Alice Howe
Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2009
Music
Press
By JD Nash, April 18, 2019
Boston based folk/blues artist Alice Howe once released an EP called Tiger Lily. In 2017 her EP You’ve Been Away So Long which contained the hit song “Homeland Blues,” begat her career in earnest. That particular song became the #1 played tune on the Folk-DJ charts. That same year she met storied singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Freebo. Since then the two have toured nationally and internationally, developing a musical relationship which led to Freebo producing Howe’s upcoming full-length debut album, Visions.
The writing and recording of Visions has encouraged Howe to work outside her framework of acoustic arrangements and with Freebo’s guidance, the duo has incorporated electric instruments, inventive percussion techniques, a Hammond B-3 and a horn section to lend a big band groove to some of the new songs.
Howe has a flawless, honey voice that suits both her original compositions and cover songs to a T. Her acoustic guitar playing and folk style are reminiscent of some of the great singer/songwriters from 40+ years ago. Not surprising since her parents fed her a steady diet of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Jackson Browne with sprinklings of Muddy Waters and Taj Mahal as she was growing up.
Visions has all of those influences, and then some on prominent display. The wistful, Americana flavored song “Twilight,” leads off the album. Brilliantly simple lyrics caught and held our attention from the outset.
Alice follows that with her re-imagining of Taj Mahal’s “Lovin’ in My Baby’s Eyes.” She has been compared by many music writers as most comparable to Joan Baez. Perhaps, but she shines her own beacon on this Taj song, with electric guitar from Fuzzbee Morse adding the perfect punctuation.
Howe is predominantly a folk artist and as such brings her best foot forward with songs like “Still On My Mind,” and “What We Got is Gold.”
The veteran Freebo, who also plays on the album, brings his influence in fine fashion, helping adapt such classics as Muddy Waters’ “Honey Bee,” and the song “Too Long at the Fair,” originally recorded by Bonnie Raitt. Freebo played with Raitt on the album Give It Up, which contained that song, and stayed with her band playing fretless bass, guitar, tuba, and myriad other instruments for nearly a decade. His work as a session artist with performers that include Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dr. John, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall and others makes him a wellspring of experience from which Alice deeply draws. The combination of the two artisans is what truly makes Visions fine fare.
On the Howe original “Getaway Car,” we’re treated to a musical change-up. A full-blown horn section along with stellar playing from keyboardist John “JT” Thomas, turbocharge this song in comparison to the subtlety of the rest of the album.
“Getaway Car,” and Howe’s take on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me,” are a toss up for our favorite track on Visions. On the simplistic covering of the Cooke classic Alice pays homage to the “King of Soul” while still making the song very much her own.
Sometimes we’re lucky enough to catch an up-and-coming artist as they fly into our radar. This is one of those times. Not only is Alice Howe a gifted songwriter and performer, she has the wherewithal to surround herself with artists that were actually on the scene of the genre she has chosen to showcase. Whether a fan of blues, roots, Americana, soul or folk music, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t get a copy of Visions the very moment it’s released.
Alice Howe and Freebo will both be performing a full band release party for Visions at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California on Saturday May 18th. Freebo will open the night with a set of his own songs backed by His Fabulous Friends, later picking up the fretless bass (and maybe even his tuba?) to accompany Alice as she performs the new album with their stellar band. Tickets to this don’t-you-dare-miss-it show are available here - American Blues Scene
By JD Nash, May 13, 2019
Alice Howe is a Boston-based folk blues singer who incorporates roots, Americana and soul into her distinctive, original music. She teamed up with singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Freebo, who both plays on and produced her upcoming debut album, Visions. A modern love letter to 60s and 70s folk and timeless blues, Visions pays homage without succumbing to imitation, and offers an intimate snapshot of a young artist discovering her own power.
