Howie Day

[sarah**]

He was the opening act at the Tori Amos show I went to on Friday and was AMAZING. He was way better than Tori, I must say. I was not impressed with her performance, but he was great. He played 6 songs with no band whatsoever, just him and his guitar. I bought his CD after and it's great.
His single is called Ghost which is a great song, or also if you wanna check out the song Morning After & Sorry So Sorry are all ace songs.

Has anyone heard of him?

[dave's girl]

i have now 8)

[Hicksy]

will find some tracks tonight :lol:

[';']

ah i went to go listen to some and i have to say i love it....i'll be back to put up ones that i like

[sarah**]

ah i went to go listen to some and i have to say i love it....i'll be back to put up ones that i like

ahhhh that makes me so happy ginger, he is amazing.
YAY!!!

[';']

yeah i've been busy....so havnt been able to listen to much....but if i'm not listening to coldplay ive been listening to these bands you all been mentioning.

[busybeeburns]

I've just put up a Howie Day banner on the coldplaying.com site, for that they're sending me a full length LP :mrgreen:

wahooooooo

[Sweet One]

I'll check him out Sarah...but you didn't like Tori's performance??? I heard that she didn't talk to the crowd at all and it was just two hours of playing...i'm torn on whether or not that is a good thing or a bad thing....if it was a coldplay concert..i would want chris to have his little jokes... :roll: :lol:

[';']

I've just put up a Howie Day banner on the coldplaying.com site, for that they're sending me a full length LP :mrgreen:

wahooooooowoohoo do something good and get something in return!!!

[sarah**]

I've just put up a Howie Day banner on the coldplaying.com site, for that they're sending me a full length LP :mrgreen:

wahooooooo

Did you know about him before I posted here?!

[sarah**]

I'll check him out Sarah...but you didn't like Tori's performance??? I heard that she didn't talk to the crowd at all and it was just two hours of playing...i'm torn on whether or not that is a good thing or a bad thing....if it was a coldplay concert..i would want chris to have his little jokes... :roll: :lol:

Laura next time I see you on MSN remind me to tell you about the concert. She didn't talk much, I think she did once and we couldn't understand what she was saying. The sound is absolute SHITE at the ACC.

[';']

ah i hate when the sound is no good....and you would think that after a while and doing so many tours they would always have the sound done right...

[sarah**]

ah i hate when the sound is no good....and you would think that after a while and doing so many tours they would always have the sound done right...

I don't think it's the artists fault, I think it's the venue. I had been to four shows there recently, two were on the lower level and two were on the upper. The two on the lower had much better sound than the upper so I am thinking that it's just a matter of where I was sitting. Nevertheless they should have good sound throughout the venue!

[';']

yeap

people pay money so they should make it worth it.

[dyermaker89]

yes definately check howie out!! if you like what you hear, go to http://www.thehdtb.com and post on his boards, and people there can hook you up with live show's and such... my screen name is dmbluv412step over there (old cliche name i hate it i'm known as dyermaker73 everywhere else though) any way, check him out i highly suggest downloading, bunnies, she says, and live version of ghost (or studio), madrigals, after you, sweet, disco, any of his songs are great.

[busybeeburns]

I've just put up a Howie Day banner on the coldplaying.com site, for that they're sending me a full length LP :mrgreen:

wahooooooo

Did you know about him before I posted here?!

Nope, first I heard of him was when they e-mailed me asking to promote them on the site. That was probably after this thread started but I didn't see it :roll:

Anyway to get to the point I've just received that CD today and I'm on my first listen right now and I've got to say it decent stuff, I know it'll grow on me 8)

[sarah**]

I've just put up a Howie Day banner on the coldplaying.com site, for that they're sending me a full length LP :mrgreen:

wahooooooo

Did you know about him before I posted here?!

Nope, first I heard of him was when they e-mailed me asking to promote them on the site. That was probably after this thread started but I didn't see it :roll:

Anyway to get to the point I've just received that CD today and I'm on my first listen right now and I've got to say it decent stuff, I know it'll grow on me 8)


Good, it will grow on you. My favourite songs are track 9 which is a live track called Morning After and I like track 1 which is Sorry So Sorry. YAY I'm happy you like it!

