Honeyblood - FatCat Records

Honeyblood

Honeyblood's songs are fully formed and perfectly assured. With nothing extraneous, the music is driven through tightly-bound instrumentals and laced with the sheer strength and beauty of Stina's voice. The songs resonate with deep melodic hooks and the kind of effortless charm compared to the likes of Best Coast, Haim and Frankie Rose, as well as the swooning, strident delivery of more established artists like Jenny Lewis. While those are all decent touchstones for their triumphant debut single, the band also tellingly cite the darker currents of The Breeders, PJ Harvey and The Throwing Muses as lifelong influences.

On 'Bud', the band's first vinyl release, their no-nonsense bittersweet pop has been captured to tape by Rory Atwell (Palma Violets, Veronica Falls). The rootsy, chanting glee of the A-side is backed with the urgent lo-fi punky charm of the addictive B-side, 'Kissing on You'.

Forming in early 2012, now a solo-project for Stina Tweeddale, Honeyblood began as a two piece with Shona McVicar on drums (later eplaced by Cat Myers) and Stina on vocals and guitar. The duo supported acts including Palma Violets, Sleigh Bells and Deap Vally, played shows for the likes NME and Vice, as well as festivals everywhere from The Great Escape to their native T in The Park. But they started out with humble DIY beginnings, organising their own guerrilla show at The Old Hairdressers in Glasgow to commemorate the release of a raucous two-track cassette entitled, 'Thrift Shop', recorded in their kitchen with one mic. Honeyblood rapidly ingrained themselves into the bustling Glaswegian scene, fast becoming one of its most talked-about names. "There's lots of bands branching out from the usual genres and just writing excellent tunes," comments Stina, "It's great to feel a part of that." It was at that early show that FatCat first stumbled upon the band and their signing continued the label's strong run of picking up on the best new Scottish talent at a nascent stage. Honeyblood follows on from The Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and PAWS, all of whom were found from demos or early performances.

Honeyblood's debut self-titled LP was released in July 2014. It was laid down in just 10 days with producer Peter Katis in Connecticut. From the urgent guitar and dive-bomb drums of opener 'Fall Forever', the album twists through the gutsy punk of 'Killer Bangs' to reveal discordant anthems like 'Super Rat'. It has pared-down, alt pop gems in the likes of 'Biro' and 'No Spare Key', but also more country influenced moments like, '(I'd Rather Be) Anywhere But Here', 'Braid Burn Valley' and 'Bud'. 'Honeyblood' pulls in elements of lo-fi punk rock, unfettered indie pop and a deep seated passion for classic rootsy song crafting that helps give the album something of an undeniable feel.

In the winter of 2015, Tweeddale and Myers recorded Honeyblood's second album 'Babes Never Die' at London's Fish Factory studio. Produced by James Dring, the album was released by FatCat on 4th November 2016 in the UK/EU and 28th October in the US. For Stina, the title of her band’s second album came from somewhere close to her heart, literally. "I have those words tattooed on my ribs,I guess you could call it a war cry; to have the faith to never let yourself be defeated. I guess you could call it a war cry; to have the faith to never let yourself be defeated. . ‘Babes Never Die’ is not a shy motto, and one that’s triumphant sentiment rings throughout Honeyblood’s exceptional sophomore record.

“The title is my own mantra,” Stina explains. “I think it’s something I tell myself every day. Indifference is a plague. Giving up and turning a blind eye will be the end of us. Perhaps we should stare straight into the face of what frightens us and say that we will never let them win. When I use the word ‘Babe’ I don’t see it as gendered. I just wanted to share the phrase and the power it gives me. Saying that, like most Honeyblood lyrics, it is vaguely facetious.” From the thundering intro bars of the opening title track it’s clear it’s an album that's bite will live up to is bark. It’s an album that feels like it’s on a mission. One that won’t let go. But if the Glasgow band -Stina, alongside drummer Cat Myers- have created anything of a signature atmosphere, its one that’s as playful as it is impassioned. Over ‘Babes’…’ 11 tales of drama, horror, lust and laughs, never has that been more true. “There’s a strong narrative theme that runs throughout the record, a sort of chaotic empowerment,” she explains. “I wrote songs with real characters, more like stories. There’s a dark undertone throughout. I wanted gruesome romance stories rather than whiny love songs.“