Visions has a release date of May 17th, and album opener “Twilight” is an intimate introduction to Howe’s use of pastoral vignettes to invite confessional introspection. Her vocal flutters conjure up memories of celtic storytelling over a bed of acoustic guitar, keys, and more. Not quite country, but a bit more than folk, Howe’s vocals take us back to the time of the great singer/songwriters of yesteryear. A Joan Baez-esque delivery with Alice’s own honey voice is a sweet opening to this album. The gentle rhythm and whispering backing vocals add just the right touches.
“If I were to tell you the story of my life thus far, ‘Twilight’ would be the opening line,” Howe shared with us. “For as long as I can remember, I have turned to nature for solace. Being outdoors offers me the stillness and space that I need to transform my thoughts and experiences into song. As a child, I would go on walks in my neighborhood on rainy spring nights, umbrella in hand, singing to myself. When I am alone in nature, I can improvise, playing with words and melodies until something good sticks. ‘Twilight’ is no exception. I was walking along a beach, enjoying the glow that fills the sky at that fleeting, precious moment at the end of the day. The song speaks to this journey that I’m on, this ‘restless pursuit’ of my craft as a singer and writer. In choosing to pursue music professionally, I have taken a path less-traveled. I have moments of doubt and questioning, of fear and hubris, but through it all I have a profound sense that in following my voice, I am following my calling in this life.”
What better way to launch a full-length debut album than with one’s life story?
Alice Howe and Freebo will both be performing a full band release party for Visions at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California on Saturday May 18th. Freebo will open the night with a set of his own songs backed by His Fabulous Friends, later picking up the fretless bass (and maybe even his tuba?) to accompany Alice as she performs the new album with their stellar band. - American Blues Scene
By Jay N. Miller, April 10, 2019
As a toddler Alice Howe used to delight her parents by frequently bursting into song – usually a song she’d made up on the spot.
Flash forward more than a couple decades, and that’s still what gives Howe the most pleasure and sense of accomplishment. Which might seem unusual given what those intervening years have included, before she finally yielded to her overwhelming desire to create music.
On Wednesday, April 17, Howe will be co-headlining Club Passim in Harvard Square, kind of a homecoming show for the Newton native, but also a local celebration for the imminent release of her debut album, “Visions,” due out on May 17. Howe not only has a luminous alto voice full of warmth and delectable nuance, but she also writes smart and affecting lyrics flavored with wit and irreverence. And the new album features Howe with a cast of topflight Los Angeles session players, led by her new pal and accompanist and producer, Freebo. Music fans know Freebo as the longtime accompanist and fretless bassist with Bonnie Raitt and while Howe is no Raitt clone, her music does have that same ineffable sense of heart and soul that makes every song resonate.
Howe’s path to becoming a full fledged singer/songwriter was not exactly typical. That early love of music led to a brief career playing clarinet in the middle school band. She didn’t really pursue it when she got to Newton North High School, although she appeared in a high school play, and kept up her songwriting in private. There was a Battle of the Bands at Newton North and Howe entered as a solo act, “so obviously I didn’t do well,” she said, laughing.
A standout student, Howe headed to Smith College, where she did an occasional open mike, and had fun singing with the college’s a capella group. Graduating magna cum laude in 2013 with a specialization in medieval history, Howe tried different career paths, lived in the Northwest for awhile, and eventually came back to the Boston area in 2016 and decided to finally follow her dream.
“I’ve been a singer as long as I can remember,” Howe said, when we chatted as she drove to a Houston show last weekend. “My folks have tapes of me singing songs I had made up at 2-and-a-half years old. I’ve always considered it my calling. I had always been a good student, and my time at Smith was some of my favorite. I was comfortable in that academic world, but I also knew I didn’t want to go to graduate school, or try for med school. I wanted to follow my heart. But I am glad I took my time to try a few things first, and was not rushed into it. I took the long way ’round, but I think it made me a more deliberative person.”
Howe recorded a couple of demos through the years. In 2017 she did an EP and her tune “Homeland Blues” not only gained some positive reviews, it found an immediate response on folk and Americana radio. Howe started to expand her reach.
