Mike Mills Forms Supergroup Howl Owl Howl for Debut Single.

2 days ago7 min read

In a move that feels less like a corporate collaboration and more like the opening track of a long-lost, sun-bleached rock record, Mike Mills, the melodic heartbeat of R. E.M. , has teamed up with Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker and Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman to form the supergroup Howl Owl Howl.Their debut single, a sly and shimmering piece of jangle-pop, isn't about lost love or social commentary in the traditional sense; it’s a winking ode to a pop star’s fragrance, a concept so deliciously absurd and specific it could only be born from musicians who have long since graduated from trying to write a conventional hit. This isn't just a new song; it's a statement of intent, a gathering of veterans from the golden age of alt-rock and 90s radio dominance who are now operating with the liberated ease of artists who have nothing left to prove.The very formation of Howl Owl Howl reads like a fantasy draft for anyone who came of age with a CD wallet stuffed to the brim. Mike Mills, the bassist whose harmonies defined a generation's melancholy and whose melodic bass lines were often the secret lead instrument in R.E. M.'s soundscape, provides the indie-rock credibility. Darius Rucker, who first captured the world with the earnest, bar-band anthems of Hootie before executing one of the most successful genre pivots in modern music history as a country superstar, brings a soulful, everyman warmth and a voice that has only grown richer with time.And anchoring it all is Steve Gorman, the thunderous, groove-laden backbone of The Black Crowes, a band whose swaggering, blues-drenched rock ‘n’ roll was the perfect counterpoint to R. E.M. 's intellectual jangle.The alchemy here is fascinating: it’s the confluence of Athens, Georgia's cerebral cool, South Carolina's heartland rock, and the unapologetic swagger of Atlanta's hardest-hitting blues-rock outfit. Their first offering, a track that playfully dissects the phenomenon of celebrity-endorsed perfumes, feels like a deliberate step away from the weighty expectations that typically accompany such legendary lineups.Instead of a grand, self-serious anthem, they’ve chosen a subject that is at once trivial and deeply revealing of modern fame—the commodification of a star's essence into a bottled scent. One can almost hear the ghost of Warren Zevon smiling at the sheer idiosyncrasy of it.The track itself, from early descriptions, seems to lean into each member's strengths: expect Gorman's loose, percussive shuffle to provide a foundation that is both sturdy and swinging, allowing Mills to weave in his characteristically melodic bass figures that converse with the rhythm rather than merely follow it. Rucker’s vocals, no longer needing to fill stadiums with Hootie’s roar or tell country stories, can adopt a more nuanced, almost conversational tone, laced with the kind of irony and warmth that the song's subject demands.It’s a sound that harks back to an era when songs on the radio had space to breathe, when musicianship and songcraft were paramount, and when a supergroup wasn't just a marketing ploy but a genuine creative summit. This project raises compelling questions about the nature of collaboration later in life.For artists of this caliber, with decades of touring, recording, and industry upheaval behind them, what is the impetus to start a new band? It’s rarely about fame or fortune; it’s about the unadulterated joy of creation, the spark that comes from playing with new colleagues who are also old peers, and the freedom to explore ideas that might not fit within their primary projects' established narratives. Howl Owl Howl feels less like a calculated career move and more like three friends finally clearing out the garage to make some noise for the pure, unvarnished fun of it.The choice of a pop star fragrance as their muse is a masterstroke of subtle satire, a commentary on the ephemeral and often ridiculous nature of celebrity culture, a world these artists have observed from both the inside and the periphery. In the grand playlist of rock history, where supergroups range from the legendary (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) to the forgettable, Howl Owl Howl enters with a confident, understated cool. They are not trying to save rock ‘n’ roll; they are simply reminding us why we fell in love with it in the first place—because it can be smart, funny, melodic, and utterly unpredictable, all at once.

#featured

#R.E.M.

#Mike Mills

#Darius Rucker

#Steve Gorman

#Howl Owl Howl

#Ariana Grande

#My Cologne

#Supergroup

#Fragrance

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