James D Smith

James D Smith grew up in rural Louisiana listening to his mom’s old 45’s – Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, and all the greats of that era. It comes as no surprise that these were his greatest influences. As he began to sing karaoke in the local bars, he patterned his singing style after Merle Haggard and became quite well known locally.

In the early 2000’s, he attended a benefit concert where he was introduced to Cathy Lemmon, Robert Metzger from Capitol Records, and Charlie Rich, Jr.  They introduced him to a talent scout and he auditioned for Capitol Records. He went to Nashville and recorded his 3 song EP with the studio band used on Dolly Parton’s CD at the time.

James has a deep baritone voice that is the perfect sound for the southern country style of his...

Agony in the Garden is a fantastic alternative metal band we found recently through HearYou Music.  After listening to the songs off his new EP, we stopped and took a moment to find out where this awesome music came from.  The EP will be released on May 1 with digital presales available on Amazon MP3 now.  Be sure to listen for them here on The Howl on May 1!

What is your name?  Mack Perry

Where are you from? Dayton Ohio

What is the name of your band?  Agony In The Garden

Who else is in your band?  It’s just me at the moment

How would you describe yourself? Rock, Metal, Alternative band and a bit of everything in between.

Who are your main influences musically? Ronnie James Dio, Mark Tremonti, Alter Bridge, Sevendust, Dishwalla, Dream Theater, Breaking Benjamin, Joe Satriani, An...

Through the Silence – Debt of Words

Through the Silence is an amazing Metalcore band from Portugal that we found recently.  They are very tight and have an awesome sound.  In December of 2014, they released their EP, “Debt of Words” physically in Portugal.  They are currently releasing their EP, “Debt of Words” worldwide through digital distribution with HearYou Music. The official release date for digital distribution will be May 8.

We sat down and talked with them for a minute.  Just thought I’d share with you a little of what we learned about these guys.

What is your name?  Pedro Freitas

What instrument do you play?  Guitar and vocals

Where are you from? Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal

What is the name of the band?  Through The Silence

Who are the members of the band and...