Fresh from a standout showing at Download Festival, rising newcomers The Howling are moving at a pace most bands can only dream of.
“We’ve been really, really lucky,” they admit, reflecting on a whirlwind few months that has seen them go from debut single to festival stages in record time.
Their courtyard set at Download proved a defining moment – not just for the band, but for the growing crowd discovering them.
“Absolute blast… the sun came out just as we were loading the stage up. We were really blessed.”
Since launching in September with debut track Little Promises, the band have racked up just 35 shows – yet remarkably, they’re still waiting for a lukewarm reception. “We’ve not had a crowd that feels like they don’t want us there.”
That momentum has carried into their debut EP Salvo, which quickly sold out on vinyl – packed and posted by the band themselves from their living room. “There might be a dog hair in there,” they joke, highlighting the DIY ethos underpinning their rapid rise.
Frequent comparisons to Creeper, Placebo and even Meat Loaf haven’t fazed them either. Instead, they embrace it. “It’s a massive compliment… we share a lot of DNA.”
With big ambitions – including flaming chandeliers and dream festival line-ups featuring Bowie, Def Leppard and Nickelback – The Howling are clearly thinking ahead.
And if 2026 is anything to go by, they may not be dreaming for long.
Check out the full interview here: