Spotlight: Deeply Familiar Yet Uniquely Fresh, Rising Trio Honeyglaze Releases Cinematic Alt Pop Single “Female Lead”
“I LOOK NOTHING LIKE MADONNA — more like an ’80s horror film,” indie rock trio Honeyglaze hooks listeners with a mesmerizing tale in their latest release, “Female Lead.” The fourth track on their self-titled debut record is out on April 29 via Speedy Wunderground. Consisting of vocalist and guitarist Anouska Sokolow, bassist Tim Curtis, and drummer Yuri Shibuich, it’s hard to believe the South London three-piece only formed a short time before the first lockdown.
With their first single released back in 2021, “Burglar” acted as an ethereal entry into the band’s eclectic sound. Both moody and intoxicating, it’s hard not to categorize the band with a folky, alternative, and post-punk status, but the trio is way too diverse to have labels tying them down. A common characteristic of acts on the Speedy roster, Honeyglaze owns this element of uniqueness that cannot be constricted to one genre. Despite having a familiarity and distinctness that makes us reach for one descriptive word, groups like Honeyglaze and Black Country, New Road are in their own lane. It’s no doubt that their residency and link to The Windmill in Brixton seeps into their experimental and almost avant-garde sound.
Poignant, poetic lyricism and impressive musicianship sets the band apart from others, having gained fans in Steve Lamacq and Wet Leg early on. The trio’s storytelling is fuelled by the creative rock scene around them, with hints of romantically bittersweet images of a time long gone. They cite soul, jazz, and dream pop influences that still feel current and deeply familiar.
And “Female Lead” embodies just this. Written and demoed by Sokolow in isolation, the theatrical alternative pop tune is accompanied by a Casablanca-inspired short film. The vintage video has a story of its own, which still relates back to its conversational lyrics. Sokolow’s gently spoken vocals relay a wave of emotions, particularly concerned with being overwhelmed and finding ways to cope with it, however trivial they may initially seem. Combining these visual and sonic elements, Honeyglaze’s new track is both intimate and captivating.
After a string of support slots with Wet Leg, the band is soon to embark on their very first UK headline tour in May. Honeyglaze is not a band to gloss over on one's “to watch” list, so check out their latest offering and get front row before their stratospheric rise.
Read below to have a peek at our discussions about “Female Lead,” the band’s influences, unreleased songs, and learn what delectable delights you can take away from their album (warning: it’ll make you hungry).
LUNA: Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Just want to start off by saying that I love “Burglar” — it was one of my favorite songs last year. Your latest release, “Female Lead,” is a brilliantly narrative-heavy track. I know it was inspired by the state of the world during lockdown, but could you share a favorite memory from when you wrote/recorded it?
SOKOLOW: I wrote it in isolation, and I recorded a demo for it and sent it to the boys. I remember Tim sending me a voice memo of him playing the guitar solo over the instrumental that’s in the actual track, and it just [fit] so perfectly.
LUNA: The music video fits the style of the song perfectly, but it equally feels like a separate story is being told alongside it. How important is the visual side to your music? Your beautiful choice of album/ single cover art also follows this theme. Do you reckon visuals should go hand in hand with the songs?
SOKOLOW: I think, for us, the music is always the most important thing. We’ve happened to find some amazing artists and people to work with, and it’s always so nice when anyone wants to be involved with anyone we do.
CURTIS: It definitely makes things feel more real when there's a visual artwork associated with them, and in the world of releases, it’s generally necessary to have visuals. If we’re going to have them, they might as well be beautiful and enhance the experience, but they are definitely secondary.
SHIBUICHI: I think artworks can function really well in imposing an immediate vibe of what you’re about to hear — I do think they’re important to the music, [but] maybe not so much with the videos. All the art is by Agnes Treherne, except “Burglar,” which was by Bug Shepherd-Barron, and we thought it encapsulated the tone and record spot on.
LUNA: You’ve got such a distinctly captivating and conversational tone of voice — what other musicians or artists inspire that? What would you say is your earliest music memory?
SOKOLOW: Thanks! I think strong female voices have always been my biggest inspiration. I love singers like Angel Olsen [and] Adrianne Lenker who really use their voice[s] to express emotion over being perfect singers.
LUNA: So you’ve had the album recorded for just over a year, right? How’s it been like holding onto these songs for that long? AWhat’s your favorite unreleased track from the new album? Are there any favorite lyrics you could share?
SOKOLOW: I’m super excited for them to be out in the world as a whole. For me, the album is such a complete set of songs, so releasing them as singles was kind of weird. My favorite unreleased track is maybe “Souvenir” because it’s a song about the album.
CURTIS: For us, the songs are just as present and available as before because we’ve been playing them at shows. Personally, it’s hard to imagine that there are people out there who know just our singles and haven’t seen us live, but it seems like they exist, so that’s strange! My favorite unreleased song is probably “Half Past,” and my favorite lyrics are “What do I do with all this time?”
SHIBUICHI: It’s been quite a while, but playing loads of shows, touring, and writing in the meantime has kept us busy and excited. Coming up to the release now, the hype is very much about. Don’t really have a favorite track off the album — too hard.
LUNA: Are there any specific books, movies, or shows that you’ve read/seen over the past year that’s influenced the album?
CURTIS: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006). When I heard the strange vocal effects on some of our songs such as “Start,” it reminded me of the big sea monster, whose name is Kraken. Also Twins (1988) inspired a lot of the basslines.
LUNA: You’ve got some great shows lined up from your debut headline tour to more support slots with Wet Leg and summer festivals. What song are you most excited to play live?
SOKOLOW: We definitely have some new songs, which I’m excited to explore and experiment with live.
CURTIS: I’m excited to play some new songs. It’s been a while since recording the album, and we have a lot of new ideas without any concrete names yet.
SHIBUICHI: “Half Past,” or maybe “Childish Things.”
LUNA: I love your “Honeyglaze, For You” Spotify playlist — there are some sweet songs on there, especially the classic “Weird Little Birthday Girl” by Happyness. A fun one: if you could only listen to one album or song for the rest of your life, what would you listen to?
SOKOLOW: Band on the Run by McCartney. Just so epic.
CURTIS: Honestly, it might be “Weird Little Birthday Girl.” I basically did just listen to that song exclusively for a long time. Album-wise, definitely In Rainbows [by Radiohead].
SHIBUICHI: “Life’s Incredible Again” off The Incredibles soundtrack by Michael Giacchino — man that bass just slaps.
LUNA: Thank you so much for chatting with me! To round things off, if people could take away one thing from your new album, what would it be?
CURTIS: Cheese food product.
SHIBUICHI: Meatballs.
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