[sarah**]

Also try and download some live stuff, I downloaded a cover he did of Karma Police and I liked it, although I was reading somewhere where many people didn't like it but everyone has their own opinion.

[busybeeburns]

Yeah I will, I also like track 1 and also the last track as well, also Kristina :D. I can't believe I got this music for free man :o

[sarah**]

Yeah I will, I also like track 1 and also the last track as well, also Kristina :D. I can't believe I got this music for free man :o

The Howie Day message board has this trading thing. I had never heard of it beforehand but apparently it's quite popular among other bands. You probably know about it where people send copies of live performances to other fans. It's a really great thing. You should check it out. I was gonna do it but didn't want to put in the effort.

[dyermaker89]

there's no effort!! it's soo easy! all you have to do i post in the newbie's forum and mentor's will take care of you there... i've got lots of his live show's to trade :)

i agree kristina is a beautiful track on "australia" !!! and i don't know if i've heard of people not liking howie's cover of karma police, i think he rocks that song out live!!

anyway, i wish coldplay show's were taped and traded more often! i have one live coldplay show the kentish town forum (radio 1 thing) what ever it was called, it's such a good show though.... but it would be so great if they had more taper's and trader's i think it would make the fan community closer, howie's boards were founded on the purpose of taping trading and spreading live music we're a friendly close community, but we LOVE new people hey we've got a whole forum for you guys to get started on that stuff!

[dyermaker89]

just thought you guys would like to know howie is touring europe with tori jan and feb 2003! make sure you try and go see him, he's great you won't regret it!!! :)
http://www.howieday.com/tour.html

1/12/03 Clyde Auditorium Glasgow UK
1/13/03 Manchester Carling Apollo Manchester UK
1/14/03 Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton UK
1/16/03 Carling Apollo Hammersmith London UK
1/17/03 Carling Apollo Hammersmith London UK
1/19/03 Forest National Brussels, Belgium
1/20/03 Ahoy Rotterdam, The Netherlands
1/21/03 Konig-Pilsener Arena Oberhausen Germany
1/23/03 CCH 1 Hamburg, Germany
1/24/03 Arena Poznan, Poland
1/25/03 Philharmonie Munchen, Germany
1/27/03 Locale Saschall Firenze(florence), Italy
1/28/03 Palazettzo dello Sport Filaforum Assago(Milan), Itlay
1/30/03 BA-CA Halle / Gasometer Vienna, Austria
2/1/03 ICC 1 Berlin, Germany
2/3/03 Arena Geneva Geneva, Switzerland
2/4/03 Le Zenith Paris, France
2/5/03 Jahrhunderthalle Frankfurt, Germany

[dave's girl]

thankyou :-D it all looks so weird with 2003 after them :roll:

[';']

and now it's finally here

[Guy'sChick]

i think hes a good looking lad

[CRCC2001]

I've been listening to Howie for two years now and have been a rep of his for a year! Its sooo great to see everyone enjoying his music and live shows so much. He's really starting to get recognized! So yeah...definitely head on over to thehdtb.com to get some live shows or go to hdaee.org to find out more on howie and his music! Enjoy!!
-chris

[busybeeburns]

oops looks like I missed him, he was here last week! :roll:

[sarah**]

oops looks like I missed him, he was here last week! :roll:

ya but it was with tori amos and not worth your money for what her tickets were.

[busybeeburns]

oh that's ok then ;)

[sarah**]

*bump*

[mycdplayerisbroke]

im sure there's another thread about this guy but i couldnt find it....
i heard one of his songs on mtv this morning and it was fantastic
i got one of his songs but it was all staticky from stupid kazaa
i might just have to buy his cd...
anyone have it? and is it good enough for me to waste 15$ on?

[GUY IS A SLUT]

HOWIE DAY IS MARVELOUS

i have started a few threads but can't find them anymore.

his album is definitely worth the money, and this man is a genious performer live. if you can get his madrigals EP with the bonus DVD and you can see him perform live, it's amazing.

