The Town Howlers play traditional, straight ahead, bluegrass music, with some occasional originals and often pulling material from neighboring genres like old time and country. They take their inspiration from the classic singers and instrumentalists of the golden era of bluegrass, such as Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Vern Williams, and Jimmy Martin, as well as lesser known artists like Buzz Busby, Connie & Babe, Charlie Moore, and Mac Martin. The Town Howlers put heavy emphasis on overall band presence, opting to fill the air with the sound their instruments create rather than letting microphones do all the work for them.
John Mckelvy (guitar), Rowan McCallister (mandolin), and Michael Small (banjo) started the band more than 10 years ago, in 2014, soon pulling in Matt Crimp on fiddle, and eventually Jimmy Touzel on Bass. In 2018 they released their debut album “Alright Everybody! It’s The Town Howlers,” recording 16 tracks straight to tape, all live with no overdubs. Since the departure of fiddler Matt Crimp who still comes down from Washington to join them for occasional performances, The Town Howlers are joined by a rotating cast of California’s best fiddlers, including Chad Manning, Andy Lentz, Amy Kassir, & Dana Frankel.
Having played all over California from festival stages like The Sonoma County Bluegrass & Folk Festival, The Hoes Down Harvest Festival, and numerous appearances on Grass Valley’s Vern’s stage, to weddings and private events in the various nooks and crannies of the state, The Town Howlers are always ready to gather around the single mic and play some bluegrass music.