The Howlers

"How can you not predict a bright future for them" - CLASSIC ROCK "Leather-clad outlaws, cigarette in mouth" - CLASH

Following their return in 2025 with the singles Nightcrawling and You Can Be So Cruel, alongside signing with independent label FLG, London indie rockers The Howlers return with their new single Viper, available on May 7th. This release is accompanied by the announcement of their second album, Heavy, expected on October 9th—a bold and visceral statement of intent as the band enters the most significant chapter of their career.

Driven by a pulsating riff, an unrelenting rhythm section, and raw, urgent energy, Viper shows The Howlers at their most immediate: indie rock fueled by tension, desire, and consequences. The track sets the tone for Heavy, a record on which frontman Adam Young pushes his songwriting into darker and more impulsive territory.

Following a period of transition at the end of 2024, The Howlers entered a new phase: Adam Young rebuilt the project as a duo with drummer Toby Richards—a shift that redefined both the band's sound and artistic direction, bringing new clarity and a renewed identity.

This hard reset came after a pivotal year. Their self-released debut album, What You’ve Got To Lose To Win It All, received an enthusiastic reception across Europe, reaching the Top 10 of the UK Independent Breakers chart and securing multiple placings across independent, vinyl, and physical sales charts. The band also benefited from support by BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Radio X, and Absolute Radio, as well as international support and editorial playlists on Apple Music and Spotify.

This momentum naturally extended to the stage. An 18-date UK tour, entirely sold out, cemented the band as one of the most exciting live acts in the country, ahead of a European tour where they sold out shows in eight countries—testing out new tracks on the road that would ultimately shape what came next.

Where their debut album was marked by grief and personal loss, Heavy is born from a completely different state of mind. Fueled by the tension between desire and consequence, recklessness and reality, it is an album illuminated by the call of the night, the adrenaline of impulse, and the cold clarity that follows.

Written and produced with long-time collaborator Chris Ostler (Black Honey), the record deliberately avoids traditional studio methods. It was built remotely—demos, ideas, and reworked compositions being exchanged via digital platforms—in order to get straight to the point while pushing every track to its highest level. It was only in the final stages that the band entered the rehearsal studio to record live drums, bringing raw and physical energy to its most experimental aspects.

For a band that has always worn its honesty like a banner—and built an intensely loyal fan base because of it—Heavy feels like the album The Howlers have been heading towards all along. With a major headline European and UK tour planned, 2026 is shaping up to be the year of their true breakthrough.

Viper will be available on all streaming platforms starting May 7th. Heavy will follow on October 9th.