After forming in the cultural underground of Yorkshire, England, four-piece the Howl & The Hum established themselves as a key "one to watch" with a genre-blending style of narrative-driven music. After moving to York, England, vocalist Sam Griffiths soon found a stable of keen collaborators through the city's numerous open-mike nights. The Howl & The Hum were formed, comprising Griffiths himself, Bradley Blackwell (bass), Conor Hirons (guitar), and Jack Williams (drums). Their debut single, a soaring ballad titled "Godmanchester Chinese Bridge" (2017), quickly became an underground favorite, racking up streams and establishing the group as a key "one to watch." While rooted in the alt-rock traditions of their forefathers, the quartet's early material was full of smooth genre-bending, incorporating elements of everything from neo-soul to disco. Through 2018 and 2019, the group kept their momentum going with a string of unique singles, testing new material on the road as they continued to experiment with their sound. Their debut album arrived the following May via Kontakt/AWAL. Titled Human Contact, the four-piece's debut saw them explore interpersonal themes through an electronically driven soundscape. ~ David Crone