BBG Music Spotlight – Wayne Snow of Howling at the Earth, his presence on the stage and online.

By Amanda Barber

Wayne Snow is the lead singer of Howling at the Earth, an alternative rock band based in the Eastern Panhandle (EP) of West Virginia. Snow is also active on social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, to promote the band’s music, past performances and upcoming gigs. 

Snow grew up in Charles Town, West Virginia, in Jefferson County. He started playing guitar at the age of 10 and is now 31. Snow describes himself as someone who enjoys cartoons, video games, animations or “anything that has a humorous, mystical side to it.” He also started skateboarding at a young age and still occasionally does so as an adult. 

“I think that’s kind of like the gist of, you know, when you see me, you’re like: ‘That kid’s a cartoon character,’” Snow says.

Snow says that, as someone with a multi-cultural background, several artists and bands have influenced his own musical style. The first song he learned how to play on guitar was Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason.” However, Snow says Chapman’s music genre is not necessarily the style he continued to play while growing up. 

As Snow learned more about guitar, he started playing songs by bands such as Green Day and Fall Out Boy. He says these are the types of songs that influenced part of the style he goes for today. As Snow grew older, he discovered a punk rock band called Bayside, which further inspired his musical path. Snow says he enjoys and respects that Bayside continues to evolve over time and that their songs reflect their actual lives. 

“So then yeah, I found this band called Bayside and, you know, their lyrics and the guitarist at the time really spoke to me,” Snow says. “That’s when I really decided, I think, I wanted to take music more seriously, and started playing in a band and started playing out.” 

As for the style of music that Howling at the Earth plays, Snow says it is mostly alternative rock with elements of progressive rock and midwestern emo. He says there are even some aspects of folk in his music because the Mountain State is embedded in him. Snow used to post guitar riffs on random forums, and someone once commented that it was similar to banjo playing. 

“Because you know, I’m just around it so much living here and playing music in the area that even though I don’t necessarily play that type of music, I think it’s definitely impacted me a lot,” Snow says. 

Diving into Snow’s lyrical process, he discusses his album “Second Wave,” which he wrote in 2021, featuring six songs. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Snow found himself sitting at home alone and decided to “just put it all out there.” He had just moved out of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and was living in the Charles Town area again. He wanted to write a record that reflected his years studying at Shepherd University and living in Shepherdstown as a “townie” after college. 

“So it was kind of different, kind of like a coming home,” Snow says. “I guess in a way, my hero’s journey, you know, going off and coming back home and using what you’ve learned.”  

Snow says “Second Wave” means a lot to him because it is like his “phoenix rising” record. The first single he released on the album was a song called “Gaslight,” written based on what it feels like to be undermined or undervalued. He says the time alone during the pandemic made him realize where he was undervalued in certain situations, inspiring the song’s lyrics. 

Another one of Snow’s singles, “Avalanche,” is a favorite song he has written so far. He says he likes the meaning of the song and will likely add definition to it as time goes on. The song starts with an opening riff that goes back and forth. The first line says, “Call me crazy, but I think I’ve been here before.” 

Snow says that when he got into the verse, he saw two visions – one was kids sneaking out in the middle of the night, just hanging out, sitting on the sidewalk, and looking at the stars. The second vision, Snow saw soldiers of war sitting in a trench late at night, also looking at the stars, and saying the first line of the song. He says the two visions evolved into a “coming-of-age story,” having wars within ourselves and growing up feeling the pressures from society, authority figures and family. 

“I think I wanted to write this song about generational trauma, and like, kind of breaking that chain and using the metaphor for war, but also writing about actual war … especially with all the things going on right now and how scary that is and how that it’s all connected, and it’s all generationally connected, you know,” Snow says. “So yeah, I think this song, it means a lot to me, and I think it’s going to continue growing meaning to it.”

Where to find Howling at the Earth – in person and online:

Snow plays between two and five gigs a week. Jefferson County, West Virginia, is part of the D.C. Metropolitan (DMV) area. Located in the Eastern Panhandle (EP), the county is in a tri-state location between West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. Because of this, Snow says he more so travels outside of the state than within to play music. 

To listen to Howling at the Earth, check them out on their most popular streaming platforms, Apple Music and Spotify, as well as YouTube, Amazon Music or the band’s website. 

Are you a Mountain State influencer or up-and-coming creative with a social media following? If so, Black By God (BBG) wants to highlight you! To be a part of BBG’s effort to highlight online personalities with West Virginia connections, email the author of this article.