Honeybee on their new EP ‘From An Unreliable Source’

One of the most exciting kiwi bands on the rise, the indie-pop/rock four-piece Honeybee have released their new EP ‘From An Unreliable Source’ stacked with powerhouse tunes and thrilling anthems, taking cues from 80’s indie and garage rock.

Hey team, we appreciate you taking the time to chat to us! First of all, we'd love to know about your musical journey from when you first met and started making music together!

Funny story actually; Harrison, Liam and Jason had already been in bands together under various names. One time, they had managed to book a show when unfortunately the singer had pulled out. Harrison called in Kurt to sing as a favour and we've been making music together ever since.

We're so in love with your epic new EP 'From An Unreliable Source'! How did you land on the name of it and what were your main artistic influences going into this EP?

Conceptually it pulls ideas from Hunter S. Thompson and the whole concept of gonzo journalism. We were fascinated by the idea of a narrator you can't necessarily trust and how we could apply that to more personal themes like loneliness, intimacy and ultimately hope. For the sound we were going for, we've been heavily influenced by shoegaze and proto-punk bands and how they all have a certain energy to their songs. We understand that we stand on the shoulders of giants but we're very proud of how it all came together.

That’s so awesome! 'One Window' is a massive track, with shoegaze guitar lines and powerful, hypnotic vocals, perfectly capturing the angst and anxiety of young love! What was the writing and production process like for this track?

The actual songwriting of ‘One Window’ came together really quickly. Kurt brought in the bones of the song and we just kept playing until the energy was there. We wanted to emphasise the rawness of teenage infatuation; working together with long-time friend of the band Angus Grainger from Two Water Studios on the production side of things and eventually getting it to a place we love.

'OH NO' is another mesmerising song of yours, again showcasing incredible raw vocals and your unique grunge-drenched indie-rock sound! What's the concept of this track and what was the inspiration behind it?

The track is really about the seemingly impossible task of maintaining relationships when you aren't in the best of headspaces. It's the dichotomy of heavily relying on someone while at the same time not wanting them to know just how much you actually need them. We usually pull inspiration from our own experiences, even if they're embarrassing. If we don't feel anything about a particular song then we can't expect others to, so it has to be from us.

What were your main highlights working on the EP?

Maybe a lowlight that turned into a highlight was the process of writing ‘We Were Busy Kissing’. The song had been written-over and started from scratch more times than we can count. We'd all gotten pretty frustrated with it honestly but the final track turned out to be a favourite of some of our close friends. It just shows that you really are your own worst critic.

Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now and are there any songs in particular that you especially love?

Right now we're loving Flaxxies, KMTP and Chaos In The CBD. As far as specific songs, one we've loved is "Break!" by Fazerdaze.

Yes, great picks! What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far, and what advice do you have for other artists out there?

The best advice is to just keep making. It's easy to get lost in the broader things like promo and algorithms and what-not. What we've found is that no matter how much you do, good music is ultimately what draws people in. At the end of the day you only have your own tools to fall back on, so just keep making. Even if you try and fail, at least you've figured out what you don't like. No matter what, never stop falling in love with music.

Incredible! Lastly, we end every interview with this question - if you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Go ahead and listen to "From an Unreliable Source" and we promise you the best sleep of your life that night.

Thanks so much Honeybee! Make sure you keep up with them on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify & Apple Music.