“I went to several of these regional conferences sponsored by the Folk Alliance,” Howe explained. “They are amazing networking opportunities to meet all kinds of people in the music business. In November 2016, back in the Boston area again, I went to one, the NECFA at Stamford, Connecticut. I went in kind of blind, and just tried to keep an open mind. Freebo was also there to showcase his solo music, and in the course of meeting some venue people we met by chance. Those conferences are all very social occasions too, and we got to talking and then Freebo saw me perform and liked it.
“I grew up listening to music from the 1960′s and ’70s, thanks to my parents’ records,” Howe noted. “So, once I figured out who Freebo was, I was floored. We stayed in touch and met later in Kansas City at the International Folk Alliance conference, and by then he had heard my 2017 EP. He told me he loved what I was doing, and if I ever wanted to do a full-length album, he would love to share some ideas with me. How could I pass that up? So that’s how he became my producer for this record.”
Howe commuted to sessions in Bakersfield, where Freebo surrounded her with some of the best L.A. session players. The album is split between originals and some tasty covers, like Howe’s warm and soulful take on “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright,” or the bluesy side she shows on “Bring It On Home To Me.” There are already various videos online of Howe singing her songs over the past couple years, and one from last year has her and Freebo debuting the song “Twilight” from Norman’s Rare Guitars in Tarzana, Calif. It’s obvious that she and Freebo have a special musical bond, and also quite apparent she’s a laudable guitarist herself, but as with all of her music it is the evocative nature of her voice that shines through the most, with a depth of shading that is usually not found with young artists.
“That chance meeting with Freebo has led to a really wonderful partnership,” said Howe. “We do a lot of duo shows now, and he’s helped me a ton. I think we’ve both learned a lot, with the recordings and now playing live together. They asked me if I wanted to do ‘Twilight’ right after I’d finished it, for Norman’s videos, so I said sure. The next day there were 65,000 views. They have a very good video system there for their channel and it got a lot of notice.”
Howe is not the usual folk act, but she’s not quite a rocker either, but rather an intriguing combination of influences.
“I’ve always loved songwriting and singing,” said Howe. “I did it in elementary school. I think it’s a really effective way to express and process my experiences and travels. I used to love Joan Baez and all those old English ballads she’d do, which teach you a lot about the human experience. I’m drawn to that kind of visual storytelling. And of course my parents’ record collection was very extensive, and I came to love Joni Mitchell, whose music is so haunting and soulful. I’m also drawn to her voice.”
With all the aspiring singers out there working at it, it is hard to believe Howe is not a product of any music school, or even any lengthy apprenticeship with vocal coaches.
“I taught myself, basically,” she said. “I’ve always been blessed with a natural tone and sense of pitch, but I have had to practice for thousands of hours. Singing with the a capella group at college was a big help, because unlike singing by yourself, you have to really hold your part down. And singing with a band, like on this record, you really need to focus.
“I had really only done recordings before this with me and my guitar, but when I got to L.A. and Freebo brought in four more musicians it was fun,” Howe said. “He had me put down my guitar part first, and then had another guitarist do it, so I could just sing and focus on that. I was really nervous. But once that band kicked in behind me, I was grinning from ear to ear. It was very inspiring. That first time was one of my favorite days ever, and I had to rise to the occasion, but I haven’t come down yet.”
As a Boston-area native, Howe knows full well how Club Passim is the legendary locus of folk music in New England. She’s played there before but this time figures to be a benchmark show for her career, and she said she can’t wait.
