The Howl & The Hum

Originating amid Yorkshire's cultural underground in England, the four-piece the Howl & The Hum quickly earned recognition as a standout act to follow through their fusion of styles within narrative-driven songwriting. After relocating to York, England, vocalist Sam Griffiths connected with fellow musicians at the city's open-mike nights, resulting in the Howl & The Hum's lineup of Griffiths, Bradley Blackwell on bass, Conor Hirons on guitar, and Jack Williams on drums. Their first single, the soaring ballad "Godmanchester Chinese Bridge" released in 2017, rapidly accumulated streams as an underground favorite and reinforced the band's status as a key "one to watch." Though anchored in the alt-rock lineage of earlier acts, the quartet's early output featured fluid genre-bending that drew on neo-soul and disco among other elements. Throughout 2018 and 2019 they sustained momentum via a series of distinctive singles, road-testing fresh material while continuing to refine their sound. Their debut album, Human Contact, followed the next May on Kontakt/AWAL and examined interpersonal themes across an electronically driven soundscape.