Howland have been causing quite a stir! The pop-rockers have been playing raucous show all over the south coast as well as leaving a lasting mark on support slots with Fickle Friends, High Tyde and Clean Cut Kid. The rawness of their latest single, ‘No Way’, strikes an emotional chord that any love torn individual will latch onto from its very beginning, finding solace in the raucous, untamed body of the track that is sure to replicate well live. Ahead of their first headline show at The Hope & Ruin on 21^st February, we met up with the Brighton-based four-piece to find out more about Howland.

When did you first want to be in a band?
Lee: I was playing the guitar since I was 11, so I’ve been in cover bands playing in the practice rooms at school with mates. I started going to gigs at The Joiners when I was 14, petty much as soon as I was old enough to get in. That inspired me to make music by the time I was at collage, and start taking it a bit more seriously.

Tyler: The thing that clicked for me as watching live videos on YouTube. Bands like Muse playing at Wembley Stadium or seeing Arctic Monkeys and Biffy Clyro, it made me think “being in a band is cool” and that it was what I wanted to do.

Can you remember the first album you brought?
Lee: Mine was Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys.

Tyler: I think it was Permision To Land by The Darkness – full of absolute bangers.

Joe: It was American Idiot by Green Day unfortunately.

Jake: A Slipknot album – yes, I went through that faze.

How did ­­­­­­­Howland form?
Lee: Online really. I went to Bournemouth University, didn’t really like it but met Jake there. Found out we were into similar sorts of music and that he was a drummer. Our drummer at the time had just left and we needed a replacement – so it was being at the right place at the right time.

Tyler: Jake and I met on the Bournemouth University facebook group. We met Joe online also. We have all recently moved to Brighton, minus Jake who is hear there and everywhere. We started getting some small time gigs under our belt and it went from there.

Can you remember your first jam; how was it?
Jake: As we met on the this Facebook group, I was in London. I literally got on a train without meeting any of them.

Lee: It was really impromptu. In hindsight, it’s a really weird way to meet, but it worked out really well. We first met Joe just before a headline set at The Prince Albert. Our first jam with Joe was the day of that gig. We had sent him demos of the songs to learn, then in about four hours rehearsing in Brighton Electric ahead of the gig, Joe had nailed it and didn’t make a single mistake that gig!

Is there a story behind the name?
Tyler: There isn’t really any story to it. It’s just a cool word that came about.

Lee: We saw it online at one point and found out it is a totally deserted island in the south pacific.

Tyler: It’s in the Virgin Islands and was used as a pit stop in World War II to refuel. As well as a character in Game Of Thrones.

What are the band’s main influences?
Tyler: When we rehearse or write – the sound we play is a sum of all our influences. Catfish and the Bottlemen is a big one for all of us, as are Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and the Libertines

What inspires your lyrics?
Tyler: It’s things that I see from my eyes, from my perspective watching it happen. I love lyricists that have this amazing awareness, that see and take things that others wouldn’t necessarily notice – Alex Turner and Matthew Healy are incredible at doing this, with such a dramatic aspect to their lyrics.

Do you prefer writing music or performing live?
Lee: Playing live. It’s a big culmination of the work you have put in, in the practice room, all let loose for a half hour set.

Tell us a bit about the ‘No Way’ single.
Lee: We can’t believe the response we are getting, it’s crazy. People from places we’ve never been to before or different countries, it’s mad.

Tyler: For people to be showing that they like what we are doing is the ultimate reward.

Jake: It was an instrumental that we had been sitting on for about four to five months, then one rehearsal it just clicked in about an hour and a half.

Lee: It almost took us by surprise. We then took it to Church Road Studios in Brighton to record it, where the amazing Julian Tardo produced it and worked his magic.

Have you been thinking about the next release?
Tyler: There are a few things in the pocket, the hardest part is deciding what to release.

Lee: We know that we want it to be another single, but not sure which one yet.

What has been a musical eye-opener?
Tyler: Hearing bands like Fickle Friends play in supermarkets. It’s a simple thing but in a way it shows that there is a path to success. Also seeing the video of The 1975’s show at the O2 was pretty eye-opening. They have grown so quickly yet they are still the same kids singing angsty songs, just with 100 times more people.

Who would be in your ultimate supergroup?
Tyler: Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) singing. Flea on bass. Dominic Howard (Muse) on drums.

Lee: Alex Turner as singer and songwriter. Johnny Marr (The Smiths) playing the guitar. Mani (The Stone Roses) on bass. Bob Hall (Catfish and The Bottlemen) on drums – actually Jake Sunders (Howland) on drums as he is the best drummer in the world.

Jake: Dave Ghrol singing. Hugo White (The Maccabees) on guitar. John Paul Jones (Led Zepplin) on bass. Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys) on drums.

Joe: Sean Lennon (The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger) on vocals. Dave Ghrol on drums. Flea on bass. Jimi Hendrix on guitar.

What would be your perfect line-up of any three acts for a concert you are putting on and where would it be?
Lee: The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys co-headlining, and Catfish and The Bottlemen in support. At The Joiners in Southampton.

Joe: Arctic Monkeys headlining, Catfish and The Bottlemen as main support and The Wytches as first support. At the Brixton Academy.

Jake: Tigercub headlining, Demob Happy as main support, The Wytches as first support. At The Cavan in Exeter.

Tyler: Muse headlining, Twenty-One Pilots as main support and Voodo & The Crypts as first support. At The Prince Albert.

If you could give a musical award of the year, what would it be for and for whom?
Lee: Jake Sanders for being the best drummer in the world.

Jake: A participation trophy for Lee.

Joe: Alex Turner and Miles Kane for being the most intimate with each other whilst on stage.

Tyler: Laurel for having the best voice I have ever heard. Her voice is spine tingling.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
Tyler: Idle Frets new song is the track I’ve been putting on when I wake up in the morning. Vant’s new track is sounding so good.

Joe: The Blossoms album is great.

Lee: Circa Waves are my newest favourite band. I’ve been listening to a lot of Maggie Rogers too.

Jake: I have Tame Impala and Glass Animals on repeat.

Any gigs that have stood out recently?
Jake: I saw The Wytches the other night who were great. For nearly half of it, I was holding up the lead singer’s microphone. Before their last song he gave me a beer, so I opened it for him thinking that’s what he wanted me to do. When they finished I gave the beer back to him and he said, “no – that’s for you!”

Tyler: Desert Mountain Tribe stood out for me. We supported them at Electro Works in London and their show was incredible.

Lee: I saw Jerry Williams up in London the other night. She is from Portsmouth and she was great.

Joe: Glass Animals at the Brighton Dome a few months back. It wasn’t just their performance that was great but the whole spectacle.

What are your future plans?
Tyler: We are touring from February through to March and then will be festivaling after that. We are at the Teddy Rocks Festival in Dorset, playing our first main stage. Also to release some new music in the not too distant future.

Website: howlandmusic.com
Facebook: facebook.com/howlandmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/howlandmusic