Dan Howls is an appropriate name for an artist with such a bellowing roar. Big, gritty and acidic, it is a voice that belongs to the blues… a human being merely wields it. Tried and tested through years of live performance, Dan has finally unveiled his stunning debut album, A Dime a Dozen.
While providing listeners with a steady stream of taster tracks, including WAM award winning single The Prince, all ears are now on the fantastical crimson-soaked murder blues number, Mary Lou.
Relentlessly steaming forward like a stolen train, Mary Lou is Dan Howls at his foot-stomping best. Needing nothing more than a guitar and a tambourine around it, his voice drives a grim narrative of death and dirty deeds, accompanied beautifully by the bittersweet vocals of Julia Weller. A long-time friend and collaborator, Weller is part of Dan Howls’ road-hungry live band, which features the formidable backing of drummer Josh Cutler, bassist Callum Adcock and organist/saxophonist Ben Power.
Producer James Newhouse has perfectly encapsulated the true essence of Dan Howls on A Dime a Dozen – from his demonic rasp to his devilish charm. Keeping things raw and honest, Newhouse unlocks and hones the essential truth in each song, allowing each instrument to meld into a powerful conglomerate of sound. Worshipping more at the altar of a bygone era than modern convention, A Dime a Dozen wades the traditions of blues through a thick tar pit of despair and misery, coming out the other side heavier, darker and more sodden… a beautiful place for blues to be.
Universally understandable, Dan Howls’ sound is a passport to anywhere in the world. With his band, he is eager to tour anywhere and everywhere, starting with his own backyard. Soon to embark on a regional tour of Western Australia, kicking off with an appearance at the Wave Rock Weekender, the band’s focus will be on building a national tour of Australia, taking their bare knuckle brand of blues to music lovers in every corner of the country.
Debut album A Dime a Dozen out now via Firestarter Distribution
iTunes – Apple Music – Spotify – Google Music
Upcoming shows
Friday September 21 – Wave Rock Weekender
w/ CW Stoneking, Abbe May + more (fb event)
Friday September 28 – Esperance Civic Centre, Esperence
w/ Elli Schoen (fb event)
Saturday September 29 – Maker + Co, Bunbury
w/ Big Orange, Hannah Smillie (fb event)
Friday October 5 – The Newport Hotel, Fremantle
w/ MOANA, Michael Savage (fb event)
Saturday October 6 – SARC fundraiser, Rock Rover
Saturday October 6 – 35 Years of Spoonful of Blues, Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle
w/ Dave Billings and the Doodaddies, Lee Sappho, Matty T Wall, Steve Tallis, Ruby May + more
(fb event)
Sunday October 7 – Rocktober Fest, Otherside Brewery, Myaree
Friday October 12 – Residency, Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle
w/ special guests
Sunday October 14 – 459 Bar, North Perth
w/ Harry Jakamarra and Elwood Gray, Grace Armstrong (fb event)
Friday October 19 – Residency, Clancy’s Fish Pub, Fremantle
w/ special guests
Saturday November 3 – WAMFest, Mustang Bar, Northbridge (facebook)
