Tripp Howell built his reputation on energy and feel — the kind of drummer who can drive a country-rock band hard live, but still stay tight enough for radio. With LANCO, his grooves sit right in the sweet spot: clean, powerful, and designed to lift choruses without crowding the song.
Howell grew up in Dalton, Georgia, and moved to Nashville in 2012, where he met Brandon Lancaster at a festival — both of them heading to Music City at the same time. Once in town, they built the band, named it LANCO (Lancaster and Company), and even rehearsed inside a carpet warehouse where Howell worked days — until they got caught after leaving beer cans behind. Not long after, LANCO played a sold-out show at Nashville’s High Watt, where Sony Music Nashville executives offered the band a deal. Howell later recalled quitting the warehouse job when his boss refused to give him time off to record.
LANCO broke nationally in 2017 when “Greatest Love Story” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart before the band’s debut album release — a rare first for a country band. More recent activity has included continued touring and new singles, including “What I See,” while Howell has also expanded into the Nashville songwriting world, signing a publishing deal connected to Endurance Music Group.
Recordings / credits: LANCO — Greatest Love Story; Born to Love You; What I See; LANCO studio releases and touring-era credits.
Plays: Paiste; Masters of Maple Drums; Vic Firth.
Sources: Paiste; Masters of Maple Drums; Vic Firth; Sony Music Nashville; Rolling Stone; The Denver Post.
Update: 1/23/26
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