Howling Bells

Howling Bells

Howling Bells are a Sydney, Australia indie rock band that form in 2004 after the breakup of Waikiki. The group comprises Juanita Stein on vocals and guitar, Joel Stein on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Brendan Picchio on bass, keyboards and vocals, and Glenn Moule on drums and vocals. They remain active and are associated with the Sydney music scene as well as an Australian indie rock sound.

Early releases and move to the UK

The band debut with the single “Wishing Stone” in 2006 on Bella Union. Soon after forming, they move to the UK and record their self-titled debut album, Howling Bells, with producer Ken Nelson. Nelson is known for work with Coldplay and Gomez. The album appears in 2006 on Bella Union and receives strong critical attention, including a rare 9/10 in NME and 7.8/10 in Pitchfork.

Touring and live appearances

Following their debut, Howling Bells spend much of the next two years touring in Europe, Australia and parts of the United States. They perform at the 2007 NME Awards show and appear at a number of festivals during the 2006 English summer, including Reading and Leeds. They also support The Killers and Placebo on European dates, and Snow Patrol on the Australian leg of that tour.

Later albums and labels

The band sign to the UK label Independiente, whose catalogue includes acts such as Travis and The La’s. Their second album, Radio Wars, is recorded with Dan Grech-Marguerat, who has worked alongside Nigel Godrich on records by Radiohead and Air. The first single from the album is “Into the Chaos”.

The third studio album, The Loudest Engine, is released through Cooking Vinyl and is produced by Mark Stoermer. It is recorded at Battle Born Studios in Las Vegas in 2010. Their fourth album, Heartstrings, is released through Birthday Records, co-produced by Catherine J. Marks and Alan Moulder, and recorded at Assault & Battery 2 in London in 2013.