Danielle Howle calls herself a “joy distributor.” The Charleston-based singer, songwriter, poet and instructor has released 15 albums and many musicians in the Southeast know her as a friend and trusted creative guide.
One such connection is Asheville-native Andrew Scotchie. He and his band The River Rats are hosting a release party at the Charleston Pour House May 12 to celebrate the band’s latest album Love is Enough, and Howle is opening the show.
“We’ve been music friends for about 10 years, and I’ve watched him grow,” said Howle. “He was always great, but now he’s truly magical.
“We’ve always supported each other … He has taught me a lot, too. So when he asked me to put on the show, I was like, ‘Wow, this is perfect.’ It’s an honor to open his release show.”
Scotchie met Howle for the first time at an Awendaw Green Barn Jam in 2013. “When we hit the last note of our set and as the goats began eating our paper set lists,” he said, “I quickly ran backstage to dunk my head in the beer cooler so I could cool off. As I was drying myself off, a warm and inviting ball of energy approached. That ball of energy was Danielle Howle.
“I quickly learned about her music, her catalog and decades of accomplishments in the industry. At the time, I was just 20 years old and meeting someone like Danielle who was encouraging, had lessons to bestow and, most importantly, treated me like an equal, was incredibly inspiring.”
He thought Howle would be just the right person to help him celebrate his release. “It makes perfect sense to bring the album to Charleston and play with Danielle because she is such a great example of an eclectic, prolific artist who can hold a room with just a few chords and truth,” Scotchie said.
“Her live show, much like mine, is all about connecting, working through problems and making sure by the time the show is over, people feel a little lighter.”
This spring is a particularly exhilarating season for Howle. In addition to the show at the Pour House, she recently signed a record deal with legendary label Kill Rock Stars’ Nashville division, through which she will be releasing her 16th album this year.
Kill Rock Stars has distributed the work of inimitable musicians like Elliot Smith and The Decemberists.
“The type of music that they put out over the last 30 years, it’s been incredible,” she said.
Howle is involved in a myriad of creative projects that allow her to foster inspiration. She has been an artist-in-residence at outdoor venue Awendaw Green for about 12 years, where she is involved in one of her favorite local musical events, the Barn Jams.
“Being artist-in-residence has allowed me to create musical opportunities for people and be a part of something very awesome,” she said. “I couldn’t have gotten this far without being a part of this organization.”
She is also one of the founding members of Swap Sessions, a songwriter workshop/retreat hosted at the Swamp House in the Francis Marion Forest, owned by Eddie White, the proprietor of Awendaw Green.
Howle and fellow instructor and artist Cody Dixon curate the roster, inviting guests to attend. One of the features of Swap Sessions is the Songwriting Nature Workshop, a quarter-mile walking trail with eight different stations, each station posing a different writing prompt or challenge.
“Three people that walked the songwriter trail recorded their songs within 45 minutes of making them up on the trail,” Howle said of a recent session.
Burgeoning songwriters who can’t attend Swamp Sessions can visit the writing trail virtually on Youtube via Howle’s website.
Despite her impressive schedule, Howle values creating new spaces for connection and creativity. She began offering Women’s Songwriting Workshop in March, the first of which took place over two days at Jubilee! Church in Columbia.
The next Women’s Songwriting Workshop will be a one-day event on May 27 at Growing Spirit Camp on Johns Island.
“It’s an interesting group of different skill levels,” she said. “Basically everybody just helps each other out. There’s just no ego, and everybody’s just happy to be there.”
Howle feels most balanced shifting between the roles of mentor and artist, finding that each offers its own distinct fulfillment.
“I’m just feeling really good about the people I’m meeting and the things that I’m creating,” she said. “I like to give people the gift of inspiration whenever I can.”
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