When NME Magazine loses their shit over some band’s debut EP and album, you know there’s a likely tidal wave of hype and buzz to follow. Then again, there’s also the possibility of it going horribly wrong, unleashing ‘da haterz’ who often hate for the sake of contradiction. HOWLER have been spared this fate and for the last year they've been killing it.
The tale of Jordan Gatesmith, Brent Mayes, Ian Nygaard, Max Petrek and France Camp (aka HOWLER) is nothing unusual; a lone teenage boy discovers guitar, recruits other individuals to make a band and subsequently achieves international success.
Maybe the international success isn’t too typical, but neither is the story of how they signed onto their record label. (Supposedly UK label Rough Trade sent their A&R across the seas to the band’s hometown instantly after hearing their demo).
The music world began to prick up its ears with the 2011 release of HOWLER’s first EP, This One’s Different. Single ‘I Told You Once’ had listeners lapping up its jingly-jangly surf rock qualities, a song that doesn’t hold back on the cheesy rhythmic clapping either.
During a somewhat whirlwind 2011, lead vox/guitarist Gatesmith was also dubbed #44 in NME’s annual ‘Cool List’. (Hey Noel Gallagher, how’re things looking down at #50?).
It wasn’t long before comparisons were repeatedly thrown around, with The Vaccines and The Strokes (another Rough Trade representative) cropping up the most. Similarities with these bands were only cemented with the release of HOWLER’S debut album.
America Give Up, released January of this year, further showcases Gatesmith and Co.’s seemingly perfected formula for surf-punk-rock. With the album’s opening track titled ‘Beach Sluts’, you know that this band ain’t afraid to tell it like it is.
Are they worth losing your shit over? Decide HERE.
Words by Alean Penaflor.
