Unapologetically influenced by the strong but easygoing grooves of West Coast 1970s rock, Howlin Rain represented something of a change of pace for guitarist and singer Ethan Miller, who previously fronted the psychedelic noise rock ensemble Comets on Fire. Informed by classic rock of the 1960s and '70s, vintage prog rock, and the Grateful Dead, Howlin Rain have won a loyal audience for their powerfully trippy sound and the exploratory lyrical bent of Miller's songs. The band made a splash with their second album, 2008's Magnificent Fiend, they delivered the first in a trio of LPs intended to chart a creative arc with 2015's Mansion Songs, and they completed the cycle with 2021's ambitious The Dharma Wheel.