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Howlin Rain is an American rock band based in
Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
, formed in 2004 by guitarist/singer Ethan Miller. Their most recent album ''The Dharma Wheel'' was released in 2021. Their sound has been described as "classically soulful" and "Unapologetically influenced by the strong but easygoing grooves of West Coast 1970s rock".


History

Ethan Miller formed Howlin Rain in 2004 when he was still a member of Comets on Fire, as an outlet for his songwriting interests and the influence of life in the Lost Coast area of Northern California. The first incarnation of the band also included bassist Ian Gradek and drummer John Moloney (who later joined
Sunburned Hand of the Man Sunburned Hand of the Man are an experimental rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. They are a loose collective known for their frequent line up changes and large discography released on a variety of labels including Eclipse Records, Thurston ...
). The final Comets on Fire album was released in 2006, after which Miller dedicated himself to Howlin Rain full-time. The group has since featured a revolving line-up with Miller as the only constant member. The self-titled album '' Howlin Rain'' was released in 2006, establishing a "psychedelic country/garage rock" sound, after which the band toured as the opening act for
Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated as QOTSA or QotSA) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1996. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme shortly before he returned to his native Palm Desert, California. ...
. In 2007, the band signed with
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...
to American Recordings. Their second album '' Magnificent Fiend'', featuring an expanded line-up, was released in 2008. This album was noted for featuring
jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts and live albums substantially feature improvisational "jam session, jamming". Typically, jam bands will play variations of pre-existing songs, extending them to musical improvisation, improvise ove ...
elements, and was described as a "combination of psychedelia, blues, funk and classic 1970s arena rock." The EPs ''Wild Life'' and ''The Good Life'' followed. Howlin Rain performed at
All Tomorrow's Parties "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released as the band's debut single in 1966. The song is from their 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. Inspiration for the so ...
in England in 2010. Their third full-length album '' The Russian Wilds'' was released in 2012, featuring further experiments in blues rock and 1970s album-oriented rock. This was the band's final album with American Recordings, and Miller reformed the line-up once again. Miller then conceived an interconnected trilogy of albums, and the first installment ''Mansion Songs'' was released in 2015. Miller formed his own label, Silver Current Records, which issued ''The Alligator Bride'' in 2018. That album introduced hard rock and R&B elements to the group's sound. The third album in the planned trilogy, ''The Dharma Wheel'', was released in 2021.


Members


Current members

* Ethan Miller – vocals, guitar * Justin Smith – drums * Jason Soda – guitar * Kyre Wilcox – bass


Past members

* Ian Gradek – bass * John Moloney – drums * Joel Robinow – keyboards, horns, guitar, piano, organ * Mike Jackson – rhythm guitar * Garett Goddard – drums * Cyrus Comiskey – bass * Raj Kumar Ojha – drums * Isaiah Mitchell – guitar * Dan Cervantes – guitar * Jeff McElroy – bass, guitar * Brian "Nucci" Cantrell – drums


Studio guests

* Ben Chasny – guitar * Utrillo Kushner – drums * Eli Eckert – guitar, bass * John Gnorski – guitar * Noel Harmonson – guitar, drums * Charlie Saufley – guitar, bass * Meg Baird – drums, guitar, backing vocals * Richard Danielson – drums * Chris Robinson – vocals


Discography


Albums

* '' Howlin Rain'' (2006) * '' Magnificent Fiend'' (2008) * ''Wild Life'' (EP, 2008) * ''The Good Life'' (EP, 2010) * '' The Russian Wilds'' (2012) * ''Live Rain'' (live, 2014) * ''Mansion Songs'' (2015) * ''The Alligator Bride'' (2018) * ''The Dharma Wheel'' (2021)


References


External links


Official website
{{Authority control Indie rock musical groups from California Musical groups from Oakland, California Birdman Records artists