Video Blog #1

We're excited to share our first ever VLOG! We hope you like it (even with Sally's ruthless editing skills!) 

Merry Christmas everyone and have a lovely New Year we're really looking forward to 2016!

Live Winter EP

To mark a year since our debut album release we are excited to announce a Live Winter EP! 

Consisting of a mixture of new and album tracks recorded live in our house, we wanted to create something more intimate than our previous recordings to reflect the new us. 

You can pre-order right now and it'll be at your door before Christmas: https://thehoneyfire.bandcamp.com/album/limited-edition-live-winter-ep

We really hope you enjoy! 

Natalie and Sally xx

Autumnal Vibes

Hello everyone!

Last Saturday we filmed a little video live in our living room of some new music! We've been writing loads these past few weeks and wanted to give you a taster of what's to come. As you can see, we specially got out our autumn wardrobe as we've now properly entered our favourite season.

Thanks for watching and we hope you enjoy!

Last Weekend and New Music!

A little late, but here’s an update of what we've been up to.

Our weekend was spent gigging. A 6am start on Saturday as we drove down to Bognor Regis, Sussex to perform at The Southdowns Folk Festival. We had a really lovely day playing and wandering round the festival. We also got the chance to spend some time at the seafront and pier. This was our last ever show with Anja, so things felt rather surreal but also special for us. It was nice being able to relax and spend the day out together (not for the last time, of course!)

On Sunday we played at Weston Super Food Festival, Weston-super-Mare. Strangely enough, although we live very close to the town, this was only the second time we've ever had a show there. We then enjoyed an afternoon of cheese tasting and free alcohol. We spent so much time buying tasty local produce!

We’re very thankful to everyone who came to these shows, you guys are great!

In other news, this week has been spent writing and arranging new songs which we’ll be showing off shortly (hint, hint!) See you soon, guys! 

Weekend On The Road

Most people find that on a Friday afternoon they’re just settling down to prepare for a weekend of rest. Instead we found ourselves travelling cross country to Brighton for our first of two shows in the South East.

Making friends wherever we go

Upon arriving we began the evening by walking along the sea front and visiting a vegan café – pretty rock n’ roll right! We then arrived at The Marwood which was a really cool venue. It was a nerve-wracking experience, both playing for the first time in Brighton and as a two piece, but the audience were unbelievable and made us feel so wonderfully welcome. We got to listen to some great music too from Eyes Like The Sky, Bernardine and Boy In The Cupboard. A massive thank you to Steph from Della Lupa for arranging the show for us as well as The Marwood and Nick Williams.

Saturday, after spending the early part of the day in Brighton, we made our way to London. We spent some time with family then yesterday, we journeyed to the London Acoustic Show. Never before have we been so tempted to spend every bit of our money in one room. There were acoustic guitars of every kind (and every imaginable price) filling the place. We decided it would be best if we sat in the café and looked the other way until it was our turn to perform. It was another really nice place to play and wonderful to have been given that opportunity. Thank you to everyone who hung around to watch us and the kind comments.

We arrived home that evening only to find that our song ‘What Is Left’ was to be played on BBC 6 Music that night. We still can’t quite believe that actually happened!

Single Launch and Anja's Farewell!

Wow! Last Friday was just amazing! Thank you so much to everyone who came along to the Single Launch - it really means so much to us. We were astounded at the amount of people who came through the door. 

The wonderful Della Lupa opened the night with her beautiful songs, and we would like to thank her so much for coming all the way from Brighton. She’ll be back in Bristol on the 27^th October at the Bristol Fringe and we highly recommend going! 

Next, I Am Horse graced the stage with their unique and captivating sound. They invited us up onto stage to accompany them on vocals on one of their tracks which was such an honour. We had such fun working with them, and we can’t wait to have the chance to do so again. And of course they were as brilliant as ever!

For us, what should have been a 45 minute set turned into an hour as no one could shut Natalie up - we hope no one got too bored of her ramblings! As well as playing our singles and album songs, we decided to play a few new songs which Anja had never heard. It was actually quite strange for her to leave the stage and watch instead of performing.  We also invited I Am Horse to play on a couple of tracks, and as you can see, things got quite crowded. They played such amazing parts on our tracks and we are so grateful that they agreed to work with us. Performing with such talented musicians made us feel like we were famous or something!

