Howling Bells
Encyclopedia
Howling Bells are an indie rock band that formed in Sydney
in 2004. The band obtained moderate popularity in the United Kingdom following the release of its 2006 self-titled debut album. The lineup consists of Glenn Moule (drums), Brendan Picchio (bass guitar), Joel Stein (lead guitar), and Joel's sister Juanita Stein
(vocals, rhythm guitar).
Originally called Waikiki
, the band changed its name and musical style preceding its move from Australia to England. Howling Bells' debut album, Howling Bells
, was produced by Ken Nelson. The album charted in the Top 100 in the UK and just outside the Top 50 in Australia. It was also included on Album of the Year lists for a number of publications. The band's next release, Radio Wars
(2009), received mixed reviews, although it charted higher than its predecessor in both the UK and Australia. The band supported Coldplay
on the third leg of the North American Viva la Vida Tour
. In 2009, Gigwise
named Juanita Stein "the sexiest woman in rock."
Howling Bells are notable for a doom-and-gloom, country-and-rock music style, and they have been labelled as melodic blues and country-goth. They are influenced by The Beatles
and Jimi Hendrix
, and they are often compared to Mazzy Star
and The Velvet Underground
. Their third album, The Loudest Engine
, was released in September 2011.
, Presents, in 2000. In 2002, with a rhythm guitarist, they issued the Top 50 album I'm Already Home
. With four members, the band then toured Australia and New Zealand. Shortly thereafter, Brendan Picchio joined Waikiki as a bassist, and Juanita switched to rhythm guitar. The group soon became dissatisfied with its material, so the members chose a new direction for their music. They wrote a number of new songs and made a wish list of producers with whom they would like to work. In 2004, the band changed its name to Howling Bells, as its members felt that phrase better embodied its newly-adapted indie rock style.
Demos
of the new material were sent to British producer Ken Nelson (Coldplay
, Gomez
). The band members considered him to be an unattainable candidate as a producer, but he responded favourably. Upon learning that he was interested in working with them, they moved to London. At the time, Nelson was occupied working with Coldplay. For eight to ten months, the band lived in adverse conditions in one room in a house in London. During this period, the members took up menial employment opportunities. Picchio sold double-glazing
over the telephone. Moule worked in a pub and in a car workshop, and Joel worked on a farm.
album. Frustrated by the unforeseen delay, they considered returning to Australia. However, in early 2005, Nelson became available, and they recorded their first album at Parr Street Studios, Liverpool. Howling Bells exhibited a brooding sound, and it was a departure from the poppier style of music demonstrated by Waikiki. The long delay and the experience of a cold British winter had affected the tone of their music.
By July 2005, the band was not yet signed to a record label. Howling Bells toured for ten months prior to the release of the album. They played sporadically in clubs in Australia and North America, and they toured Europe and the UK with Editors
. The group played extensive UK club shows with many artists, including The Young Knives
and Hank & Lily. Howling Bells also played Camden Crawl and the 2006 NME New Music Tour.
The album was released in May 2006 in the United Kingdom on the Bella Union
label and in Australia in July through Liberation
. It received critical acclaim, including a perfect 5/5 from musicOMH
. NME rated it 9/10 and wrote in a review, "By turns beguiling and enthralling, this is an extraordinary album." Howling Bells peaked in the Top 100 of the UK Albums Chart
and just outside the Top 50 of the Australian Albums Chart
. At the time, it was the fastest selling album on the Bella Union label. The release appeared on Album of the Year lists for a number of different publications. In its 22 March 2007 issue, Rolling Stone
named Howling Bells one of their three bands to watch out for that year.
Howling Bells spent much of the next two years touring the UK, Europe, Australia, and the US. They played at the 2007 NME Awards
Show. They performed at numerous festivals during the northern hemisphere's summer months in 2006 and 2007, including Reading and Leeds and Latitude
. They supported Placebo
in Europe and Australia and The Futureheads
in the UK. The band also supported Mercury Rev
, Snow Patrol
, and The Killers across three different continents.
