Released timely in the blaring summer months, The Howlers’ explosive single “L.A. Morning” is a response to notions of The American Dream, viewed through the eyes of a British outsider confronting the false glamour, evasive truths, and empty promises money can’t buy.

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Stream: “L.A. Morning” – The Howlers

With soaring electric guitars that instantly pique the ears of classic rock fans, The Howlers wrap critique within a sonic nostalgia, while remaining firmly rooted in the present.

The Howlers’ latest single “L.A. Morning” sonically does what its lyrics discuss: crunching rock vocals stand on par with bursts of percussion and guitar solos. Referencing “ain’t no Venice Beach in Bethnal Green” and “West Hollywood limousines” at the outset, “L.A. Morning” is a cautionary tale, a glimpse into the not-so glamorous American Dream through a British perspective. The single is a disillusionment with the myth, where youthful fantasy is pierced with realism, while still maintaining the wonder and escapism the dream promised in the first place.

Nobody says what they really mean
In West Hollywood limousines
La to London like your living a dream
But there’s no Venice beach in Bethnal Green

Sunshine on the West Coast
You know the feeling that you love the most
You got so high you took a cab ride home
To play the victim in a new postcode

Made up of two-piece Adam Young and Toby Richards, the band has undergone a self-proclaimed transition phase since their first record, exploring new sounds and a renewed sense of artistic identity. The single arrives ahead of their sophomore album, out this fall, and announcements of their summer shows alongside rock icons Deep Purple and Alice Cooper. The band described “L.A. Morning” as arriving late into the album’s conception, recorded in a matter of hours during the band’s final studio session.

Laid back, head high
In a Cadillac under blue skies
Don’t think, just ride
What you want money just can’t buy
There’s a million things
I could’ve told you
But none of them
would’ve been the whole truth
So don’t think, just ride
It’s just another morning in L.A.

On the single, Young shares, “As kids we all grew up with the idea of the American Dream, a notion that has been dashed significantly in recent years by world events, but the romanticised idea of Hollywood is something that every child knows and grows up wanting. ‘L.A. Morning’ is sort of the realisation of that. It was never meant to end up on the album, but it came together so naturally that we couldn’t ignore it. Those moments are rare and they’re what making music is all about.”

Everybody’s got a lot to say
Like they forgot to sign an NDA
I’m not in Dallas, you ain’t JFK
I think iv said all I need to say

It’s just another morning in LA
City of angels where there’s hell to pay
United States of whatever you say
I’m just a tourist from the 51st state

In this ever-changing world, it’s not often that unfulfilled dreams are spoken about so plainly, and with so much self-realisation.

Young and Richards’ vulnerability in allowing themselves to go there is a testament to the powers of the subconscious – and how it arrives in music when one allows it to. For “L.A. Morning,” that bittersweet realization is something I’m sure, in essence, we all can relate to.

Capturing the spontaneity and angst that can never be replicated, The Howlers consistently front honesty at every turn. Bravery in music is unsuspectingly challenging in our world, but The Howlers seem to wield that with ease.

Laid back, head high
In a Cadillac under blue skies
Don’t think, just ride
What you want money just can’t buy
There’s a million things
I could’ve told you
But none of them
would’ve been the whole truth
So don’t think, just ride
It’s just another morning in L.A.

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Stream: “L.A. Morning” – The Howlers

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 © Natalia Alejarra-Dinnadge

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