Howzat looking to make it to the top of the heap
“It took a lot of prodding and poking and greasing the right wheels by Kevin ( Rudy), our lead singer,” says Greigg Fraser, lead guitarist for the southern Ontario rock band Howzat.
Persistence led to the band opening for the heavy 1970s British band Uriah Heep at London’s Music Hall on Feb. 11, a show which is a part of a monumental North American tour of its 26th studio album.
In addition to persistence, Howzat also recently delivered a top- notch performance that “blew the doors off” Rum Runners, a club which is housed on the ground floor of the London Music Hall complex. Venue owners took notice. Upon receiving confirmation Howzat was the opening band, Fraser says he was “pretty impressed” as a fan of the psychedelic British giants who sold millions of records worldwide with such hits as Stealing, Easy Living and July Morning over the past four decades. Trying to make the most of this latest opportunity, his band immediately “jumped on the bandwagon” and contacted 98.1 FM Radio in London, which was willing to support and promote the concert.
Born and bred in Fonthill, Fraser found his passion in playing guitar at an early age. He started playing in garage bands and was a member of Fat Rabbit before he left the Niagara area for London, Ont. He became a music teacher and learned how to repair guitars, which has allowed him to remain in the precarious field of entertainment.
A journey of self- discovery led Fraser to write three solo instrumental compositions, starting in 1992 with Madness of Modern Life. From this CD, the single Media Mania got a great deal of airplay in Europe particularly Belgium. Most of Fraser’s compositions are captivating soundscapes with edgy, but poignant guitar and rhythmic harmonies. According to Fraser, his second album Tech Noir also did well in Europe.
CBC Radio purchased Ravar, as the song to lighten the drive time of listeners. While he admits instrumentals don’t sell albums or make radio playlists, the first two albums were mildly successful abroad, and did make radio playlists in Europe. Notwithstanding, Fraser’s writing — he’s influenced by Jeff Beck — has also earned him spots as a studio musician.
His last instrumental CD, Under the Radar in 2010, also shared producing and performing credits with Brian Waters, also from Fonthill and now residing in Toronto. Under the Radar is mastered by Nick Blagona, who is best known for completing musical projects for The Police, Deep Purple and Perfect Strangers. Blagona is one of many luminaries Fraser has collaborated with over the years.
Four years ago, Fraser joined Howzat, which was primarily an acoustic three- piece band. Three years ago, the band decided to plug in and began performing cover songs, which fuelled Rudy and Fraser’s creativity. This collaboration also includes percussionist Dale Penny and bassist Dave Buland, which resulted in the debut EP Rough Cutz containing five original songs. Since its release, Howzat has added keyboard player Dan Ransom to complement the sound. The song, Storm from this EP was purchased for syndicated golf show Highways to Fairways on The Sports Network ( TSN), says Fraser.
The band recently released the song Luv Dust and its corresponding video, which has 20,000 hits on YouTube. His lead singer‘ s “aggressive” and “somewhat dark” vocals add a slice of life cut from a razor’s edge, which he says helps contribute to today’s modern sound. Alive is a song that Fraser believes is influenced by bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Royal Blood.
House of Love may sound like a Valentine’s Day offering, but it’s more apt for a show like Divorce Court. Luv Dust’s title is also innocuously misconceiving for a song that rants about our current and turbulent political time. Fraser believes Rudy tends to successfully focus on emotion when writing lyrics that draw the listener in.
While he is confident the band’s number of YouTube hits will rise, Fraser says self- promotion is a long and bumpy road, even down the information highway. It’s disconcerting for potential fans, because when googling Howzat, one surprisingly gets the song by that same moniker performed by Australian band Sherbert. To add to the frustration, Howzat is also a common term used in cricket, and videos of recent sports highlights of this game continually pop up. Regardless of any drawbacks Howzat’s name creates, the band hopes Instagram and YouTube will eventually elevate the band’s popularity and status.
In the spring, Luv Dust will be released with six or seven other originals on a CD that will most likely be titled Perfect World. Howzat will continue to spread Luv Dust around London, Ont., Niagara and Toronto. The band’s website has an itinerary of club dates listed well into the summer.
Howzat has opened for Canadian favourites Rik Emmett, Lawrence Gowan, Rush, Sloan, The Killer Dwarfs and bar bands such as quasipunk artist Bobnoxious, Kiss Cloans and The Destroyers.
Now adding Uriah Heep to one’s resume may just help the band “reach the next level,” which is one of Fraser’s goals.
He also hopes to return to the heart and soul of the music industry, Nashville, Tenn., where he recently became the only Canadian endorsed by Warrior Guitars. On a recent trip to Nashville, Fraser also had a chance to meet with Rick Derringer for a day, whom he described as “funny” and “a really nice guy.” He has also met many recording artists who have influenced him, including Martin Barre, guitarist for Jethro Tull; Steve Morse of Deep Purple; the late master guitar designer Les Paul; and British legend Beck.
Meeting inspirational and famous recording artists is the glamorous part of the checkered existence musicians lead. The world may be far from perfect, but just knowing “the guitar is my life,” Fraser says, puts everything into perspective.