Howth

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Aviva Stampfer- Synth, Glockenspiel, Vocals
Blake Luley- Guitar, Synth, Programming/Samples
Carl Creighton- Vocals, Guitar
Miles Waltuck- Drums
Neil Acharya- Bass, Saxophone, Vocals

Howth began as two roommates experimenting in minimal psychedelic folk music and has since become a collection of five friends with so much vibe you would think they had been playing together for the last decade of their twenty-something lives. And in fact, some of them have been. Shortly after returning from Palestine where he had been teaching children the joys of music, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Blake Luley again met up with songwriter Carl Creighton in his home state of Minnesota. By way of a mini tour, Luley and Creighton returned to New York City and began to look for like minded musicians to help expand the sound they had developed together.

Despite living in the capital of cool known as Brooklyn, the search for what would become the rest of Howth ultimately ended with two of New Jersey native Luley’s high school band mates, Neil Acharya (bass, vocals, saxophone) and Miles Waltuck (drums), and Luley’s girlfriend, Aviva Stampfer (vocals, keyboard), herself a transplant from Portland. The years of rapport between these individuals is immediately apparent and has become a hallmark of the music they create, most recognizably in Howth’s debut as a quintet, Newkirk. Recorded in Waltuck’s basement and slated for release in May 2012 by Mecca Lecca Recording Co., Newkirk retains the intimate songwriting of Creighton while capturing five talented musicians having the time of their lives with their closest friends.

Howth has shared the stage with such incredible artists as:
AU, Lianne La Havas, Soft Black, Christopher Paul Stelling, Capybara, Skeletons, Spanish Prisoners, You Can Be A Wesley, Capybara, Leverage Models, Unicycle Loves You, Spirit Animal, Friend Roulette, Empires, Said The Whale

Venues played include:
New York: Mecury Lounge, The Studio @ Webster Hall, Pianos, The Rock Shop, Cameo Gallery, Spike Hill, Fontanas, Zebulon, Bruar Falls, Silent Barn
Out of Town Venues: M Room (Philadelphia, PA), Darkroom (Chicago, IL), The Church (Oberlin, OH), Ground Zero (Troy, NY), Monk’s (Dubuque, IA), Arctic Studios (Minneapolis, MN)

[flag_titles size=]PRESS[/flag_titles]

“There’s a warm intimacy at work in their Fleet Foxes-esque sound, and their latest album Newkirk is a gorgeous example of the quieter side of the Garden State’s music scene.”

- Paste

“…Carl Creighton howls on high like a cousin of Jeremy Enigk. He’s got a cavernous, expressive, impressive voice, which helps transport his and Blake Luley’s intricate guitar work into the realm of the unearthly.”

- The Big Takeover (Issue No. 70)

“…beautifully atmospheric…”

- My Old Kentucky Blog

“Formerly a minimalist anti-folk showcase for Creighton’s remarkably skillful songwriting and Luley’s soft-touch multi-instrumentalism, Howth now whispers and shrieks. Occasionally, they do both simultaneously and with great effect as the band howls, serving as a foil to Creighton’s vulnerably honest vocals.”

- The Austinist

“Howth (rhymes with “growth”) just might be the most likeable indie rock band in Brooklyn.”

- BreakThru Radio

“Newkirk is a collection of super raw alt folk tracks, delicately constructed and packed with thoughtful lyrics.”

- Wild Honey Pie

“… (Howth) is a raw and emotional album that is as real as they come.”

- We All Want Someone

“some wicked indie-esque shoegazing postrock Bon Iver, or whatever.”

- Nothing But Hope and Passion

“You don’t normally hear too much fuzz in folk songs (Blitzen Trapper do it well), but Howth put it to great use in this one.”

- You Ain’t No Picasso

“Howth is a versatile, dynamic act that clearly has a lot of gas left in the tank musically, and has already shown a lot of growth over just two releases.”

- NYC Taper

“It can take you on a drive through the country, it can take you to a peaceful city street at night, it can make you remember feeling in love.”

- The Deli NYC

Interviews:

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