Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker has formed a supergroup, Howl Owl Howl, with R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills and co-founding, former drummer for the Black Crowes, Steve Gorman. Their debut track “My Cologne” arrives Oct. 31, and they’re kicking off their inaugural tour Nov. 3 at the Vogue in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“It feels great to be singing with a rock band again,” Rucker says in a statement. “It’s like buddies getting together, but also getting to play with your idols. The stuff we’re writing is so different than anything I’ve tried to do before.”
Mills shares Rucker’s excitement. “You never can explain band chemistry,” he says. “We all like each other. And we all admire each other musically. All those things come together and if it weren’t fun, we wouldn’t be doing it.”
According to a press release, the group’s music “fuses organic roots rock with an open-minded alternative flair, matching a fluid, feel-oriented rhythm section to the barrel-chested vocal rasp of an iconic frontman.”
The group started with informal jam sessions back in 2021, but it remained a secret until Rucker discussed it with Rolling Stone‘s Brian Hiatt last summer.
“You can call it a supergroup if you want, but I think people will really be surprised at how good it is,” Rucker said. “But we’re just a band. We’re friends, and we jammed together one day at Steve’s kid’s school with [Nashville session player] Tom Bukovac playing guitar. We were just like, ‘Let’s go in the studio and see what happens.’ And we went in the studio and to be honest with you, magic happened, and then I just can’t wait for the record to get out.’”
There’s still no word on when the album will hit, but they’ll definitely be playing songs from it on their tour. Their sets will mix Howl Owl Howl originals with songs by R.E.M., the Black Crowes, and Hootie and the Blowfish.
“There’s not a single guarantee,’ Gorman says in a statement. “We’re finally going to get to plug in and let it rip a little bit.”
Rucker is no stranger to the R.E.M. catalog. Hootie and the Blowfish have played “Losing My Religion” at most of their concerts over the past two decades. They’ve also played “(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville,” and “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” And a handful of times, they’ve also done “She Talks to Angels” by the Black Crowes.
Hootie and the Blowfish played a special show at the Grand Wailea resort in Maui, Hawaii, on Feb. 26. But they’ve been off the road since last year, and likely won’t be touring again any time soon.
“It would be five or more years — if we ever do it again,” he told Rolling Stone in the middle of the 2024 tour. “I was surprised I agreed to this tour. Because I mean, for me, it’s just like, I’m going backwards. You know, as an artist, sometimes you don’t want to go backwards.”
Howl Owl Howl’s tour dates:
Nov. 3 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
Nov. 4 – Chicago, IL @ Metro Chicago
Nov. 6 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Nov. 7 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony
Nov. 8 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club – Music Hall
Nov. 11 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Nov. 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Nov. 14 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
Nov. 15 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