, Paul McCartney
) and recorded its follow-up album, Radio Wars, at several different recording studios. At times, the members found it difficult to work with their new producer. However, they have stated that in retrospect, they learned a great deal from him and felt fortunate for having the experience of collaborating with him.
Radio Wars was first released in the UK in March 2009, and it appeared in several other countries shortly thereafter. The album signalled a change in direction. The band's music had become brighter and more accessible and placed a greater emphasis on keyboards. Consequently, reviews were mixed. BBC Music
claimed "the second chance may well have been squandered." Gigwise
called it "an album of mashed-up half ideas." In a positive review, ABC
described it as "anthemic, edgy, stomping indie rock at its best." It peaked in the Top 30 in Australia and just outside of the Top 50 in the UK.
Howling Bells headlined a tour of the UK in March 2009, supported by The Joy Formidable
and Chew Lips
. They played V Festival
in Australia in April and were then invited to support Coldplay in May and June in North America. The band played more festivals in Europe, including Hop Farm
, Hard Rock Calling
, and Pukkelpop
. They supported Coldplay again for three nights of their European leg in August and September. The group returned to Australia to write music for its third album and to tour in December. Howling Bells received much praise from bands they supported on tour. Coldplay's Chris Martin
advised his audiences to download Howling Bells' song "Nightingale." In July, Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody
named the group as his "Band of the Week" in Q
magazine.
Juanita made the decision to develop her on-stage persona in 2008 and 2009. She became more confident, animated, and outgoing in her interactions with the audience and in her choice of clothes and hairstyles. In March 2009, Gigwise proclaimed her "the sexiest woman in rock." She also placed among the top ten of Clash
magazine's "Top Woman of 2009" list.
.
In September 2010, Howling Bells started recording The Loudest Engine at the Killers-owned Battle Born Studios
in Las Vegas. It was produced by bassist Mark Stoermer
, whom the group had met while it toured with The Killers. The relationship between Stoermer and Howling Bells strengthened after the band disembarked from its flight to Las Vegas. The flight had been delayed by more than 12 hours, but he had nonetheless waited for them at the airport. Howling Bells were impressed by his style of work. Rather than overproducing, he kept the amount of takes to a minimum and allowed the band just to play, which kept the sessions very natural. The band members became less conscious of trying to please other people, made the record that they wanted, and hoped that it would change people's attitudes toward the band.
The Loudest Engine was first issued in Australia in September 2011. The album received a number of positive reviews, but it ultimately polarized music critics, among whom no clear consensus emerged. Mojo
magazine rated The Loudest Engine 8/10 and praised it as the band's finest album to date. On the opposite end of the spectrum, NME rated it 2/10 and claimed that it "[fell] flat in a puddle of MOR." The album charted in both the UK and Australia. To coincide with the release of the album, Howling Bells played a short six-date tour of the UK.
, Charles Mingus
, Peter Green
, Vinnie Colaiuta
, and Jimi Hendrix
as influences. The catalyst for the change from Waikiki to Howling Bells was Juanita and Joel's trip to see Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
in Australia. They saw this band shrouded in red lights, and it created an atmosphere that inspired them to alter their musical direction. The band's style has been compared to that of PJ Harvey
, The Velvet Underground
, Nick Cave
, Mazzy Star
, and The Duke Spirit
. Their music has been called folk rock
, melodic blues, and country
-goth
. Juanita disagrees with the group's gothic characterization.
The style of Howling Bells was greatly influenced by film. The Steins and Picchio have expressed admiration of French films
in particular. Juanita has stated that she enjoyed bringing the strange and ethereal energy from those films into their music. To describe the sound of Howling Bells' debut album, critics used terms like dark, brooding, and Americana. NME described it as "the sound of PJ Harvey hitching a ride with The Velvet Underground through Twin Peaks."
The second album, Radio Wars, in which the band experimented with synthesizer
s and drum machine
s, had a more electronic pop sound. They also incorporated arrangements of string
and brass
into the album. Their goals were to make a different kind of record by exploring other genres of music and to create something more insightful and futuristic. Not unlike the first record, Radio Wars contained elements of dark subject matter. "Cities Burning Down," the darkest track from the album, was a song that Juanita and Moule wrote together. Its lyrics were inspired by the apocalyptic sound of the music, which they created first.
