Before he was breaking barriers in country music, Darius Rucker got his start at the helm of ’90s rock staples Hootie & the Blowfish. After cracking the Top 40 six times and collecting Grammy Awards, the band went on hiatus in 2008. That’s when Rucker, in a move that baffled some and delighted others, signed with Capitol Nashville and released his country debut, Learn to Live. The South Carolina native, 59, has had no shortage of success on his own. Now, he’s returning to his ’90s rocker roots, teaming up with R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills and ex-Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman to form the new supergroup Howl Owl Howl.
Darius Rucker Hits the Road With New Supergroup
Listeners will get a sense of what Howl Owl Howl is about when the supergroup releases their debut single, “My Cologne,” on Oct. 31. Three days later, Darius Rucker will join his longtime friends on the road, kicking off Howl Owl Howl’s inaugural tour Nov. 3 at the Vogue in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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“It feels great to be singing with a rock band again,” Rucker said in a statement, according to Rolling Stone. “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.”
[RELATED: How Darius Rucker’s Move Across the Pond Inspired His Next Album]
“Magic Happened”
According to Rolling Stone, Howl Owl Howl was born in 2021 from informal jam sessions involving longtime friends Darius Rucker, Mike Mills, and Steve Gorman.
“We’re friends, and we jammed together one day at Steve’s kid’s school with [Nashville session player] Tom Bukovac playing guitar,” the “Wagon Wheel” crooner said. “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.’”
Mills, 66, helped found alternative rock legends R.E.M. in 1980, along with fellow University of Georgia undergrads Bill Berry, Peter Buck, and Michael Stipe. Becoming known for hits like “Losing My Religion” and “The One I Love,” R.E.M. had sold more than 90 million albums worldwide when they split amicably in 2011.
“What started as old friends curious about what kind of noise we could make has turned into a bunch of songs that we all love,” Mills said. “I am psyched to get out there and play them live.”
Gorman, 60, joined the Black Crowes on drums in February 1987. After 15 years of hits like “Hard to Handle” and “She Talks to Angels,” he left the band in 2001 to pursue other endeavors. Gorman reunited with his bandmates in 2005, but was not part of the Black Crowes’ third reunion in 2019.
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