Robin Ross & The TW Howlers entered our lives with their debut EP, “Back to the Forest.” But who exactly are they? This band is the result of a creative collaboration between Robin Ross and TW Howell — two charismatic musicians who discovered a shared passion for rock, blues, and folk music, and decided to form a band that embodies that artistic vision. I instantly fell in love with their songs and reached out to them for a chat, eager to learn more about their story and music. Read on to see what we discussed — and remember: we all shall get back to the forest!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
How did the collaboration between singer/songwriters Robin Ross and TW Howell come about?
RR: Met TW in 2017 at the marina in Westport, NY. We soon formed a band called “A Frayed Knot”. It only lasted one gig but our friendship went on from there and in the fall of 2024 TW was visiting on a short vacation that turned into a recording EP.
What does the name The TW Howlers mean to you?
RR: An abbreviation for TW, who’s name is Tim, and last name Howell. So we went with Howlers instead and we came up with TW Howlers. So it became TW Howlers and me, Robin Ross.
What is the biggest strength each of you brings to the band?
RR: TW is better with the vocals and good with the lyrics, especially for this genre of music. I’m the composer, writer, engineer, the glue and cement behind it all. I do sing at times for backups or special voices.
How do you handle creative disagreements?
RR: We each have fly swatters so we can smack each other in the head. Honestly though, we don’t have too much creative disagreements. That’s one of the things that makes this so easy.
How would you define the music style of Robin Ross & The TW Howlers?
RR: A cross between Rolling Stones with a folk backbone, some fancy electric guitar, good old home cooking vocals. TW often refers it to folkacbluestic music.
How did you compose the songs of the debut “Back to the Forest” EP?
RR: We wrote them together in the studio, put down some demo tracks, wrote some words then re-recorded the rhythm tracks and built it from there. After, I went into post production with my Mastering Engineer, Jonathan Duckett or JD. JD is known in the industry and has worked with such clients as the late David Sanborn, and put the finishing touches on it.
Why did you choose the title “Back to the Forest” for your debut EP?
RR: Back to the Forest is probably one of our stronger songs and has more of a meaning to getting back to your own soul.
Do you see a link between nature and your music?
RR: Yeah, we wrote the whole album called “Back To The Forest”. LOL I do live in a forest and wrote all of the music in the forest. My studio, Baa Baa Leaf Music, is in the forest, a nice nature place so it naturally winds up together.
Which song from the EP is the most personal to you and why?
RR: They are all pretty personal to me. But if I had pick one, Back To The Forest. I like the groove and beat. It’s a lot like the Rolling Stones and there’s nothing wrong with that.
How was the recording and production process at Baa Baa Leaf Music Studios?
RR: Fantastic! Best engineer in the world! Super breeze with a super cool mamma in the kitchen. She does everything & admin work and is like our den mother. She is also our publisher and handles the administration.
Can you share a fun or surprising memory from the studio sessions?
RR: Whiskey & Ice started out from a trick I do when your fingers are aching from a live gig or lots of studio. That’s to put your fingers in a glass of whiskey and ice. You don’t drink it, just put your fingers in it. It doesn’t heal you, just makes your fingers numb so you can finish the gig. You will experience the pain in the morning. From that it turned into running away from a hurricane in New Orleans. Go figure! It dulls the pain.
Robin, how did your early band Jack’s Maze shape you as a musician?
RR: It brought in theatrical elements. Not just you’re A,B,C chords, if you will. I had a studio then and was writing constantly. I’m more of a vibe musician. Back in the 80’s and 90’s the vibe was Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and so on and I think they all made it onto tape in one way or another. I will say that working with Jack’s Maze made it easier to work with other bands. LOL. It showed me strong discipline to work with other musicians, but I truly enjoy working with them.
TW, how did your travels across the U.S. influence your songwriting?
TW: Literally walking and riding all over the U.S. through the years being an artist gypsy, performer type. I was born in New Orleans, grew up in Florida and NY Adirondack area and spent influential time in Nashville, Chicago, Colorado and just absorbing the music rhythm of people and landscapes.
Both of you have long histories in music – what keeps you motivated?
RR: It’s a music thing. Half the world has musical ability in one way or another, so it keeps you going. It’s always the ability to have a new song.
What can fans expect from a Robin Ross & The TW Howlers live show?
RR: Flying marshmallows! Bags of them! Our last show had 4 bags thrown during the song, Marshmellow Blues, which is another song of mine off of The Bluesberry Jam album.
Do you have any tour plans for “Back to the Forest” EP?
RR: We are open to going to England, the southwest portion and the Scilly Islands. Graham Coath told me about a festival or two out there. And the Isle of Scilly, which is off the coast of England and apparently they play “Whiskey and Ice” about 4 times a day. We would love to go play Whisky and Ice for them.
Who would be your dream artist or band to share the stage with?
RR: When I was a kid, I dreamed of being in Black Sabbath. That morphed into Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. My dream artist now would be my own guy, Frank Cinquegrana from Jack’s Maze. He is the lyricist and composer. I haven’t been on stage with him in like 30 years. I think it would be great to be on stage with Jack’s Maze again.
Are you already working on new music beyond this EP?
RR: Way ahead of you! I have two albums that are in post production. There is a demo album after that. I’m not going to do the demo work right now until the other 2 albums are out. Doing music is a process and it’s a changing process until you work with it the best way it can be.
Looking ahead, what kind of stories or sounds are you most excited to explore next?
RR: I want to record another EP with TW. Right now I have a Robin Ross & The Melodynes album coming out, who I also write with Wharton Tiers, and TW is also on that album. We share musicians between The TW Howlers and The Melodynes and The Bluesberry Jam. I don’t want to make big of a deal of the The Bluesberry Jam album. It’s an album with a bunch of misfit songs. You gotta put them out, sometimes they lead to other discoveries that you never thought possible. Which has happened. My solo album, Kingdom’s Freedom, was discovered that way in Russia, through The Bluesberry Jam. The second LP is with Jack’s Maze which will be our second album.
What message do you hope listeners take away from your songs?
RR: Hang in there. Try not to sweat the small stuff. If you do your thing and be good to yourself and the people around you, I think you’ll do alright in this world. I hope people find a moment of reflection when they listen to a song and maybe it relates to something for them and take some hope for that.
TW: Make sure you put your ears on, kick back with some whiskey and ice and get back to the forest.