The Loudest Engine features a sound adapted to the genres of folk and rock, more so than the previous two Howling Bells records. Juanita explained that the band relied less on the sound technology that was prominent in Radio Wars, instead returning to the more organic state of Howling Bells. For the new album, Joel was inspired by prog rock and krautrock
acts such as Amon Düül
and Aphrodite's Child
. Howling Bells were inspired by The Doors
documentary When You're Strange
, which the members watched just before beginning to record The Loudest Engine.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 2004. The band obtained moderate popularity in the United Kingdom following the release of its 2006 self-titled debut album. The lineup consists of Glenn Moule (drums), Brendan Picchio (bass guitar), Joel Stein (lead guitar), and Joel's sister Juanita Stein
Juanita Stein
Juanita Stein is lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist in indie rock band Howling Bells. She has younger twin brothers Joel and Ari. Joel Stein is lead guitarist in Howling Bells.- Early life :...
(vocals, rhythm guitar).
Originally called Waikiki
Waikiki (band)
Waikiki were a rock group from Sydney, Australia, consisting of sister and brother Juanita Stein and Joel Stein , and Glenn Moule and Jimmy Brandon . A new bass player Brendan Picchio joined the band in early 2003, replacing Brandon, with Juanita Stein moving from bass to rhythm guitar...
, the band changed its name and musical style preceding its move from Australia to England. Howling Bells' debut album, Howling Bells
Howling Bells (Album)
Howling Bells is the self-titled debut album of London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. The album was released through Bella Union in the United Kingdom on 8 May 2006...
, was produced by Ken Nelson. The album charted in the Top 100 in the UK and just outside the Top 50 in Australia. It was also included on Album of the Year lists for a number of publications. The band's next release, Radio Wars
Radio Wars (album)
Radio Wars is the second studio album by London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. It was released through Independiente in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2009 to mixed reviews...
(2009), received mixed reviews, although it charted higher than its predecessor in both the UK and Australia. The band supported Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
on the third leg of the North American Viva la Vida Tour
Viva la Vida Tour
Viva la Vida Tour was the fourth concert tour by English band Coldplay. The tour was in support their fourth studio album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The tour was a massive commercial and critical success visiting Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australasia...
. In 2009, Gigwise
Gigwise.com
Gigwise.com is an online music magazine that features music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets, and a community forum. Founded in 2001, the magazine is based in the United Kingdom....
named Juanita Stein "the sexiest woman in rock."
Howling Bells are notable for a doom-and-gloom, country-and-rock music style, and they have been labelled as melodic blues and country-goth. They are influenced by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, and they are often compared to Mazzy Star
Mazzy Star
Mazzy Star is an American alternative rock band formed in Santa Monica, California, in 1989 from the group Opal, a collaboration of guitarist David Roback and bassist Kendra Smith...
and The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
. Their third album, The Loudest Engine
The Loudest Engine
The Loudest Engine is the third studio album of London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. The album was released through Cooking Vinyl on 9 September 2011 to mixed reviews...
, was released in September 2011.
Formation
In 1999, Glenn Moule, Joel Stein, and Juanita Stein formed the pop rock group Waikiki. They toured the Australian eastern states as a trio and released an EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Presents, in 2000. In 2002, with a rhythm guitarist, they issued the Top 50 album I'm Already Home
I'm Already Home
I'm Already Home is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Waikiki, released on 29 September 2002. The album reached number 43 in the ARIA Charts.- Charts and certifications :- Track listing :# "New Technology"# "Lucky"# "Did I?"...
. With four members, the band then toured Australia and New Zealand. Shortly thereafter, Brendan Picchio joined Waikiki as a bassist, and Juanita switched to rhythm guitar. The group soon became dissatisfied with its material, so the members chose a new direction for their music. They wrote a number of new songs and made a wish list of producers with whom they would like to work. In 2004, the band changed its name to Howling Bells, as its members felt that phrase better embodied its newly-adapted indie rock style.
Demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of the new material were sent to British producer Ken Nelson (Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, Gomez
Gomez (band)
Gomez are an English indie rock band from Southport, comprising Ian Ball , Paul "Blackie" Blackburn , Tom Gray , Ben Ottewell and Olly Peacock . The band is distinguished for having three singers and four songwriters, employing traditional and electronic instruments...
). The band members considered him to be an unattainable candidate as a producer, but he responded favourably. Upon learning that he was interested in working with them, they moved to London. At the time, Nelson was occupied working with Coldplay. For eight to ten months, the band lived in adverse conditions in one room in a house in London. During this period, the members took up menial employment opportunities. Picchio sold double-glazing
Insulated glazing
Insulated glazing also known as double glazing are double or triple glass window panes separated by an air or other gas filled space to reduce heat transfer across a part of the building envelope....
over the telephone. Moule worked in a pub and in a car workshop, and Joel worked on a farm.
Howling Bells (2005–2008)
Howling Bells waited for almost a year while Nelson worked on Coldplay's X&YX&Y
X&Y is the third studio album by English rock band Coldplay, released 6 June 2005 in the United Kingdom via the record label Parlophone. The album, which features influences of electronic music, was produced by the band and British record producer Danton Supple...
album. Frustrated by the unforeseen delay, they considered returning to Australia. However, in early 2005, Nelson became available, and they recorded their first album at Parr Street Studios, Liverpool. Howling Bells exhibited a brooding sound, and it was a departure from the poppier style of music demonstrated by Waikiki. The long delay and the experience of a cold British winter had affected the tone of their music.
By July 2005, the band was not yet signed to a record label. Howling Bells toured for ten months prior to the release of the album. They played sporadically in clubs in Australia and North America, and they toured Europe and the UK with Editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
. The group played extensive UK club shows with many artists, including The Young Knives
The Young Knives
Young Knives are an English indie rock band from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. The name is based on a misunderstanding of "young knaves", which was found by the band when rummaging through a book....
and Hank & Lily. Howling Bells also played Camden Crawl and the 2006 NME New Music Tour.
The album was released in May 2006 in the United Kingdom on the Bella Union
Bella Union
Bella Union is an independent record label that was started up by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie in 1997.After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twins decided to take a step towards independence and started up the Bella Union record label, through which they...
label and in Australia in July through Liberation
Liberation Music
Liberation Music is a boutique, independent Australasian record company, started in 1999 by Michael Gudinski and Warren Costello. Its stated aim is to find, nurture and then to develop new talent for a world market while remaining independent in the process...
. It received critical acclaim, including a perfect 5/5 from musicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
. NME rated it 9/10 and wrote in a review, "By turns beguiling and enthralling, this is an extraordinary album." Howling Bells peaked in the Top 100 of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and just outside the Top 50 of the Australian Albums Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. At the time, it was the fastest selling album on the Bella Union label. The release appeared on Album of the Year lists for a number of different publications. In its 22 March 2007 issue, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
named Howling Bells one of their three bands to watch out for that year.
Howling Bells spent much of the next two years touring the UK, Europe, Australia, and the US. They played at the 2007 NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
Show. They performed at numerous festivals during the northern hemisphere's summer months in 2006 and 2007, including Reading and Leeds and Latitude
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
. They supported Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
in Europe and Australia and The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
in the UK. The band also supported Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev is an American alternative rock group, that formed in the late 1980s in Buffalo, New York. Original personnel were David Baker , Jonathan Donahue , Sean Mackowiak, a.k.a...
, Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
, and The Killers across three different continents.
Radio Wars (2008–2009)
Howling Bells parted ways with Bella Union and, in 2008, signed a deal with record label Independiente. The band worked with producer and mixer Dan Grech-Marguerat (RadioheadRadiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
) and recorded its follow-up album, Radio Wars, at several different recording studios. At times, the members found it difficult to work with their new producer. However, they have stated that in retrospect, they learned a great deal from him and felt fortunate for having the experience of collaborating with him.
