After revealing their surprise formation last month, new rock group Howl Owl Howl is giving fans the first scent of its raw, sharp-edged sound. Dropping their debut song “My Cologne” (10/31), the trio of ‘90s alternative legends unveil a punchy garage rocker with a playful core, dedicated to the act of reinvention.
Written by Howl Owl Howl members Darius Rucker (Hootie & the Blowfish frontman/multi-Platinum country star), Mike Mills (R.E.M. co-founder/Rock & Roll Hall of Famer), and Steve Gorman (The Black Keys co-founder/former drummer), “My Cologne” features shared lead vocals from both Rucker and Mills, with a fist-pumping rhythm built on Gorman’s killer instincts.
But the new band’s lineup is not the only star-studded piece of the “My Cologne” story.
Scrappy and irreverent, the tongue-in-cheek anthem was actually inspired by Ariana Grande’s 2018 track “R.E.M.” – which then turned into a perfume line with a familiar feeling cassette-tape package. Mills says he found the possible connection to his iconic band too hilarious not to write about … especially since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
“I’m not dissing Ariana – in fact I got no problem with it at all,” he says with a laugh. “I just thought it was funny that either she was completely unaware of how weird that was, or she was aware and didn’t care. Either way, I thought I’d write a little song and say I want to smell like Ariana Grande.”
Stream or download Howl Owl Howl’s “My Cologne” Below.
Meanwhile, only a few days remain before Howl Owl Howl starts its first chapter on the road.
Showcasing the band’s longtime creative camaraderie and unique new sound, the Howl Owl Howl Tour 2025 features nine dates beginning November 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana, with additional stops stretching across the Eastern U.S. and Midwest.
Each show will combine three distinctive, award-winning talents in new and unheard ways, as the band performs their original music live for the first time – tunes steeped in the rebellious passion and forever-young philosophy of rock…yet designed in a different phase of life.
All tickets for the Howl Owl Howl Tour 2025 are on sale now. Full tour routing below.
Howl Owl Howl Tour 2025:
November 3 || Indianapolis, IN || The Vogue
November 4 || Chicago, IL || Metro Chicago
November 6 || Washington, D.C. || 9:30 Club
November 7 || Asbury Park, NJ || Stone Pony
November 8 || Boston, MA || Paradise Rock Club - Music Hall
November 11 || New York, NY || Webster Hall
November 12 || Philadelphia, PA || Union Transfer
November 14 || Athens, GA || Georgia Theatre
November 15 || Atlanta, GA || Variety Playhouse
About Howl Owl Howl:
As a true supergroup drawing on three of the most impactful careers in American rock, Howl Owl Howl is an elusive musical creature: a brand-new band with an old school rock ‘n’ roll soul. Founded by GRAMMY-winning Hootie & the Blowfish frontman/multi-Platinum country star Darius Rucker, REM co-founder/Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mike Mills, and The Black Crowes co-founder and former drummer/lauded media personality Steve Gorman, Howl Owl Howl was born from friendship and the pure joy of collaboration, and is now powered by the world-class instincts of true originals, who are far from done making noise. Infusing roots rock with an open-minded alternative flair, the band’s first batch of music was 30 years in the making, matching a fluid, feel-oriented rhythm section to the barrel-chested vocal rasp of an iconic frontman. After moving in the same orbit through their hard-touring ‘90s heyday, an upcoming album captures the group’s wide range of sonic influence in melody-driven freeform style. From punchy garage rock and jangle pop to throwback soul, blues, and beyond, self-penned songs veer from deeply personal to colorful and quirky, on a set steeped in the rebellious passion and forever-young philosophy of rock…yet designed in a different phase of life. With more maturity and humility – but the same us-against-the-world swagger each member brought to their genre-defining first act – the near-mythical group hits the road in late 2025, swooping into a new era.
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