In this interview spotlight, I chat with members of HOWL! about their music, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
We are all from Boston. Regarding our style, we all draw from very different genres and influences in terms of music, but at our core, we are a rock band. Basically, we don’t write music for a specific genre, we write music that we would want to listen to, even if it wasn’t our own.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
What’s great about this band is that we all started on separate paths in music and all met here. That also motivates us to keep us going, as we all feel really lucky that we genuinely enjoy each other’s company and passion for creating music.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
For this record, it was the first time we went into a large studio with well-respected producer Jay Maas. The goal of this record, which we think we achieved, was to blend rock verses and bridges with big, catchy, pop choruses.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Exposure, exposure, exposure. The age of self-management and the internet have both made it easier to put content out, but harder for people to find it. On top of that, there are so many subgenres of music that it can be tough to find a specific fan base compared to generations past.
What was the last song you listened to?
For each of us in the band, here’s the list:
– Death of a Strawberry by Dance Gavin Dance
– Cold by At the Gates
– Division Street by Thursday
– Forever by Code Orange
– Haunted by Shallow Pools
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
MP3’s as that’s the industry standard, but when we REALLY like music, we buy the vinyl not only to show them love, but also to have that as a piece of art.
How about this one… Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Spotify is our current favorite, as we love their artist accessibility, tracking, getting our stats back.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Instagram is the best way to connect with us online, as that’s our preferred social network. To discover more music Spotify is the best way.
Anything else before we sign off?
Follow us everywhere @unleashyourhowl or #unleashyourhowl . Be on the lookout for our new music video for “Anthem for the Anxious,” coming in late March. If you happen to be at SXSW, catch us on a couple of stages down that way.
