2025 Competition Entry:

Humboldt Fog by The Wolves Howl

Genre

Folk

Co-writer(s)

no

Performer(s)

Jeffrey Storey – Lead vocals and slack key acoustic guitar
Seth Eklund – Vocal harmonies and ukulele
John McGinnis – Vocal harmonies
Darrell Cross – Percussion (shakers and bass drum)
Brian Lapin – Organ

Description

My siblings and I grew up in Humboldt County, California, a beautiful, rural area on the coast of Northern California. It was an amazing place to grow up, in an amazing time, when kids were free to explore the world (the Redwood forest) as long as they came home on time. Later in life I went to UCLA and remained in Los Angeles – culturally a very different place with different values and lifestyles than up north, while the majority of my family remained in Northern California, particularly my brother Alan. This song is about remembering that early childhood life, the regrets I have about leaving, and the wish to reconnect with my brother, granted briefly during a road trip before we returned to our respective life paths.

Bio

Just a couple miles west of traditional country & western, you’ll find SoCal-based artists The Wolves Howl. The band seamlessly blends its southwest “Americana” vibe with ukulele, slack key guitar, harmonica, pedal steel, and a multitude of vocal harmonies. Their songwriting pays homage to their favorite country icons Willie & Merle, rock acts Eddie & Petty, while also honoring Hawaiian (808) legends Leonard Kwan & Israel Kamakamiwo’ole.

Inspired during a weeklong, destination recording session in the high desert, at Joshua Tree Recording Studio with producer Tommy Dietrick (SKY PARADE, David J, Mark Gardener), this group of lifelong friends and bandmates recorded 13 tracks in November 2023.

The artists represented on this album, who’ve previously toured with bands (Black Eye Peas, The Jealous Sound, Rolan Bolan & the Brothers Bounce, Neither Trumpets Nor Drums) include LA natives Ecky (ukulele, vocals) & Brian Lapin (keys), NorCaler Sto Sto (guitar, vocals), Georgian John McGinnis (bass, vocals), and Oregonians Crossy Cross (drums) & Sheriff (pedal steel). As a family affair, the record additionally features Ecky’s father, Reverend Brian Eklund (harmonica), 12-year old son Enzo (vocals), and the incomparable Miranda Lee Richards (vocals).

Wolves have returned to the wild west after 150 years. Their howls can now be heard again from the Deschutes River, to Humboldt, to Sierra Range, & to Angelino Heights where these songs of mother nature were born.

Lyrics

Remembering my Humboldt County roots
Learned to love my neighbor
Taught me how to tell the truth
Grew up among the Redwood Trees
Arcata, California – a tight knit community
A bunch of hippies smokin’ weed
Give what you can and take only what you need
Livin’ life the easy way
At least that’s what they say

Roots were pulled
Seeds blown away
I was gone but my brother stayed
I think of all the ties that bind
And what I left behind

Little red house on Buttermilk Lane
Big Wheels, dirt bikes and raisin’ Caine
Cruisin’ through that Sunnybrae neighborhood
Back at dark, the mantra of my childhood
We stayed out of trouble too
There were just too many things to do
This was all back in the day
At least that’s what they say

Roots were pulled
Seeds blown away
I was gone but my brother stayed
I think of all the ties that bind
And what I left behind

I wanna go back again
Feel that Humboldt fog come rollin’ in

Took a road trip up to Trinidad
Patrick’s Point all the way to Fort Bragg
Unravelling that Lost Coast mystery
Sat with Al where the Mad River meets the sea
Two brothers sitting side by side
Come together across that great divide
It’s a long drive back to L.A.
At least that’s what they say

Roots were pulled
Seeds blown away
I was gone but my brother stayed
I think of all the ties that bind
And what I left behind

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