Recorded during several candle-burning stints at London’s Fish Factory studio in the winter of 2016, Stina and Cat were joined by producer James Dring, whose work with the likes of Jamie T and Gorillaz made him an intriguing choice for the Scottish duo. Make no mistake, ‘Babes…’ doesn’t sound like anyone else but Honeyblood. The urgent lo-fi charm that defined their debut still pulses from its core. The band that burst forth from Glasgow’s DIY underground scene just a few year ago, recording cassette tape releases in their bathrooms and hosting ad-hoc parties in disused hairdressers is still in tact, and the clatter of songs like ’Justine, Misery Queen’ will play testament to that. But the evolution that’s taken place is undeniable. ‘Babes…’ feels tightly-woven, with a honed sense of drive and focus. An especially road-tested band and certain production finesse create a formidable combination. ‘Love Is A Disease’ has a sophistication that feels like it could be on this record, with stalking beats, snaking melodies, bellowing choruses, and juddering guitar swells that feel reminiscent of Blur’s Graham Coxon in his prime. “As a band it’s not often that you meet someone you can tell instantly ‘gets it’,” Stina recalls of their trips down to meet Dring in North London. “He comes from a different place musically to anyone we’ve worked with before, which felt quite inspiring. He really listened to what we wanted to achieve, knew how to get the best out of us, and when he did bring in ideas they were things we’d never have thought of. “ Together they’ve managed to brilliantly capture then subtly refine and embellish the duo’s notorious live energy that over the past two years shared stages all round the globe with everyone from Belle And Sebastian and Foo Fighters to close comrades like Courtney Barnett and Wolf Alice, a regime that’s bound to leave an impression.

Those that have enjoyed Honeyblood's more punk-rock moments will be pleased to hear that they've made a more high-octane album than many may have anticipated. Stand-outs like giddy pop-punk belter ‘Sea Hearts’, and first single ‘Ready For The Magic’ are some of their most intense tracks to date. ‘RFTM’ deserves a special mention as a remarkable introduction to HB 2.0; detuned doom riffage and disco-punk rhythms make space for a tornado of a chorus ode to “the explosive nature of infatuation”. Cat’s first full-length foray with the band is something of a revelation, imbuing the sound with a vital and versatile new rhythmic flair and creativity. Now Honeyblood’s rhythms do much more than hold the beat. Cat’s drums are as musical as any instrument on the album, showcased on tracks like ‘Gangs’ and ’Hey, Stellar’ where her off-beat distinct grooves underpin a gorgeously swooning chorus topline. “When Cat joined the band, instantly Honeyblood’s sound developed,” Stina remembers of the instant influence of her whirlwind drummer who replaced Shona McVicar in 2015. “Then as I started coming up with ideas for songs, it was to play our strengths as this new duo.” ‘Walking At Midnight’ is new territory for the band, a piece of nocturnal mid-pace pop melodrama that gives some respite from an otherwise frantic record. ‘Cruel’ is cut from a more classic cloth, a swoonsome ballad; it’s one of the rare displays on the album of the rootsy musical lineage that Stina grew up in. Always a natural chorus-sculptor even in her band’s most discordant and ramshackle moments, Stina’s songwriting truly has found a bright new spotlight on her band’s second outing. ‘Babes’…’ is resplendent in the kind of effortless chant-a-long hooks that one by one will all soon become their own mantras. For a while now Honeyblood have been talked about as one of the most exciting new UK bands, but with ‘Babes’…’ you just get the feeling that before long they’ll be simply be known as one of the most important bands around, period.