The Howl & The Hum, the project helmed by Leeds-based songwriter Sam Griffiths, have shared nostalgic, reflective and powerfully candid new single ‘Echo’; the third and final track taken from the much-anticipated sophomore album, ‘Same Mistake Twice’ which will be released on 6th September via Miserable Disco. listen here <<
Softly spoken but devastatingly delivered, the looping acoustic guitar refrain and shuffling, half-time groove of ‘Echo’ chart the rollercoaster trajectory of a formative yet all but forgotten relationship with a wry, self-deprecating observational introspection that conjures the likes of Bill Callahan and David Berman’s Silver Jews. Bringing these tender, half-buried memories to light just as the song collapses in on itself implies that the issues at the heart of this relationship remain just like the song – unfinished and unresolved – after a turbulent few years of life lessons for Griffiths.
As a follow up to The Howl & The Hum’s 2020 debut, the awkwardly titled ‘Human Contact’, ‘Same Mistake Twice’ is Griffiths confronting all the monumental and life-changing challenges that have since been thrown his way. From the original incarnation of the band breaking up in front of his eyes to living through the pandemic and wrestling with the uncertainties of a creative future, ‘Same Mistake Twice’ is 12 tracks of Griffiths’ most direct and disarming work to date. Unafraid to air his anxieties in public, Griffiths explores the idea of image, including the ones we project and the not-so-secret impressions that others have of us, as he ultimately asks of himself ‘am I a good person?’
That Griffiths seems prepared to let the metaphorical phone ring out on ‘Echo’ rather than pick up where he and his lost friend left off suggests that the answer might be a complicated ‘no’, but the strength behind even asking these questions of himself now marks that crucial first step towards redemption, liberation and regrowth.
Having worked with like-minded songwriters Elanor Moss and Matthew Herd (Seafarers) alongside producer Joseph Futak (Tapir!, Lilo), Griffiths channels the frank, raw energy of the likes of Big Thief and Phoebe Bridgers through the self-reflective candour of country greats such as John Prine and Townes Van Zandt to create a work of staggering musical highs and lows that serves as the perfect companion to his captivating tales of late night euphoria and everyday existential dread.
In being honest to a fault, Griffiths finds kinship in the collective chaos of modern life; because, at the end of the day, we’re all going to make the same mistake twice somewhere along the way.
‘Same Mistake Twice’ is set for release September 6th 2024. At Leeds Irish Centre on 15 November.
Sam Griffiths (The Howl & The Hum) on ‘Echo’:
“This is a love song to old friends, about watching good people do bad things, and wondering if any of it matters at all.
I’m not afraid to die; I’m afraid of the terms and conditions: when we’re judged for all we’ve done, what if we’ve missed something?”
Live Dates:
13 NOV | Gorilla, Manchester
14 NOV | King Tut’s, Glasgow
15 NOV | Leeds Irish Centre, Leeds
16 NOV | O2 institute 3, Birmingham
18 NOV | The Lantern, Bristol
19 NOV | Lafayette, London
21 NOV, Muziekgieterij, Maastricht
22 NOV | Luxor, Cologne
24 NOV | Trix Club, Antwerp
25 NOV | Paradiso Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam
26 NOV | Das Bett, Frankfurt
28 NOV | Hole 44, Berlin
29 NOV | Molotov, Hamburg
Tickets available here.
What the critics say:
“Beautiful glimmers of vulnerability, loneliness and nostalgia” The Line Of Best Fit
“A band truly beloved by those lucky enough to discover them” Dork
Find The Howl & The Hum online:
instagram.com/thehowlandthehum
Image by Stewart Baxter.
