The Howlers are an independent three-piece band that formed in 2021 in London, England, composed of lead singer and writer Adam Young, drummer Tom Triggs and bassist Guus Tee Braak. The diverse band come from the Netherlands, the south coast and the midlands of England but choose to call London home.
Taking inspiration from a wide range of influences such as film scores from Ennis Morricone and John Williams, and pioneers of desert blues such as Tinariwen and Kurt Vile, the band describe themselves as “desert rockers.” It’s a nod to their iconography and influences at a young age of watching westerns. With a naturally-expansive and cinematic sound, you can hear their inspirations in line with those film scores throughout their work, resulting in The Howlers Western aesthetic.
The Howlers Photographed by Hannah Driscoll
Left to Right: Guss, Adam and Tom
Young and Braak studied music business together, learning about the industry, which provided a strong foundation for their future careers in music management and production. It’s something the band gets compliments a lot on from their management team. When Triggs left college, he was working as a drummer in various bands, and was originally the first pic for The Howlers, but ultimately turned their offer down.
In 2021 the band faced an explosive shift, resulting in a period of upheaval. In search of a replacement drummer, Young and Braak contacted Triggs again.
“The rest is history, and Tom kind of saved this band and we wouldn’t be here without him”.
The Howlers Photographed by Hannah Driscoll
Left to Right: Guss, Tom and Adam
Since then, the band has released their highly-anticipated debut album “What You’ve Got to Lose to Win It All,” released on the 17th of May, breaking into the official charts only days later for “Independent Album, Independent Album Breakers Chart and Record Store Chat.” Their single “Lady Luck” from the album was added to The Emirates FA Cup official playlist on Apple Music earlier this year.
Produced by Black Honey and written as a form of escapism, the album represents a period of love, loss, pain and trauma among the members. Losing multiple people close to each band member, even Young himself had numerous near-death experiences:
“We went through more than most bands would ever actually survive, I say that quite confidently,” Young said.
The Howlers have grown around their grief through their music, full of deep and meaningful lyrics, yet with an uplifting sound despite the sadness in which it originates. The album has lyrics dedicated to lost dear friends and family, making it very raw.
“It’s been brutal, so that album… we’ve come to love and hate it because it is representative of that period,” Young said.
The Howlers dedicate themselves to making a meaningful difference to people and providing an outlet for listeners to get lost in their music, especially live. Their debut album’s UK tour, with multiple sold-out dates in May, will be kicking off again toward the end of September and wrapping up in mid-October. With tickets to shows selling fast in both Scotland and England, make sure to grab some now as it’s definitely a tour fans won’t want to miss.
Check out “What You’ve Got To Lose To Win It All: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7FkGyUhobedhkNdIIhgvaD?si=H9CgsTGbTdO9x8CVd0b7Yg
Get tickets to watch them live at their debut album tour: https://linktr.ee/thehowlersuk
Photographer Credits Hannah Driscoll: https://www.hannahjdriscoll.co.uk/
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