[GUY IS A SLUT]

ahh here is the thread i started when i first heard him :D

[busybeeburns]

http://sheknows.com/graphics/howie_day-coffee.jpg

When a teenager records and independently releases a self-financed album, that's cool. When the album goes on to sell 30,000 copies based on positive word of mouth, that's amazing. And then when, less than two years later, that same guy spends three months in southwest London's Olympic Studios, laying down tracks on the hallowed ground that legendary albums -- from Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones and The Who -- have been recorded… well, words like "incredible" and "extraordinary" just won't cut it.

All in all, not bad for a kid from Bangor, Maine. Especially for a kid from Maine named Howie.

But don't think for a moment that any of this has come easily for Howie Day, the aforementioned 23-year-old singer/musician/songwriter. In fact, his musical career has been 18 years in the making... though it all actually started quite by accident.

"My mom went to an auction or something, and brought a piano home one day when I was five. I just sort of started banging on it, like you do when you're five, 'cause it's fun," he says. "It was in the same room as the television, so when television commercials and jingles would come on, I figured out how to copy them. My mom went 'Hmm... hmm... interesting.' So she signed me up for piano lessons, and I did that right up until I was 12 or so."

Unlike most kids, though, Howie didn't have to be threatened with losing his Game Boy privileges to keep up with the lessons. "It was the opposite," he says. "Because [the piano] was in the same room as the television, I would have to stop playing for a little while so at least dad could watch the news… It was like, 'Stop banging on that damn piano!'"

The "cool" factors
But when puberty hit, so did the realization that -- Elton aside -- not too many rock stars were up there on stage tickling the ivories. "Somewhere around 13, you figure out that you want to play electric guitar, because that's rock and that's cool," he laughs. "I was very opposed to the idea of having an acoustic, because I thought that was just for country music. So dad got me a Fender Stratocaster, and I started learning how to play the guitar."

The only thing missing was a little vocal training. "The weirdest thing about that is I didn't really start singing until I was probably 15. I kind of decided that, hey, it would be really cool to write songs and be a performer and all that. It kind of seemed necessary, at least in sort of a pop world, to sing," he says. "So I just kind of started doing that on my own, like you do, you know -- starting out in my room when no one was home just to see if I was any good at it. Slowly I started doing it for family members or friends or whatever. And they went, 'Hey -- that's pretty good, actually.'" Within a year, Day was playing at bars around Bangor, and slowly started building up a following.

More than just a stage
On his own, Day released his debut album, Australia, in the year 2000. Supported by an insanely busy touring schedule -- primarily concerts at universities and colleges -- his fan base multiplied. Opening slots for numerous well-known artists, including John Mayer, The Wallflowers and Sting, only helped that audience grow.

When he's performing live, Day says, there's a distinct difference between the big gigs and the little shows. "There's an intimacy lost on the big audiences, but there's also a sort of cool kind of buzz that you get from it too, like 'Wow -- there are 10,000 people here.' It tends to be a little more high energy, and you try to capture as many people as you can; whereas with a small show, you reveal a little bit more personality. I almost feel like I'm there hanging out with them or something," Day says. "We mix it up. I do little intimate shows just because if I go a long time without doing them, it gets kind of weird -- like I'm playing at people."

Regardless of the venue size, "Howie is a powerhouse of pure emotion and raw energy," says Chris Hickman, the Texas-based webmaster of fan site HowieFan.com. "When people see him perform, they become captivated -- tapping their feet, mouthing each word, and anticipating each layer of sound as Howie builds each song."

An epic decision
Not only were Day's fans captivated -- the record companies were, too. Soon after Australia was released, several major labels started duking it out for the chance to snag this wunderkind.

Epic Records, a division of Sony Music, emerged the victor in April of 2002. Shortly after the ink dried on the recording contract, Day's management company posted a notice on his web site, telling the fans that Epic "made us feel right at home, and understand what it is that we have tried to build over the past three years, and how they can continue to help us take that to the next level."