“Club Passim is the temple of that kind of music,” said Howe. “I played an open mike there at age 15 as a high school student. I’ve opened there for Antje Duvekot and that room has a vibe unlike any other. We did do a party at The Burren in November to celebrate the album for my Kickstarter supporters with the band and it was sold out and a lot of fun. I go back and forth between solo and duo shows mostly but I also love the band shows. Those formats just show different sides of me. But solo or duo, like this one, are really all about the song. That’s the kind of music I grew up on and the music I love the most.” - The Patriot Ledger
By Mark Walton, August 9, 2017
Alice Howe’s journey as a musician takes in all points of the compass. Hailing from Boston, she recorded her new EP on the opposite coast of the US in Seattle. And while the record traces her time in the Pacific Northwest the influences she cites look hundreds of miles to the south to the Californian Laurel Canyon of Joni Mitchell. To her name could easily be added another – and with it a move back east to Nashville – Gillian Welch. In which case, the Dave Rawlings to Howe’s Welch is multi-instrumentalist Jeff Fielder whose plaintive guitar augments her songs’ emotions or articulates what the words cannot or dare not say.
Not that Howe struggles for expression. In just five tracks, she travels from Homeland Blues’ well-worn country tropes through a homage to Steven Martin in Make A Fool Out Of Me – the title taking on a double meaning when its backstory is explained – to arrive at a resigned fatalism in Don’t Worry Honey: “Don’t worry honey cause ain’t nothin gonna turn out right.” Her vocal register dips a notch for arguably the standout song, Nothing But You, about her late father. “But if I’d never lost you, you may never have been mine.”
The effect is to make the listener feel they’ve stumbled in on Howe playing just for herself (accompanied by Fielder of course), at once of the moment and timeless, personal and universal.
Summary:
Low-key gem from a geographically spread singer-songwriter. - Americana UK
Discography
Visions (2019), Know Howe Music (BMI)
You've Been Away So Long (2017), Know Howe Music (BMI)
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Bio
When Alice Howe wants to unlock a memory or understand an emotion, she steps outside. “There’s something about the stillness,” she says. “When I’m sitting with my guitar and looking out at a forest or the ocean, I have the space to reflect to on people and places. My muse strikes.”
A modern love letter to 60s and 70s folk and timeless blues, Visions pays homage without succumbing to imitation, and offers an intimate snapshot of a young artist discovering her own power. Early praise for Visions has streamed in from gatekeepers such as American Blues Scene and smitten local press alike. “Sometimes we’re lucky enough to catch an up-and-coming artist as they fly into our radar,” critic JD Nash writes. “This is one of those times.”
Howe’s path to “up-and-coming” artist seems both fated and winding. She grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, in a home filled with music and art. Long outdoor walks were encouraged, and Howe would often disappear to wander through her grandmother’s garden next door or to journal and turn experiences into songs. “I can’t remember not singing,” she says with a laugh.
Howe left home to attend Smith College, graduated and moved to Seattle before finding her way back to Massachusetts. While music was always her companion, it didn’t become her profession until she decided to attend the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference in 2016. There, she met Freebo, Bonnie Raitt’s beloved bassist for a decade and veteran of performances and collaborations with Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Ringo Starr, Loudon Wainwright III, Neil Young, Dr. John, and more. Howe knew she’d found an ideal collaborator. “I feel like it all happened because I was open to it and ready for it to happen,” she says, then adds with a laugh, “I was ready, so the universe said yes to me.”Freebo invited Howe to record in Southern California, and Bakersfield’s sun-bleached grit became a creative counterweight to Howe’s lush New England naturalism. American roots music became Howe’s playground: blues, bluegrass, folk, and pop––with celtic nods––take turns defining the sounds on Visions, anchored by her rich soprano. An ace band backed Howe like she’d never been backed before, and the resulting collection is polished but energized by a young artist’s hunger to prove herself.
While Visions marks a stunning full-length debut, Howe has been marked as one to watch for several years: She released an EP entitled You’ve Been Away So Long in 2017, which bowed on the FOLK-DJ chart with a no. 1 Most-Played Song, “Homeland Blues.” In addition to being a NewSong Music Songwriting and Performance Competition Finalist in 2018, she spent fall of that year on a critically acclaimed tour of the UK and the Netherlands. Howe is also a veteran of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and FAR-West Folk Alliance conferences, where she has performed at formal showcases. Earlier this year, she was selected as a Kerrville New Folk Finalist.
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