Radio Wars was first released in the UK in March 2009, and it appeared in several other countries shortly thereafter. The album signalled a change in direction. The band's music had become brighter and more accessible and placed a greater emphasis on keyboards. Consequently, reviews were mixed. BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
claimed "the second chance may well have been squandered." Gigwise
Gigwise.com
Gigwise.com is an online music magazine that features music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets, and a community forum. Founded in 2001, the magazine is based in the United Kingdom....
called it "an album of mashed-up half ideas." In a positive review, ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
described it as "anthemic, edgy, stomping indie rock at its best." It peaked in the Top 30 in Australia and just outside of the Top 50 in the UK.
Howling Bells headlined a tour of the UK in March 2009, supported by The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable are a three-piece band formed in 2007 in North Wales and currently located in London, England. The band consists of Ritzy Bryan , Rhydian Dafydd , and Matt Thomas ....
and Chew Lips
Chew Lips
Chew Lips are an East London based dance-pop duo, formed in spring of 2008. They consist of singer 'Tigs' and multi-instrumentalist James Watkins.-First Steps :...
. They played V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
in Australia in April and were then invited to support Coldplay in May and June in North America. The band played more festivals in Europe, including Hop Farm
Hop Farm Festival
Hop Farm Music Festival is an annual music festival at The Hop Farm Country Park in East Peckham in the English county of Kent, created by Festival Republic founder, Vince Power...
, Hard Rock Calling
Hard Rock Calling
Hard Rock Calling is an annual music festival held in Hyde Park, London, which first took place on Saturday July 1 and Sunday July 2, 2006. The music played is primarily rock music, and various performers, including Bon Jovi, The Who, Aerosmith, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen have played at the...
, and Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop is an annual music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid-to-late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—between a dual carriageway called Kempische Steenweg—in the village of Kiewit, approximately 7 km north of Hasselt...
. They supported Coldplay again for three nights of their European leg in August and September. The group returned to Australia to write music for its third album and to tour in December. Howling Bells received much praise from bands they supported on tour. Coldplay's Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
advised his audiences to download Howling Bells' song "Nightingale." In July, Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody
Gary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...
named the group as his "Band of the Week" in Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine.
Juanita made the decision to develop her on-stage persona in 2008 and 2009. She became more confident, animated, and outgoing in her interactions with the audience and in her choice of clothes and hairstyles. In March 2009, Gigwise proclaimed her "the sexiest woman in rock." She also placed among the top ten of Clash
Clash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
magazine's "Top Woman of 2009" list.
The Loudest Engine (2010–2011)
Howling Bells began writing material for The Loudest Engine in mid–2009, and expressed hope that 2010 would see the release of the album, but it did not. Juanita labelled the band's new writing as "real organic, real jammy ... very melodic, but very raw." They played new material during their December 2009 Australian tour. One critic described it as "a more rollicking, rock and roll approach." In 2010, the band severed its partnership with Independiente and later negotiated a contract agreement with Cooking VinylCooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
.
In September 2010, Howling Bells started recording The Loudest Engine at the Killers-owned Battle Born Studios
Battle Born Studios
Battle Born Studios, located in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, is a recording studio owned by The Killers. The studio has hosted groups like Motley Crue, Elton John, The Killers, Envy Corps and the Imagine Dragons.- History :...
in Las Vegas. It was produced by bassist Mark Stoermer
Mark Stoermer
Mark Stoermer is an American musician, best known for being the bassist for alternative rock band The Killers, in 2011 he released his debut solo album Another Life.-Personal life:...
, whom the group had met while it toured with The Killers. The relationship between Stoermer and Howling Bells strengthened after the band disembarked from its flight to Las Vegas. The flight had been delayed by more than 12 hours, but he had nonetheless waited for them at the airport. Howling Bells were impressed by his style of work. Rather than overproducing, he kept the amount of takes to a minimum and allowed the band just to play, which kept the sessions very natural. The band members became less conscious of trying to please other people, made the record that they wanted, and hoped that it would change people's attitudes toward the band.
