Today we were invited to play a live session for the lovely Livvy and Chrissie on BBC Radio Bristol. We played an acoustic version of a song off our debut album which you can listen again to here.
We were able to talk about our next Bristol show which is on 23rd March at Mr Wolfs. You can grab tickets from the Bristol Ticket Shop from Monday and you can also pay on the night. We're so looking forward to seeing you all.
We've been cracking on with lots of creative ideas lately and we can't wait to finish so we can show you. You can keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see what we've been up to.
We are so excited to unveil our brand new music video for 'Replica' filmed by our awesome and talented filmmaker friend Scott Quinn. We really hope you enjoy and love it as much as we do!
The launch show for the single is on 20th October at The Louisiana, Bristol. We have the enchanting Swampmother and Circe's Diner as our special guests so we couldn't be more thrilled. You can grab your tickets right now from our Bandcamp page, the Bristol Ticket Shop and The Louisiana.
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 27th 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.)
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!
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!
On Friday the 15th 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!
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.
Would you like us to perform an intimate show in your own living room, or perhaps perform a unique one off show for you and your friends?
Well, we thought it would be nice to offer to bring our music to your
living room, or any venue of your choosing should you wish.
A live acoustic performance of 'Delusion'
We will perform an hour long set for you, including tracks from our debut album, either as an intimate acoustic set, or if your space/venue allows, a full electric set with drums. We are very happy for requests for your favourite songs, including a cover or two. We'll bring a few home made cakes too!
Prices start from £250 which includes travel within a 50 mile radius of Bristol.
If you are interested then please get in touch with Steve Parkhouse at jellirecords@yahoo.co.uk.
Our first gig of the year on Saturday 10th
January did certainly not disappoint. You may have heard us talking about the
Orpheus and Eurydice project we’ve been working on alongside composer Richard
Williams.
Saturday was the first event for the project, which was held
in the Dark Studio at the Arnolfini. We had never played there before and it
really did have the most artistic and tranquil atmosphere, something we often
search for to suit our ‘moody and dark’ sound.
Falling for Orpheus/Eurydice Rising is a project originally founded
by Richard Williams, a series of songs relating to the Greek Myth of Orpheus
and Eurydice. As a composer, Richard would write the chords and pass them on to
a musician/band he felt could complete and perform the song, feeling that an
artist can connect more fully to lyrics they themselves have written. He
initially contacted Zoë Wren and together they co-wrote their song ‘Eurydice
Rising’, a modern take on Eurydice rising from the underworld. We were then
contacted about the project and agreed to write the linking song, Eurydice
falling to the underworld and her lack of power as a woman.
As the opening event, this was a short evening in a small
room with all acts involved in the project performing, including Ed Wren, the opening
artist of the night. We hope that everyone that was able to attend gained an
understanding for the feel of the project, which will have its second much
larger event on the 17th April. Details included at the end.
It was a delight to see the room full with people before the
night started with Ed Wren and his accompanying band. Creating wonderfully
dynamic and soothing music from a range of obviously talented musicians, they
were definitely not one to miss. Ed’s set consisted of instrumental pieces, as
well as songs with vocal accompaniment from Johnny Velon and the headline
act Zoë Wren. Together Zoë, Ed and the band finished the set with
Zoë’s ‘Eurydice Rising’.
We then played our set, which was a more acoustic and
chilled version of our electric set. It was a really enjoyable experience; we
loved the intimacy of the close and quiet audience. After playing some songs
from our album we ended on our song ‘Falling for Orpheus’.
The night then ended with Zoë Wren’s set. We had the
fortunate experience of playing with Zoë in London a few months ago at
The Lantern Society, and once again her set was absolutely lovely. Zoë has
an effortless and beautiful voice which complements her guitar playing
perfectly. It was a pleasure to see her perform again and we very much look
forward to the next time.
Thank you to everyone who came along and made the night so
special.
For anyone who is interested in Falling for Orpheus/Eurydice
Rising, the next event will be held on 17th of April at the
Arnolfini.This will include all the same acts, though with different accompanying musicians, as well as between-act
entertainment. Our song ‘Falling for Orpheus’ will be released on the night,
available to purchase online. We will be playing a full electric set and Zoë will be collaborating with both us and Ed Wren as well as playing her own set. More details about the night will be announced
over the next coming months. Advance tickets are now available for £7.
Wow, is it really 2015 already? What can we say? We’ve seriously
had an amazing year and it couldn’t have happened without everyone that was
there to support us along the way. One of the most momentous things to happen
was our transformation from Wolfhound into The Honeyfire.
