Grammy-winning songwriter and longtime Harry Styles collaborator Mitch Rowland has traded the glitz of global pop tours for the serene landscapes of the English countryside, where he crafted his sophomore album, Whistling Pie. Released yesterday on September 12 via Styles’ Erskine Records/Giant Music, the 13-track folk-rock record is a heartfelt meditation on time, memory, and the fleeting joys of family life. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the Ohio-raised musician opens up about his relocation, how fatherhood has reshaped his artistry, and his admiration for rising pop sensation Chappell Roan.
Rowland, 36, first rose to prominence as a guitarist and co-writer in Styles’ band, contributing to hits like “Watermelon Sugar” and “Golden” from the former One Direction star’s solo catalog. His journey from a shy dishwasher at an L.A. pizzeria to a key player in one of pop’s biggest acts is the stuff of rock ‘n’ roll lore. But with his solo career gaining momentum—following the success of his 2023 debut Come June—Rowland sought a quieter path. “Time is weird,” he tells Rolling Stone, reflecting on his evolution as both a musician and a father of two young sons.
The move to the English countryside wasn’t impulsive. Rowland, married to drummer Sarah Jones (also a member of Styles’ band), relocated with their family to the tiny village where Jones grew up, near the Welsh border in Herefordshire. The couple met during rehearsals for Styles’ 2017 self-titled debut album and tied the knot soon after. “We fell in love, got married, and moved to the tiny English village where she grew up, with our two little sons,” Rowland explains. The decision was driven by a desire for “landscape and stillness,” elements Rowland credits for reigniting his passion for the guitar. “I wanted to make the album in the countryside,” he says, noting how the rural setting provided the perfect backdrop for introspection away from the chaos of touring.
Whistling Pie was born from this idyllic environment, with many demos recorded in unassuming spots like his father-in-law’s studio in a converted chicken shed—the same place where Jones learned to play drums as a child. “I made these demos with Sarah’s dad, because we’re right down the lane from her parents,” Rowland shares. The album was produced by Rob Schnapf, who helmed Come June and has a storied history working with artists like Beck and the late Elliott Smith. Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, Wales—famed for Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and sessions by Coldplay and Oasis—the project features an intimate lineup: Schnapf on guitar, Jones on drums, and engineer Matt Schuessler on upright bass.
Musically, Whistling Pie blends delicate acoustic ballads with folk-rock influences, drawing from Rowland’s heroes like the late British folk guitarist Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, and JJ Cale. Tracks like the lead single “Really Ready”—a song idea from 2017 rediscovered on his phone—capture “life’s little moments before they escape their grasp,” as per the press release. Other highlights include the piano-driven “Honeybabe,” with its noir-tinged storytelling and accompanying music video, and the gothic-tinged “Carry On With Your Tea,” which evolves from Joan Baez-esque folk to Led Zeppelin vibes. The album’s closer, “Standard Size Knife,” offers an upbeat, groovy finale, contrasting the record’s overall meditative tone.
Parenthood has profoundly influenced Rowland’s perspective on Whistling Pie. With two sons—the eldest now three and a younger one recently born—the urgency to document everyday magic has intensified. “Everyone has their whole life to make their first record,” he notes. “While I was making my second, it felt like time was slipping away. Fatherhood, he says, made songwriting more focused: “Time became tighter, but the urge to write became sharper. With less room for procrastination, songs began to emerge from everyday moments—a walk through the garden, a car journey, or the brief pause between tour dates. The interlude “Carrot & Wine” is a direct homage to family life, underscoring how his role as a dad has shifted his lens from personal vulnerability (as in Come June) to a more outward, shared reflection on life’s seasons.
Rowland’s admiration for Chappell Roan adds a contemporary pop twist to his folk roots. The 27-year-old Missouri native, whose 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess exploded last year, has become a household name with hits like “Hot to Go!” In the interview, Rowland reveals his elder son’s obsession with Roan’s music prompted a parental epiphany: “He’s really into Chappell Roan at the moment, which made me as a parent realize, ‘Shit, am I more of a Chappell Roan fan than a Sabrina Carpenter fan?’ I think I’m leaning more to Chappell. I texted Harry, ‘They’re great.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, yeah—I think you’re right there.
He praises Roan’s deliberate pace, especially amid her recent controversies over comments on parenthood that sparked online debates. Roan told the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that her friends with young kids “are in hell,” drawing backlash from some parents but support from others who see it as a raw acknowledgment of modern struggles like childcare costs and lack of support. Rowland echoes this sentiment in his own way, urging Roan to “take your time” on her next project: “It’s been three and a half years since Harry’s House—enough time for Mitch and Sarah to come up with two albums and two kids—and Rowland praises Chappell for not banging out a quickie follow-up to her big album. ‘All this just to say, “Take your time, Chappell Roan. Do it for my kids. Stretch it out.”’
To celebrate Whistling Pie, Rowland has announced a fall tour, kicking off September 12 in West Hollywood at the Troubadour, followed by Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right on September 13, and a UK run in October including Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol, London, and Paris.a991c5 Fans on X (formerly Twitter) are buzzing about the album, with posts praising its lingering emotional depth and Rowland’s evolution as an artist.
From Columbus, Ohio, roots to the rolling hills of England, Rowland’s story is one of quiet transformation. Whistling Pie not only solidifies his place in the indie-folk scene but also reminds us that true artistry often blooms in the unlikeliest of places—like a chicken shed studio or a countryside walk. As Rowland puts it, “It’s better to be somewhere quiet; it’s nice to walk up to a cow.
