Press photos
Easy Street — Press Kit
"I've intentionally kept it simple, so that the music doesn't overpower the meaning and emotion of the song. I know that sounds kind of contradictory, but it will make sense once you listen." — TJ Howlett
TJ Howlett is a singer, songwriter and musician from Melbourne, Australia. His songs tell stories about the situations and feelings that make people who they are, creating an atmosphere that transports your imagination to another place and time.
His music is a blend of guitar based genres across a broad spectrum, from stomping blues-rock to ethereal acoustic to dark gothic grooves. These aural soundscapes paint a mood around poignant and soulful lyrics and deliver stories that evoke contemplation and emotion.
TJ was a fixture of Melbourne's early 90s grunge scene, known for his wild talent and soaring lead breaks in outfits including Lost Cause, Blue September, Rehab, Joe Bloggs and Flux and Change.
After a couple of decades in the wilderness, TJ re-emerged into the music scene, slinging his axe for Dark Thorn and Veiled Arch. His work in these bands was a collaboration of high-energy riffs, sweeping chord voicings and his signature Bluespunk lead breaks, delivering a fusion of soul-tearing melodies and full throttle attack.
He also had a number of stories from the wilderness that needed to be sung, more introspective in nature and that he needed to craft personally. The result is the TJ Howlett collection – songs that create place, time and feeling.
Easy Street (3:31) + Again (4:14)
Easy Street is TJ's second single. It's a slow sultry blues lament that sits you in a dark and smoky dive bar. It opens a window into the world of surrender, telling the stories of those who have found solace in turning inwards and switching off. A soaring guitar break drives a sense of need and urgency against a rhythm that's strong, slow and steady, pacing itself like it has a long night ahead.
Again is the b-side. It's a slow blues-rock song about that quiet grit and persistence that keeps us going, even when we're our own worst enemy. Sometimes just surviving is all you can do. It opens with a very simple drumbeat, the sound of footsteps walking through different landscapes one step at a time.
No. 4 Rock · No. 8 Country/Blues/Roots · No. 8 Metro — Community Radio Airplay Charts, week ending 26 February 2026, its first week out.