I’ve often struggled to put the music of Honeysuckle into a box. At one moment the long, whisping branches of traditional American folk music are obvious and run throughout the veins of their songs. The next a cacophony of tweaking delay pedals leads into overdrive, reverberating mandolin lines. And the ever present thump and time keeping mechanism of the kick drum plays steady at the base of it all as banjo is faintly plucked throughout the din.
Three human beings, three voices, three instruments (though they all interchange them at times) have the incredible ability to create the sound of an entire orchestra at times. But on the inverse, they absolutely perfect the nuance of the quietest moments in acoustic driven music. And again they wow us with their latest single “Fire Starter”…
Holly McGarry says of the track, ” “Fire Starter” is about how we define ourselves. Are our personalities and actions dictated by the people and environment that created us? How much are we in control of who we are, what we do and how we experience the world?
This song was started almost 3 years ago when I thought I might leave Boston to go back to my hometown, which I feel in large part has shaped the person I am. I only got as far as the first verse until last year. I think until then I didn’t truly have the perspective to finish it. ”
The picking of the acoustic strings and twinkling, deep cavern sounds of mando-master Chris Bloniarz’s mandolin lines decorate the intro and McGarry’s unmistakenable warm, warble enters. Bordering on the smokey jazz vibes you might expect emanating out from a speakeasy and the heavy hitting 3 part harmonies that define so much of the sound we have come to know (and love) from this band. The glue and rhythm being pulled together by percussive master, on both the banjo and kick drum, Benjamin Burns. They walk that line between sultry and sweet, hefty and delicate. Weaving back and forth between each line when the full band falls out to let Holly’s voice and story linger along before building the energy back up again.
Beautifully badass…but we expect nothing less from a band who has already given us so much when it comes to brilliant art.