Anja's departure was very emotional for us, and we know we're all going to miss each other so much! It's one thing losing a band member, but losing a best friend is heartbreaking. We wish her so much luck and happiness in her life and we know she'll do well in whatever she puts her mind to. We're certain we'll keep in touch whatever happens.

On a different note, we would also like to take the time to thank everyone who bought merch from any of the bands and had a chat to us. You make us feel really special! Thank you!

See you soon, Bristol! 

(If you missed it, you can watch our set below videoed by a member of the audience! Many thanks to Yourmusic Productions for this.)

04-09-15 at the Louisiana The Honeyfire by YourmusicProductions

Busy Bank Holiday & Count Down To Single Release

Hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was a busy one to say the least.

Saturday we travelled over to Gloucestershire to play at the Stroud Fringe festival. We weren’t sure what to expect from it, being a festival we had never been to, but it really was wonderful. Thank you so much to everyone who came to listen, chat and buy music. You all made it such a brilliant day!

One short sleep later we (Sally and Natalie) were back on the motorway in order to get to Insomnia 55 (a gaming festival in Coventry) in time for doors opening. We were dragged along by our younger brother who didn’t want to go by himself, but we actually really enjoyed ourselves and spent most of our time in the retro area playing strange Japanese fighting games, Mario Kart and the like. We’ve also gone and bought ourselves a new games console (so see you all in a few months!)

Monday, it was back to work again. We performed live on Bradley Stoke Radio and promoted our single launch on Friday. It was a bit of a sad evening, having realised it would also be our last radio session with Anja. We held in the tears and got through it, just about.

Which leads us to this Friday when we’re releasing our single “Come Undone/ What Is Left” at the Louisiana, Bristol. We’ve got two amazing supports: Bristol’s own I Am Horse and Della Lupa from Brighton. It will be our last show in Bristol with Anja so we’re making it something special with plans for decorations, projections and collaborations. E-tickets are still available to buy. Can't wait to see you guys there!

I Am Horse

Della Lupa

'Come Undone' Video

We're really pleased to be able to show you the video for 'Come Undone', filmed whilst recording in Toybox Studios.

It is the first track from our double 'A' side single, titled 'Come Undone/What Is Left', which is due for release on 4th September.

The single is now available for pre-order both in download form and as limited edition handmade copies. E-tickets for the launch night at The Louisiana, Bristol are also available from our bandcamp page.

New Single's First Play

We're really happy to announce that the artwork for the limited edition handmade singles has been finalised, and here it is!

More good news is that tonight from 8pm 'Come Undone' will have it's first play on Bradley Stoke Radio. If you want to be one of the first to hear it please do tune in. Really excited to finally let you all hear it.

Anja Leaving and Single Launch

You may be wondering from Wednesday's announcement - 'How are The Honeyfire going to continue?' But we assure you, your doubts will be resolved.

When Anja joined we had no idea how much she would bring to the band, both creatively and as a supportive force. We have grown very close during our time together, so much so that it breaks our hearts to see her leave. But we realise that it has been a very difficult decision for her and know that we will always be friends whatever happens and wherever we find ourselves in the future.

Initially when we started writing together Anja seemed so mature in her abilities so we felt like we needed to up our game and try to match her. In this regard we feel as though her presence in the group changed the way we thought and wrote. And we will continue to evolve when she's gone, ever changing and practicing our art so that we can improve with every song we write. We already have so much we're dying to show you all.

On that note, our new double 'A' side single is a step in a new direction for us, and we can't wait to show you what we've created. There will (of course) be two tracks plus a video. It will be released digitally, but there will also be a limited number of physical handmade copies. If you sign up to our mailing list then you will be the first to hear about it!

Tickets for the launch show on 4th September at the Louisiana, in Bristol are now available to purchase. We are very excited to be able to announce that our special guests that night will be Bristol's I Am Horse and Della Lupa from Brighton.

We're also currently putting together a small UK tour in the autumn, which will be a first for us, but also pretty much the first time we'll be playing as a two-piece The Honeyfire.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter! And if you have any questions or queries please don't be afraid to drop us a line. We really do love chatting to you all!

We appreciate all your support over the years.


Sally and Natalie xx

Acoustic Festival of Britain

Last weekend we got to spend at Uttoxeter Racecourse for the Acoustic Festival of Britain. This was the second year we had been invited to play and when we arrived it almost felt like we had never left. This time round we were joined by friends and fellow Bristol based musicians Bashema, Jodie Stadden and Ria Timkin.

