Howlin Rain is an American rock band based in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, 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
Comets on Fire were an American noise rock band from Santa Cruz, California, United States. The band was formed in 1999 by guitarist and vocalist Ethan Miller and longtime friend bassist Ben Flashman, who were seeking to create rhythmically ...
, as an outlet for his songwriting interests and the influence of life in the
Lost Coast
The Lost Coast is a mostly natural and undeveloped area of the California North Coast in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties, which includes the King Range. It was named the "Lost Coast" after the area experienced depopulation in the 1930s. In add ...
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 M ...
).
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 QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple line ...
.
In 2007, the band signed with
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records.
Rubin helped popu ...
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) are characterized by lengthy improvisational " jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often ...
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 on the group's 1967 debut studio album, '' The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy War ...
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
*Jeff McElroy - bass
*Dan Cervantes - guitar
*Justin Smith - drums
Past members
* Meg Baird - guitar, drums
* Cyrus Comiskey - bass
* Richard Danielson - drums
* Eli Eckert - guitar, bass
* Ian Gradek - bass
* John Gnorski - guitar
* Garett Goddard - drums
* Neil Harmonson - drums, guitar
* Mike Jackson - guitar
* Isaiah Mitchell - guitar
* John Moloney - drums
* Joel Robinow - keyboards, horns, guitar
* Charlie Saufley - guitar, bass
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