After a lifetime of playing instruments, bouncing between bands and experimenting with new musical techniques, Oakland’s Kevin Moan had a simple idea. Alone in his rehearsal studio during the pandemic, he decided to plug his guitar amp into his bass cab. The result shocked and delighted him. A sultry bass tone led way into a whole new sound for Moan, who immediately got to work writing songs and playing his own instruments that matched his new vision. The result became the fuzzed-out, bluesy rock ’n’ roll project Kevin Moan and the Howling.
After self-releasing an EP in 2022 called Start the Show, Moan determined to play live shows and get his name out into the Bay Area music scene. He began playing open mics and small bars in Oakland and San Francisco, and his growth has remained consistent ever since. The band’s debut album, Big Milk, which presents a sophisticated and clean 10 tracks that explore rock conventions with both technical skill and creative expansion, came out in 2025.
Moan cites a vast array of music influences that shaped both his sonic and personal identity. He grew up on Bob Marley and classic rock, but discovered that music from the ’70s and ’80s inspired him the most. He connected to Misfits, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Flag, Ramones and the Clash when learning to play the electric guitar. He also holds a strong reverence for crooners and country artists like Marty Robbins and Roy Orbison. Prince, however, remains his main source of artistic expression, explaining how Prince set the blueprint for Moan’s discovery of personal style and creative expression.
Moan emphasizes that his influences do impact his sound, but ultimately his ideas are amalgamations of all great artists before him.
“I’m definitely a subscriber or a believer that the ideas, whatever creative idea comes, it doesn’t come from me,” Moan says. “It comes from somewhere else. Where that is, I don’t know. Some higher plane of existence somewhere, and I am like a conduit.”
This belief informs how he approaches songwriting and producing, which is an organic process for Moan and comes as a result of work and dedication over time. He begins with solo experimenting on his instruments, and uses each discovery as a building block towards a song.
Moan says, “I almost think of it like a tree that’s bearing fruit. You know, if you just water the soil and give it good nutrients, then this is the fruit that comes out. So that’s my approach … it’s rudimentary.”
Moan says that growing up in Oakland and continuing his music career in his hometown are critical facets of his musical and creative identity. The cityscapes, nature, people and community motivate him to keep making music.
“I’ve traveled a lot and man, there’s something about being here and seeing that water and seeing those hills and just the air and the sun,” he says. “It’s something you know: There’s something special here.”
Moan encourages young musicians to explore and push themselves as much as possible. To him, music is less about learning specific chords or notes and more about the process of discovery and expansion.
He also expresses his deep gratitude for anyone who’s come to a show, checked out the band’s music or expressed interest in the project in any way. Moan’s years of practice and writing in solitude gave him an even deeper appreciation for his newfound fans and community.
“For any advice I could give, I would just say, ‘Keep going, do it because you love it and be cool to people,’” Moan says. “Have so much love and gratitude, and keep an open mind. What I would say to people is, ‘Thank you for checking us out, and I have so much gratitude.’”
For more info visit kevinmoanandthehowling.com.
