Written by Lauren Rosier
Today, the St. Louis-based rock band, HOUNDS, share their new music video for single, “Shake Me Up” via BMG. The four-piece is set to release their forthcoming studio album, Cattle In The Sky, on February 5, 2021.
The song originally premiered in American Songwriter, who said that “Shake Me Up” is the punk guy’s companion to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” The HOUNDS‘ track is rough, dirty, edgy, and scruffy; unlike Swift’s song, “Shake It Off.”
The story of HOUNDS begins in St. Louis. As youths, Jordan Slone and his younger brother, Logan, were both musicians. Essentially, they are self-taught musicians, with Jordan singing and playing guitar, while brother Logan plays the bass. When they were both in high school, the two brothers compiled their first working group, recruiting a longtime friend and drummer, Logan Mohler, to join their band, Clockwork, in 2010. Within two years, the trio was touring clubs and making special festival appearances throughout a region of 30 states.
The trio was cast as a “cute, local boy band” and was ushered into the studio quickly for two albums and an EP. Essentially, they were pushed to be more pop-focused than they wanted to be. Instead, they decided to pivot to a more hard-rock brand, and in 2019, they auditioned for the second season of the nationwide band competition and web-based series, Who Will Rock You?
The original series featured the search for America’s next band/group. Twelve of the best, unsigned bands battled against each other to be the last band standing. HOUNDS survived early hurdles, including Slone‘s dislocated knee, and they emerged victorious as the Who Will Rock You? champions. They earned an artist development deal with BMG. The executives were so impressed by HOUNDS that they offered to include an album in the deal.