We also managed to beat last years record for tent assembling which turned out to be impeccable timing, as moments later we were caught in the middle of a thunder storm. Just typical that we forgot our raincoats - although sun hats apparently make very effective umbrellas.

After the storm finally eased on Saturday we headed over to the Sessions Beer Tent where we had the pleasure of performing (drumless), and on the following day we played an acoustic set with drums in the Big Top tent (which was completely solar powered!). Thanks to everyone there for listening, buying our music and giving such lovely compliments. It was really nice to share the stage with all our Bristol friends too. They were so amazing.

The rest of the time we got to experience other parts of the festival where we met lots of pirates dressed up for Mark Radcliffe and Galleon Blast's set later on that day, and some rather gothic morris dancers.

"She was legless when I found her!"

New Video

We're very excited to show you the music video for 'Parallel' from our debut album. Big thank you to Scott Quinn for giving up so much of his time to make it and to Corry Raymond for his help on the cinematography.

Bath Fringe Festival

On Saturday evening we got the chance to play in the beautiful Old Theatre Royal, in Bath as part of the Bath Fringe Festival.

Upon arrival we were given a guided tour around the venue and were completely blown away by the place. The architecture, tapestries and acoustics are all stunning. We especially loved the backstage area, complete with hanging swords (they unwisely let Natalie handle a priceless one!)

Starting the night was the talented Ellie Frank who gave us a lovely soulful set. She was then quickly followed by Cindy Stratton and Marius Frank, who were also the proud parents of Ellie. They played music combining a mixture of genres to create a wonderful sound and Ellie even joined them for a song – We do love family bands!

There was then a short interval before our turn. A wobbly, uneven stage and ridiculous shoes are not a good mix but thankfully we just about managed to cope. Afterwards we got to meet and chat with lots of new people as well as ones we knew, which was lovely.

A perfect night is not complete until you receive personalised Kinder eggs from fans. Thank you to the amazing Paul and Heidi!

Back to Toybox Studios

On Friday the 15^th of May we had the joy of going back to Toybox studios. The last time we were there was back when we recorded 'Falling for Orpheus', which was when we first fell in love with the studio.

It was great to be able to work with Stef Hambrook as our producer again – as well as providing lots of coffee to fuel Anja's caffeine addiction, he just ‘gets’ our sound, which is so important to us and makes the world of a difference.

We spent a long ten hours in Toybox, but once we had started we just couldn't seem to stop! It’s always so fun recording new material and seeing something that started out as just a small idea growing in front of us. It’s also exciting to wait and see what everyone will think!

It turned out to be a wonderfully efficient day, and we returned home with more than we could originally have hoped for – always a definite bonus.

 

 Although we won’t say too much about our new recorded material yet, keep an eye out on our social media sites and website for more updates!

Month of May

Seeing as we have been working on a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ material this month, here’s an update on what we've been (and will be) up to!

We kicked off the month with a wonderful gig in the Colston Hall Foyer. It was a pleasure to be back, and we were so delighted with the amount of support – it really does mean a lot.

Last week we took a trip to Devon with film makers Scott Quinn and Corry Raymond to create a new music video. Director and editor Scott has been working his magic on the footage and we can’t wait to show everyone!

What we've been spending most of our time on is preparing to go into the studio tomorrow. We've been recording a range of demos for a while now, trying to shortlist which new track we all feel is the right one.

All of us are so excited to record again, and those pre-studio butterflies are starting to settle in! It’s going to be so exciting to be able to share something new with you, so keep a look out on our website for information and updates.

At the end of the month on the 30^th, we will be playing at the Old Theatre Royal for the Bath Fringe Festival. Playing alongside us will be Cindy Stratton and Marius Frank with special guest Ellie Frank. The Old Theatre Royal is a beautiful venue and we can’t wait to play there! Tickets are available direct from the Fringe Festival website.

All in all it’s an exciting month, and further updates on everything mentioned will be available from our website and social media sites.

Another Video Shoot!

On Monday we went down to North Devon again to film another music video for our album. This time, however, we didn't go overboard crazy and create dresses, run about the woodland and build giant fires. This time we took the more normal approach to music videos.

It was lovely to work again with filmmakers Scott Quinn and Corry Raymond, who’s professional and experienced approach made the experience feel really grounded.

Although we can’t say too much now, keep your eyes peeled for later on this month…

The aftermath of shooting.

Busy Weekend!

