The Howl & The Hum, the musical project spearheaded by Leeds-based songwriter Sam Griffiths, is set to debut its latest single, “Echo,” at the stroke of midnight tonight. This release will be the fourth harbinger of the band’s sophomore studio LP, ‘Same Mistake Twice,’ poised for a September 6, 2024 release through the Miserable Disco banner.
The album represents a profound and adventurous turning point for frontman Griffiths, with “Same Mistake Twice” focusing introspectively on deeply personal matters. Griffiths bravely reckons with the pain and chaos of recent tumultuous years, composing some of his most candid and fearless songs to date. Surviving numerous challenges, including the breakup of the band, the global pandemic and re-evaluating his future in music, he reflects on the complex emotions associated with any breakup, particularly the anxiety surrounding how we are perceived by others and, on an even deeper level, how we will be remembered.
In retrospect, Griffiths asserts that, “The lyrics are almost too direct, which is what I wanted. It’s finding the beauty in the pain and looking for forgiveness through it all.”
Following a period of relative disillusionment in the music industry, Griffith thankfully reconnected with the joy of performing and creating music in the context of a collaborative group dynamic. The incorporation of additional artists and instruments into his process opened up a plethora of previously untapped inventive avenues, which in turn led to collaborations with Elanor Moss (who will also be supporting the band on tour in November), Scottish songwriter and saxophonist Matthew Herd, and Joseph Futak (Funeral for Bird and Papal Plot) for the new album.
In advance of the forthcoming release of “Echo” and the band’s second album, CinemaChords’ Howard Gorman interviewed Griffiths, who provided insights into his musical trajectory since the band’s debut LP. The interview delved into how his experiences over the past few years informed the creation of this new album, which explores a very real, everyday dread that many of us feel nowadays, a sentiment that is intensified by our constant exposure to screens that inundate us with images of how we should be, what a good person is, and what a bad person is. This also led to a reflection on how, despite his ambivalent relationship with social media, he is learning to embrace it as a potentially valuable tool for musicians.
Physical formats of “Same Mistake Twice” are available for pre-order here now and the band will also be heading out on a headline tour across the UK and Europe in support of the new album at the following venues:
NOVEMBER
13 Gorilla, Manchester, UK
14 King Tut’s, Glasgow, UK
15 Leeds Irish Centre, Leeds, UK
16 O2 Institute 3, Birmingham, UK
18 The Lantern, Bristol, UK
19 Lafayette, London, UK
21 Muziekgieterij, Maastricht, Netherlands
22 Luxor, Cologne, Germany
24 Trix Club, Antwerp, Belgium
25 Paradiso Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam, Netherlands
26 Das Bett, Frankfurt, Germany
28 Hole 44, Berlin, Germany
29 Molotov, Hamburg, Germany
