Mitch Rowland

Born in Ohio, Mitch Rowland has built his reputation as an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter chiefly through his role as co-writer and touring guitarist alongside British pop star Harry Styles. He first entered the studio simply as a substitute session guitarist during the making of Styles’ debut album, yet the collaboration quickly expanded; Rowland ultimately helped shape nearly every track and later joined the road band. The partnership has extended across all of Styles’ subsequent releases, and in 2021 Rowland shared a Grammy Award for his contribution to the worldwide hit “Watermelon Sugar.” In late 2023 he issued his own first solo collection, the elegant and understated Come June.

Rowland spent his early years in Dublin, Ohio, before enrolling at the University of Cincinnati, where he performed on guitar and drums in several local groups and befriended musician Ryan Nasci. The pair eventually relocated to Los Angeles and launched the indie-folk duo Total Navajo, which put out an EP in 2014. Around the same time Nasci was gaining footing as an audio engineer; when the booked guitarist failed to appear for an early session tied to Harry Styles’ self-titled debut, Nasci summoned his roommate Rowland as an emergency replacement. The connection between Rowland and Styles proved immediate and fruitful, resulting in co-writing credits on nine songs, among them the single “Sign of the Times.” In 2017, despite having no prior touring background, Rowland was invited to serve as lead guitarist for Styles’ live band, where he met English drummer Sarah Jones, his future wife and bandmate. The creative alliance continued on Styles’ 2019 album Fine Line, which included the Grammy-winning Rowland co-write “Watermelon Sugar,” and again on the 2022 release Harry’s House, for which Rowland helped compose the hit “Music for a Sushi Restaurant.” His solo debut, Come June, arrived in late 2023 and highlighted a glowing blend of indie pop and hushed folk.