Honeychild | en

An experimental folk rock band based in Los Angeles. Members include Erik Donley - Lead Vocals/Guitar, Tobias Jesso - Guitar/Vocals, Noah Gersh - Guitar/Banjo/Mandolin/Vocals, Lance "Bobcat" Piebenga - Keys, Jamie Schefman - Bass/Vocals and Rheese Detrow - Drums.

“HoneyChild was made in Los Angeles, but born all over the world.”

A plane ticket brought Tobias Jesso (Guitars & Vocals), formerly of The Sessions, to Los Angeles by way of Vancouver. Armed with his bass and new material, Tobias set off to start a band better suited to his freshly written tracks, and so began HoneyChild and their journey to recording Nearer The Earth.

“The formation of the band was a total whirlwind” says Noah Gersh (Guitars, Banjo, Mandolin, & Vocals). The band is currently comprised of Jesso, Gersh, Erik Donley (Vocals & Guitar), Jamie Schefman (Bass & Vocals), Lance Piebenga (Keys), and Rheese Detrow (Drums). Large and diverse, HoneyChild is group of musicians from all walks of life, hence, Detrow, who they found at some bar in Hell’s Kitchen playing R&B covers. As Gersh puts it, “We’re all very different, and all have incredibly unique things to bring to the table.”

Nearer The Earth began taking shape at a house in Reseda, CA and with the help of just two microphones and a laptop. It is this informal approach to recording that gives Nearer The Earth’s eight tracks their most endearing qualities. A feeling of freshness and immediacy is evident on the Simon and Garfunkel meets Calexico opener, “The Father,” and the sun-drenched California twang of “Driving Song.” Whereas “Tijuana” highlights HoneyChild’s influences, drawing inspiration from Neil Young’s Harvest with the pounding train like snare drumbeats. This coupled with compressed banjo melodies and harmonized vocals; give “Tijuana” a vintage yet modern edge.

The varied nature of the songs has enabled HoneyChild to open up for everyone from Alberta Cross, Portugal. The Man to OneEskimo and White Denim, which is just how they prefer it. Sharing the road with the likes of these artists has allowed the band to be stylistically flexible; combining their own tastes, yet still broadening their musical horizons. Erik Donley says “When you find yourself drinking whiskey and singing John Prine songs with Dead Confederate, you start to reevaluate the way you judge things.”

This is reflected in HoneyChild’s live performances; loose, jangley and downright bluesy, the group showcases their maturing sound and direction, as Gersh describes it, “the beard on our music is getting gruffer and longer. .