"Yeah, that was one crazy year," Day says of the early days with Epic. "Basically my whole philosophy starting out -- because the question came up, 'Are you going to sign a label deal?' before anyone was really interested in signing me -- my idea was always 'Just go out and do it yourself.' The hardest thing for [a major record label] to do is to build a solid foundation, a base, which is like the first 50,000 records -- that core fan base."

One key way in which Day laid that groundwork was by allowing -- and encouraging -- fans to audio tape his shows for their own personal use and to trade with others. Word of mouth and live show taping are, in fact, the two primary forces Hickman credits for so successfully cultivating Day's career. "After seeing Howie live, fans spread the word obsessively," he says. "Because of such a loyal fan base, Howie has one of the strongest Internet-based fan communities rivaling other more mainstream acts such as Jason Mraz and John Mayer. Just looking on archive.org and etree.org will show that Howie Day has the highest number of live shows available online for any solo act."

http://sheknows.com/about/look/4487.htm

[busybeeburns]

http://sheknows.com/graphics/howie_day_stop-all-the-world-now.jpg

In part two of our interview with singer/musician/songwriter Howie Day, he talks about his album, being on Letterman, and his ultimate goal.

Oz and the world
Even with a wealth of tunes available online, Australia went on to sell another 70,000 copies after Epic re-released it in June 2002 -- bringing the total sales for that CD up to a cool hundred grand.

By the time sales began to slow, his loyalists were ready for something new. After months of planning and negotiating, Day was whisked off to London in the spring of 2003 to spend three months in London recording a full-length follow-up.

The finished product, Stop All the World Now, was introduced to the world in October 2003. The eleven tracks on the album had a decidedly English feel, undoubtedly due in large part to the influence of some of Day's favorite artists, including Radiohead and The Verve. Not only were several of the musicians who recorded on it British -- including Simon Jones, actually a former member of The Verve -- much of the behind-the-scenes team was, too. In fact, the CD was produced by the semi-legendary (and also English) Youth, who worked with the likes of U2, Kate Bush, Dido, Paul McCartney and others.

A self-confessed fan of "moody" music, Day's Stop All the World Now offered a dreamy, deeper, darker -- yet somehow not depressing -- vibe compared to some of his earlier work. It also featured a few songs with a soaring 25-piece orchestra -- something else you wouldn't find on his independent releases.

The end result was an album that was richly-layered and sophisticated, but remained accessible to pop fans. Both the mood his method drew comparisons to everyone from U2 to Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band to John Mayer -- certainly not bad company to be keeping.

The first single off the disc was "Perfect Time of Day," an ode to the notion of carpe diem. Next up was "She Says," a song he originally wrote in his mid-teens, which was followed by the recent "Collide." (See a few paragraphs down for links to a live video performance of this song.)

Smile for the camera
Just like actors have to plug their movies and TV shows, musicians have to get out there to promote their work, too -- and not just at concert halls. After signing to Epic, "For the first time, I was doing TV stuff and stuff live on television," he says. "That kind of freaked me out the first couple of times, but you just kind of get used to it."

It's a good thing he was getting comfortable playing Mike Teevee, because in January 2003, Day got a booking on CBS cornerstone "Late Show with David Letterman."

"We did Letterman the day before my birthday this year, so that was pretty cool. Kind of scary. I'd never been there before, so it's just like, 'Oh yeah, there's Paul Schafer... there's David Letterman.' And they announce you, and just sit there and watch you." Not your average everyday experience, to be sure. "It's weird. I think with those shows, it becomes so surreal that you don't get nervous, because it's just like, 'What the hell is going on?!'"

The quest for imperfection
So one year later, does Day think that Stop All the World Now be a tough act to follow when it's time for a new album? "No," he says. "I think -- most musicians would probably agree -- as soon as you put out a record, you have things that you want to do better next time," says Day. "The day it comes out, there's already things that you start to go, 'Oh, I should have done that a little differently.' You start to make a list in your head. I actually write things down -- what I'm going to do next time."

