A new Midwest country band has landed themselves in Fort Wayne.
The Howlin’ Hounds are a mix of country, rock n’ roll, and indie music.
One of the members, Quentin Wright (guitar/harmonica/vocals), spoke with Whatzup about his upbringings and his musical journey since he’s featured in the ALT 99.5FM/102.3FM Homegrown Spotlight. You can catch his interview with DJ Zack Skyler at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 1, and Sunday, June 4.
Born to rock
Born and raised in Warsaw, Wright grew up in a household of music.
“I first got into music because of my dad,” he said. “He is a die-hard Kiss fan, and I grew up learning what rock and roll was. My grandpa raised me on old Hank (Williams) Sr. songs. I really love Brian Wilson (of The Beach Boys) and Paul McCartney ( of The Beatles). All of these artists have unique and creative songwriting, and I hold them very close to my heart.
“I’ve been writing songs since I was in fourth grade and have been playing instruments since fifth grade,” he added. “My main instruments are guitar and harmonica!”
Wright added that being raised on a farm called for lots of memories of playing music outdoors. I’m not sure if farm animals are the best critics, but I’m positive they are good listeners.
Stepping up his game
Wright lives his life surrounded by music.
He works at Sweetwater as a music store sales engineer and says the job has played a large part in his journey.
“When I first moved up here, I felt like a small fish in a big pond,” he said. “I quickly learned how to step up my game in writing, playing, and performing. I gained the kind of life experience you don’t ask for and went through hard times that made me a better composer as well as a person.”
Playing at PorchFest
The Howlin’ Hounds have some shows coming up, including PorchFest in the Williams Woodland Park Neighborhood on Saturday, June 3. For more information on this event, check out our last issue where we feature a story all about PorchFest!
The Howlin’ Hounds also plan to release their first EP, Midwest Sound, in early July with a full-length album expected to follow in August.
Make sure to follow them on social media to stay up to date with all of their upcoming projects.
Being a newer band, finding your voice and style can be challenging. It’s clear to me that The Howlin’ Hounds are excited and passionate to continue defining their sound while also exploring multiple genres.
Creating his own sound
While Wright has been making music his whole life, in 2022 he released his own five-song EP, imperfect Paradise.
He describes his music as, “Combining sounds from old and new, the music has a sound when you hear it sounds familiar but brand new.”
Wright originally had a group named Quentin Wright and His Howlin’ Hounds.
I asked him to give me some insight on when this project changed and why.
“The Howlin’ Hounds is my dream project, because I’m finally making the music I’ve always wanted to create,” he said. “I’m not trying to be anyone or sound like a specific artist. I am just being me, and because of that, the music is more real and you can tell from the songs!
“The band members change pretty frequently, depending on recording or show dates. I would say the name changed when I found out that it was easier to write out “The Howlin’ Hounds” instead of the full name. I do go back and forth on it depending on the show though, which does make it a little confusing sometimes haha.”
Wright has big plans ahead and I am very excited to see where his music takes him next.
Make sure to check him out at PorchFest and be on the lookout for more music to come from Wright.