Wow! What a weekend we've just had!

It began on Friday evening with the launch night of our most recent single 'Falling For Orpheus' at the Watershed in Bristol.

The night started with brilliant pianist Ed Wren, joined by the equally talented Zoë Wren on vocals, who together performed a lovely chilled out set including the second part to 'Falling For Orpheus', named 'Eurydice Rising'. Ed later left the stage and Zoë picked up her acoustic guitar taking the night in a more folky direction. After this we had a short interval to give the wonderfully attentive audience a break and re-set the stage.

After a short break warming up, tuning our many many instruments, and running about the place in our ridiculous heels, we took to the stage. It was an absolute honour to play to such a wonderful audience. Also to have such beautiful projected visuals displayed behind us by Scott Quinn, and to be joined once again by the amazing Dear Light - Zoë kindly joined us for 'Falling For Orpheus' too.

Once the night was over we packed up and headed home to what would be a very short sleep before we were up again to play in Head Bristol as part of Record Store Day. In contrast to the previous night we played a much more subdued acoustic set. It was fun to do something so different.

We again got back into our rather cramped 'tour bus' and drove over to Chiselborough, near Yeovil Somerset where we would be playing a show in the village hall. This was the second village hall event we had been involved in and it was equally lovely. This time we'd come laden with candles and homemade cakes.

Beginning the night was wonderful folk musician Sharon Martin with her brilliant new band The Occasional Band. We then finished the evening with another acoustic(ish) performance and wrapped up a very enjoyable weekend.

Catch us next for a free entry show at The Colston Hall Foyer on 2nd May.

Single Launch & Village Hall Show

Here's a little update on our next couple of shows.

This Friday 17th we are launching our new single 'Falling For Orpheus' at The Watershed, Bristol. 'Falling For Orpheus' is a song, written in collaboration with songwriter Richard Williams, based on the greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Supporting us on the night will be Zoë Wren and Ed Wren. We will also be joined on stage for some collaboration by Zoë and Phil Collings (Dear Light) who supported us at our album launch in December.

Advance e-tickets are available for £7, or alternatively they can be purchased on the door for £10.

The following evening we are heading to the Chiselborough Village Hall, near Yeovil to play a more stripped back acoustic set. Support will be from Sharon Martin & The Occasional Band. Expect candles and homemade cakes.

Tickets for this are available from the Jelli Records website.

The video for 'Falling For Orpheus' is now live!

Filming 'Falling for Orpheus'

The video for 'Falling for Orpheus' is nearly finished!

This is the first time that we went all out with making a music video and it's definitely paid off. Instead of attempting to film it ourselves, we got director Corry Raymond on board and his work is just brilliant. Working with someone new was initially scary as we've never really been told what to do or how to behave in a story-based music video before, we just did what we felt would work. But we soon relaxed and it became very enjoyable. Corry had a set idea of how he wanted the video to play out and having that kind of purpose was something none of us ever really had when previously filming. We just made it up as we went along.

We also worked alongside Anja's brother and filmmaker Scott Quinn who directed our 'Starlight' video and edited 'Dreams'. He was taking a step back for this video and assisting Corry in camera work and sound and it was lovely to see two professionals working so well together.

The first day of filming we did at Weston College in their performance studio. This was our section where we sat and sang looking moody. There were several sections where some of us had to hurriedly exit the shot when the camera moved away then back again which was actually really fun. We had a set word for when we were out of shot so that we could run off before we came back into it again.

The second day we did a couple of weeks later at the Bristol Dance Centre. Two very lovely and talented dancers, Mathieu Gence and Amy Thomas agreed to play our Orpheus and Eurydice with choreography from Judith Jarvis. This was the most wonderful performance we could ever have wanted.

Mathieu and Amy moved so well together and it was so beautiful watching them. Initially they arrived and ran through their dances with the help of Judith giving them advice and ideas on different areas. Despite very short notice they stepped up to the challenge of learning and creating dances. They then got changed and performed to us several times with different camera shots and movements to get the most amazing looking video.

The only parts we played on this day was Sally filming her electric guitar solo, and then taking it in turns to be the gripper (holding the extension lead for Corry's camera charger so that he didn't trip over).

This has been an awesome experience and we cannot wait to show everyone the outcome. The video will be released very soon!

Don't forget to reserve your tickets for the single launch on 17th April at the Watershed in Bristol where the video will be shown. The single is now also available to pre-order.