Howdy! (Teenage Fanclub album)

Howdy!
Studio album by Teenage Fanclub
Released	23 October 2000
Recorded	August 1999 – March 2000
Studio	Rockfield, Wales; Astoria, London
Genre	Power pop, Americana
Length	48:09
Label	Columbia
Producer	Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub chronology
Songs from Northern Britain (1997) Howdy! (2000) Words of Wisdom and Hope (2002)
Singles from Howdy!
"I Need Direction" Released: 16 October 2000 "Dumb Dumb Dumb" Released: 16 April 2001

Howdy! is the seventh album by Scottish rock band Teenage Fanclub, released on 23 October 2000 through Columbia Records. With the addition of keyboardist Finlay MacDonald, the band wrote new material, eventually debuting some of it live in early 1999. Following this, they recorded their next album at Rockfield Studios in Wales, as well as Astoria in London, between August 1999 and March 2000. Shortly afterwards, drummer Paul Quinn left the band and was replaced by Francis MacDonald. Howdy! is an Americana and power pop album, recalling the work of the Hollies.

Howdy! received generally favourable from critics, with many praising the songwriting. The album reached number eight in Scotland and number 33 in the United Kingdom, where "I Need Direction" peaked at number 48. After signing to Columbia Records, Teenage Fanclub played a variety of festivals in Spain, Japan and the United Kingdom, leading up to the release of the album's lead single, "I Need Direction", in October 2000. That same month, the band toured the UK with support from Suckle. "Dumb Dumb Dumb" was released as the album's second single, coinciding with a tour of mainland Europe and a stint in the United States. Howdy! saw release in that territory in early 2002.