Wishing it was 1970 and not 2020? Me too! Since time travel, and even actual plane travel aren’t possible right now, why not listen to some music reminiscent of the time period? If you know me, youâll know that I really appreciate when bands have that true to classic rock sound. Itâs why Iâm a fan of Greta Van Fleet, as controversial as that may be to music elitists. I got a message from Simon Hurts of London hard rock band Howlinâ May Queen to check out his music and it really stood out to me.
Before we get to the interview, hereâs a little information on the band: They were formed in London in the autumn of 2017 and the members are Daniel Ocean on vocals, Simon Hurts on guitar, John Paragami on bass, and Patrick Casey on drums. Their biggest sound influences are Zeppelin and Hendrix, so blues rock and psych. Last year, they released a single, âYou Better Make Me Grooveâ b/w âLong Way of Goldâ and a three track EP, 1969. As for accomplishments, they recorded a live session at Abbey Road Studios and their 2019 Electric Magick summer tour was sold out.
Like Led Zep, theyâre versatile and can go from hard rock with âYou Better Make Me Grooveâ to softer folk with âLet it Bleedâ.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2ZkZLAhjGCFQh6ZtW4jqFX?si=rnyUFd4CTzyXEHinIPDO5w
https://open.spotify.com/track/2ZSWFx9QvwErgDxLdYuE0v?si=eFRe7sgUSBasCvvQ9PjNtQ
So far, their releases have been very promising and I canât wait to hear more from them. Definitely looking forward to a full album from this hard rock band.
Weâre lucky to have the band with us here for a quick Q&A. If you want to learn more about Howlinâ May Queen, keep on reading.
Angie Moon: How would you describe the band in a nutshell?
Simon Hurts: I remember somebody said after a gig, “you guys are a “lead featherâ
Angie: How did the band meet?
Simon: We met in Camden town- London, as we have been all playing in different bands till the point where after a jam we decided to found a new band.
Angie: What does classic rock mean to you?
Simon: The best thing about classic rock is that it can be whatever you want it to be, if you like it you know what Iâm talking about.
Angie: What are your favourite under-appreciated classic rock songs?
Simon: I believe that currently there are too many great releases that don’t get the space to get heard and appreciated the way they should as the rock universe is constantly expanding.
Angie: What was it like to record at Abbey Road Studios?
Simon: Intense, intense indeedâŚ
Angie: How has the EP, 1969, been received so far?
Simon: The reception has been pretty good considering that it was a self-released EP, reaching an overall audience of 50k listeners over Spotify. Thanks to all of our supporters and radios across the world that are helping us spreading our music.
Angie: Any plans for new music this year?
Simon: We are currently recording our first full length album due to be released later this year, meanwhile we almost completed the writing of what will be the second LP.
Angie: What are your favourite songs to play live?
Simon: It is pretty hard to name a specific song as we tend to improvise a lot giving a different tone to every gig we play, so It really is up to the moment when we get on stage.
Angie: As a band, how are you dealing with the lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic?
Simon: Not much has changed as that now we don’t have to make up excuses not to go out ahah. We are taking advantage of the situation to focus on our next releases not having to rush all the time.
Angie: What do you think is the best way for fans to show appreciation for their favourite bands during this time when there are no live shows?
Simon: Now in these troubled times we all have a better perception of what art is in our lives, so, once it will be all over we should definitely give artists and art a bit more appreciation, not taking it for granted as we used to do before this emergency.
Angie: What is your proudest accomplishment so far?
Simon: Our successful tour “Electric Magickâ
Angie: Any words for your fans?
Simon: Hold fast, it will pass and we [will] all get back together.
You can follow Howlinâ May Queen on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Shoutout to my friends Patrick and Matt for supporting the blog!
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