I apologize in advance for calling these guys "'90s legends" in my headline, but that's the decade when I came of age, and this is part of the soundtrack to which I did it. The truth is that all of them had great careers that spanned multiple decades, and one of them is just as well-known, if not more so, in this decade than he was back then.
Either way, I'm excited about it.
Former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman turned country music crooner Darius Rucker has joined forces with Mike Mills of R.E.M. fame, as well as Steve Gorman, drummer and founding member of the Black Crowes, to form a new rock band called Howl Owl Howl. The three men have been friends for years.
Introducing Howl Owl Howl, a rock supergroup comprised of Hootie frontman @DariusRucker, R.E.M. co-founder Mike Mills and The Black Crowes’ co-founder/former drummer @SteveGorman. Tickets to their tour are on sale Friday at https://t.co/aOWtAsRwor pic.twitter.com/zl5LLcTAMN
— Howl Owl Howl (@HowlOwlHowl) September 24, 2025
Rucker, who has never shied away from his passion for the music of the Black Crowes and R.E.M., said of the new band, "It feels great to be singing with a rock band again. It’s like buddies getting together, but also getting to play with your idols. The stuff we’re writing is so different than anything I’ve tried to do before."
Mills said, "You never can explain band chemistry. We all like each other. And we all admire each other musically. All those things come together and if it weren’t fun, we wouldn’t be doing it."
We haven't heard any music from them just yet — they release their first single, "My Cologne," on Halloween of this year — but my hope is that their music gives us all the nostalgic '90s vibes.
And, according to Rucker, it may do just that. During an interview recently, he said he played some of the music for someone, and they said, "Man, this would be album of the year in '97." No complaints about that from me. Rucker also called it "straight rock 'n roll."
What does Howl Owl Howl sound like, you ask? Well, 1997 was a very good year. pic.twitter.com/K7y4Uv0erZ
— Howl Owl Howl (@HowlOwlHowl) October 15, 2025
The band's new website says:
Howl Owl Howl rekindles the spirit of the authentic rock band. Infusing roots rock with an open-minded alternative flair – plus a fluid rhythm section and the barrel-chested vocal rasp of an iconic frontman – it was born from friendship and the pure joy of collaboration, and powered by the world-class instincts of true originals.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure I'll get to hear too much of it anytime soon unless they release an album. The guys are going on a nine-city tour this November, and two of the dates are right here in my own backyard (Atlanta and Athens, Ga.). Last week, when I looked at prices for both venues, they were not particularly affordable, but your mileage may vary. It looks like they've come down a bit since the last time I checked into them.
Of the live shows, Gorman said, "There’s not a single guarantee. We’re finally going to get to plug in and let it rip a little bit."
Recommended: Ode to Darius Rucker
I suspect there'll be a mix of some new, original material, various songs from their old bands, and maybe some covers of tunes they like from other artists. Whatever it is, I just hope it's good. I'm a fan of all three former bands. My mom was actually a huge Black Crowes fan, which is why I got into them, and my dad was playing R.E.M. records all throughout my early childhood, and they're still one of my favorite bands today. I know any time I write about them, several of you speak up and say you're big fans, too. Mills might be a tad offended that I'm writing about him for a conservative/libertarian website, but he'll have to get over it. It's free advertising.
As for Rucker, well, as I've written here before, I can't think of another living person on this planet whose voice literally makes me pause and seemingly takes my breath away every single time I hear it. I'm not the biggest modern country music fan, but he could sing a Chili's restaurant jingle, and it'd be the greatest thing ever. I listen to something from his body of work nearly every single day, and on social media, I'm going on a four-year campaign to get him to cover R.E.M.'s "You Are the Everything." So far, I've only gotten written song lyrics, but I'm not giving up hope on the vocals.
Sometimes I feel like I can’t even sing. I’m very scared for this world. Very scared for me. https://t.co/rBeBgQ81TT
— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) November 21, 2021
Since Howl Owl Howl's sound is still a mystery, I'll leave you with a few of my favorite times when Rucker crossed over and performed with or covered the other bands.
Here's my favorite, Hootie & the Blowfish's version of R.E.M.'s "Driver 8."
And here's Rucker singing "Hard to Handle" with the Black Crowes for "CMT Crossroads."
From the last few weeks, Rucker posted a video of himself singing a clip of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" on social media, and it was stunning.
And... I didn't have @dariusrucker covering "Everybody Hurts" on my bingo card for today, but damn. https://t.co/ML6zqQ07hH
— SarahDownSouth (@SarahDownSouth) September 25, 2025