"I think one of the biggest things is when you're making a record is not to over-think it too much," he says. "I think the greatest live performances are the ones you aren't analyzing too much -- you just kind of go out and pour your heart into it. I think an album should be done kind of the same way, and not too calculated, which it tends to become nowadays, because you can make a perfect record if you want to. The technology is available so that you can fix every note and have everything be perfect. But the more you do that, the more it kind of erodes away some human sixth sense to it, I think, that people can feel."

Arts and crafts
If the live performances are ethereal, it's the songwriting that brings him back down to earth. Still, he never can let it be just as simple as writing the tunes one by one. "I'll work on three songs at a time," he says, "because when you're sitting down to write, usually you're feeling in a prolific mood or feeling like you want to work."

While most people would sweat at the thought of having to be creative on demand, Day has the songwriting thing down pat. "I think the art is actually recording it, singing it, and doing it -- but I think writing a song is kind of a craft. It's like a job, and you learn how to do it and you learn different tricks to make it happen," he says. "For me, I work on a song for awhile and I get stuck, and then you can jump over to song number two and work on that for awhile, and when you get stuck, go to song number three -- kind of jump back and forth. That's my method -- I do enjoy it. I think it's a lot of fun. It's really rewarding."

Day says there's nothing better than having a brand-new demo -- fresh new songs just waiting to be finessed. In the early stages, though, don't expect him to share. "I drive around in my car and listen to [the demo]. And if I drive by people I know, I have to roll the windows up and turn it down -- or if somebody calls, I have to turn it off."

The more you are, the more you need
"When I was young, I always thought if I could play music and I could make a living doing that, that would make me happy, and that's all that I'd need," he says. "But that changes at some point -- 'If I could be a little bit more comfortable, like tour in a bus, that would be the end all and I really have made it.' And you get to there and you have new things. It always changes," he says. "I guess maybe my goals now -- it's like making a record…Yeah, you want to make a record that sells a bazillion copies and everything's great, but I think a lot of it -- all of those milestones -- kind of fade away, and it becomes about making a better record musically, and writing better songs than you did last time. Sort of like trying to constantly evolve."

He does, however, admit to being a true Type 1 perfectionist. "I am one of those people who is never satisfied," Day says. "When I was a little kid, I made a spaceship out of a refrigerator box, and I was pissed off that it wouldn't fly. Couldn't be happy with it. It was pretty cool, too."

If nothing but the best will do, does this mean world domination is on the agenda? "World domination? I don't know," he laughs. "It's the pursuit of happiness that everybody's always after. I don't know if you ever really get there." Day sits back and gives a little shrug. "Maybe you do. Maybe I'll figure that out later."

http://sheknows.com/about/look/4488.htm

[Sweet One]

I like that Collide song. I think.

[OmahansForColdplay]

Ya Howies great..I saw him live last year for the first time, I guess the show was alright buuut it wasnt anything too special.

[talisman]

he's pretty talented imho, i like on of his demo songs called "lick my lips".

[Magnus]

Anyone heard/listens to Howie Day?

I think it's awesome, reminds me of early Coldplay a bit...

[Kackie]

Howie Day is fantastic... my friend introduced me to his music by playing his live DVD from back when he was a one-man band... he's mad talented! I have one of his CDs now (Stop All the World Now) and I love it.

[MrsSeverusSnape]

Collide's such a great song :nice:

[bertuzzi44]

He's great.

Too bad he's a bit of a kook and and STD bearing sort of crazy man.

But his musics good.

[TCM1013]

What happend to him? I heard he was working on a new album, but that was about 3 years ago.

[Carlaatje]

Howie Day,,, :lol: that reminds me of a backstreetboy :P
but seriously.. sounds interesing... i;m checking it out!

[Magnus]

What happend to him? I heard he was working on a new album, but that was about 3 years ago.

Well, there's a new song on his myspace page, and a new record is expected to be released... but noone's sure when exactly, because it was expected to be released ages ago.

[CityandColour]

Anybody like him?

[rudy_o]

He is good. :nice:

But I like Mat Kearney better. :wacky:

[SueDeNimes]

Threads merged. :nice:

[CityandColour]

...me too.