The Loudest Engine was first issued in Australia in September 2011. The album received a number of positive reviews, but it ultimately polarized music critics, among whom no clear consensus emerged. Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine rated The Loudest Engine 8/10 and praised it as the band's finest album to date. On the opposite end of the spectrum, NME rated it 2/10 and claimed that it "
Influences and musical style
Members of Howling Bells have cited The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
, Peter Green
Peter Green (musician)
Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...
, Vinnie Colaiuta
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
, and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
as influences. The catalyst for the change from Waikiki to Howling Bells was Juanita and Joel's trip to see Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. BRMC is known for their garage rock, blues, folk revival, neo-psychedelia sound. They are influenced by bands such as: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Verve, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, T...
in Australia. They saw this band shrouded in red lights, and it created an atmosphere that inspired them to alter their musical direction. The band's style has been compared to that of PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
, The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, Mazzy Star
Mazzy Star
Mazzy Star is an American alternative rock band formed in Santa Monica, California, in 1989 from the group Opal, a collaboration of guitarist David Roback and bassist Kendra Smith...
, and The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit are an English rock band based in London. Their sound has been seen as a melding of many influences ranging from the alternative noise of 1980s/90s guitar bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and Spacemen 3, the tremulous rock n roll of bands such as The Gun Club and The...
. Their music has been called folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
, melodic blues, and country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
-goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
. Juanita disagrees with the group's gothic characterization.
The style of Howling Bells was greatly influenced by film. The Steins and Picchio have expressed admiration of French films
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
in particular. Juanita has stated that she enjoyed bringing the strange and ethereal energy from those films into their music. To describe the sound of Howling Bells' debut album, critics used terms like dark, brooding, and Americana. NME described it as "the sound of PJ Harvey hitching a ride with The Velvet Underground through Twin Peaks."
The second album, Radio Wars, in which the band experimented with synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
s, had a more electronic pop sound. They also incorporated arrangements of string
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
and brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
into the album. Their goals were to make a different kind of record by exploring other genres of music and to create something more insightful and futuristic. Not unlike the first record, Radio Wars contained elements of dark subject matter. "Cities Burning Down," the darkest track from the album, was a song that Juanita and Moule wrote together. Its lyrics were inspired by the apocalyptic sound of the music, which they created first.
The Loudest Engine features a sound adapted to the genres of folk and rock, more so than the previous two Howling Bells records. Juanita explained that the band relied less on the sound technology that was prominent in Radio Wars, instead returning to the more organic state of Howling Bells. For the new album, Joel was inspired by prog rock and krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
acts such as Amon Düül
Amon Düül
-External links:* - Extensive bio @ Perfect Sound Forever* mainly focussed on their collaboration with Robert Calvert of Hawkwind...
and Aphrodite's Child
Aphrodite's Child
Aphrodite's Child was a Greek progressive rock band formed in 1967, by Vangelis Papathanassiou , Demis Roussos , Loukas Sideras , and Anargyros "Silver" Koulouris . Their band's name was derived from the title of a track from another Mercury act, Dick Campbell, from his Sings Where It's At album...
. Howling Bells were inspired by The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
documentary When You're Strange
When You're Strange
When You're Strange is a 2009 documentary about the life of The Doors. It is written and directed by Tom DiCillo and for the first time makes material from Jim Morrison's 1969 film fragment HWY: An American Pastoral publicly available....
, which the members watched just before beginning to record The Loudest Engine.
Discography
- Howling BellsHowling Bells (Album)Howling Bells is the self-titled debut album of London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. The album was released through Bella Union in the United Kingdom on 8 May 2006...
(2006) - Radio WarsRadio Wars (album)Radio Wars is the second studio album by London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. It was released through Independiente in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2009 to mixed reviews...
(2009) - The Loudest EngineThe Loudest EngineThe Loudest Engine is the third studio album of London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. The album was released through Cooking Vinyl on 9 September 2011 to mixed reviews...
(2011)