What You’ve Got To Lose To Win It All” was released earlier this year. How has it been received?

Yeah, it’s been great to be honest. Particularly in Europe, the record really took off, topping charts and leading to a huge EU tour next year. However, here, despite no major radio and no major press, and with 70+ labels shunning the record, we managed to reach number 15. We are so proud to be independent and to be on this journey together.

The album is 15 songs long. What made you decide to include so many tracks?

We couldn’t decide on which ones to drop. Effectively, we were in the studio and made the call. Nobody does a 15-track debut, and nobody does it with a bunch of songs like this, so let’s just go for it!

How did the band come together?

Adam and Guus met at university and knew Tom from around the London scene while he was in other bands. Tom was actually our first choice of drummer, but he told us to jog on back in the day as we had no songs, just an idea. Fast forward a year or two, and we were in need of a new drummer, and the time was right.

What is your favorite song on your debut record?

That’s a tough question. It’s like choosing a favorite child. Everyone says they don’t have one, but we all know that’s a lie. If we had to pick, “On the Run (Over You)” is a fun song to play.

What the story behind the band’s name?

It comes from a pub ‘The Howl at the Moon’ on Hoxton Street, which was just off the council estate we were living on at the time in the East End. Nothing too fancy, just a few pints one evening, and it seemed like a good idea.

You describe your sound as “Desert Rock.” Can you explain why? What does it mean to you?

Desert rock plays into the iconography of who we are, but it also is definitive of the environment we were writing in at the time. For all of its positive areas, London was becoming a cultural desert; venues were shutting down, pubs were closing, and places of congregation and the passing of ideas were disappearing. So it suited who we are. For instance, the site of our first ever gig is no longer there; I think it’s a tapas bar now.

If you could play any festival worldwide what would it be?

Fuji Rocks, something like that would be fun.

Describe yourselves in a sentence?

I can do it in one word… tenacious.

Now the album is out, what are the band’s plans for the next year?

Album 2 is in the works, UK tour at the end of the year and big EU tour start of next so it’s all go.

Pick 1 track from the album and break it down for us, what inspired it, what was tricky about making it, etc. Anything you like?

There is a track in the middle of the album called “Wanting, Waiting, Wishing” which sort of came out of the ether one day and wasn’t meant to be recorded. Adam was just playing it in the control room in the studio, and Chris told him outright, “You’re recording that now while everyone else is at lunch.” It’s a deeply personal song, so that was a nice validation of its quality.

Tell us something about the band that nobody else knows?!

I’ll do you one better. The statements below are true. Which ones do you think are true?

• Tom was in an all-boys choir which had a metalhead drummer
• Guus was once Charlie Watts’ runner for a Stones tour
• Adam once removed a carpet from Jimmy Page’s house

Where can people see you perform?

Here, there and everywhere, we’re touring in September and October. We’ll be visiting Gibraltar, Chelmsford, Norwich, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, London, Brighton, Guildford, Oxford, Newport, Falmouth, Bedford, and Southampton.

There are a few track titles that are very much USA Wild West inspired. What draws you to that time?

I don’t think it’s anything in particular, I just think it’s what comes to the songwriting. It’s a little bit more grandiose, however, ‘One day you will find El Dorado’ sounds better than ‘One day you will find Dagenham’.

All the songs, used in this interview belong to their respective owners and this website does not claim any right over them. All images were provided by The Howlers and were taken by Oscar Spyrou.

Let us know what you think to The Howlers and this interview in the comments section below!