How??? - How??? (2024)

LA-based HOW???, a co-creation of musicians Alex Tebeleff and Matthew Dowling, picks up the pieces of a longstanding east coast project, deeply rooted in DIY culture. That project, Paperhaus, was both a shape-shifting musical collective which toured extensively, and a beloved DIY space which feverishly hosted touring acts from around the globe.

There was a period in the early 2010's where many self-booked touring musicians, upon hearing of "Paperhaus," were often confused whether Paperhaus was a band or a venue. The answer was not necessarily clear, but it was profound: "kinda both." Shows at the space in DC’s Petworth neighborhood eventually evolved into the DCDIT collective, putting on shows from basements to larger spaces like the Kennedy Center. Here We Go Magic, Weyes Blood, Suzanne Ciani, Emile Mosseri’s The Dig, and a Flaming Lips after-party were among the hundreds of projects that came through DC courtesy of Paperhaus and DCDIT. Tebeleff, the figurehead of Paperhaus, was the key creative force behind the band’s psychedelic, krautrock leanings, and the wider collective’s open community building through live music.

Eventually, the original house space ceased to exist in a rapidly gentrifying environment (yes, there was a DC Flippers episode that featured the space as a “dirty band house” ripe for renovated DC real estate glory), and an already difficult touring environment got a knockout punch from COVID. Tebeleff, like many musicians during COVID, was forced to re-invent himself.

The first change right before the pandemic was a move to Los Angeles; the second was a transition from "DIY band guy" to a producer. How??? is his first self-produced album; all songs were co-written between Tebeleff and longtime collaborator/bassist Matthew Dowling (Paperhaus, Deleted Scenes, SWOLL, The Effects). While by no means devoid of Paperhaus 60s and 70s psychedelic and glam rock inspired fingerprints, this debut album draws inspiration from unexpected places - from Texas Americana legends like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, to electronic soundscapes and more experimental artists like Boards of Canada and Bjork, and even 80’s pop from the likes of Depeche Mode and Tears for Fears.