It sure has been a big year for us, and here are the
highlights of our 2014.
We entered the year with a lovely gig at The Louisiana supporting
I Am Horse on the 3rd of January. This was the day we realised we
wanted The Louisiana to be the venue where we would perform our upcoming album
launch. The atmosphere and sound were exactly what we were looking for, and it
was a great gig to kick-start our excitement for the upcoming year.
We released our first single in 2014. ‘Starlight’ was a song
we wrote about the winter and the first song we recorded in a studio (Factory
Studios). Along with Scott Quinn and our manager Craig Joiner we filmed the
music video and released the song on the 8th January. Judging by how
different we look, it seems like more than one year ago!
We then locked ourselves away for a couple of months to
prepare for the recording of our album! Before we knew it April was upon us and
those two weeks in the recording studio still stand as one of the best
experiences we’ve had.
The album was recorded at J&J Studios with Jim Barr, and
Nathan Long as Jim’s assistant. Recording with Jim was a fantastic experience
and we are so thankful for his time and effort spent on our album.
And so, through coffee fuelled laughing fits, delicious
food, too many silly photos and of course a lot of hard work, we came out with
the recording of our first album.
We were soon brought to our first festival of the year, The
Acoustic Festival of Britain. This one gets a special mention because it
was so different to any other one we played. Mostly this was because of the
fact we stayed for the whole weekend, and those freezing nights on the hard
ground won’t be easily forgotten! On a more positive note – what a wonderful
vibe this festival had! We all had a fantastic time looking at all the various
stalls, experimenting with new looks and enjoying the beautiful and brilliant
music there was to offer. A truly great start to the festival season.
One of our favourite gigs of the year was yet again at The
Louisiana supporting She Makes War along with DIONVOX. She Makes War has become
one of our big inspirations and it was an honour to be given the opportunity to
play with her. We had great fun both playing and watching, and the gig ended in
a great way when we were invited up on stage with She Makes War for some
musical collaboration.
Having now recorded our album, we had to start thinking
about all the visual and physical aspects of it. We spent some time
brainstorming and experimenting, and after a couple of photo-shoots the new
look of Wolfhound was born!
A lot of people ask us about the name change and why it
happened, so here’s the story. It was at this point in our progress that we
felt the change was necessary. Compared to only the beginning of the year we
had changed massively, both as people and musicians. And to think of the
original Wolfhound, Sally and Natalie in their younger teenage years writing
more acoustic songs as sisters, seemed so different that we started to feel like
the band we had progressed into should have a name of its own. We learned a
useful piece of knowledge during this time – trying to think of a new original
band name, which meanwhile won’t disappoint your followers and supporters, is
VERY difficult! Oh how we racked our brains and thought of name after name that
had already been used somewhere before. We still remember the Eureka moment; we
were in Devon filming a video and we were sitting around the dining table after
midnight, tired and hungry after a long shoot. In front of us were written a long list
of words we all liked that would hopefully motivate inspiration by putting them
randomly together. ‘Honeyfire’ was mentioned and we all realised how perfect it
was. It suited our music and style perfectly, ‘Honey’ representing the times we
laugh together, our love for pretty things, our friendship etc. and ‘fire’
representing the darker shade of music we write and the way we don’t think of
ourselves as your typical ‘girl-band’. So there you have it, an in-depth
explanation of how we became ‘The Honeyfire’!
During the time we were creating our new image, name and
website, we released our second single of the year, ‘Road Signs’. It was the
first song we were releasing from the album which was actually kind of scary,
since we didn’t know what to expect as a reaction to the new sound that had
developed since our last EP ‘Tales of Truth and Lies’. We spent a few weeks
with a camera in the car, filming through and out of the window whenever we
found ourselves driving in Bristol. We took a trip across Clifton suspension
bridge especially for the video, which was really beautiful. Thankfully we had
a great response, and thus we started planning video number two – Dreams.
The Dreams video was a long work in progress. We can’t
complain though, because we are so pleased with the end result. It took a large
amount of planning and preparation; we spent several weeks creating and
perfecting story boards, making handmade costumes and planning the locations where
we would film. After we had collected up all our weird and wonderful footage, it
was cut down and edited into exactly the kind of visual match to the song we had
imagined. For those of you who didn’t know, ‘Dreams’ is about the strange and
disturbing dreams we have, and that is what we wanted to video to represent.
We started an interesting project this year, a collaboration
with songwriter Richard Williams writing a song about the myth of Orpheus and
Eurydice. Richard has also co-written a song with musician Zoë Wren about the same
theme for the project. We recorded our song 'Falling for Orpheus' in Toybox Studios,
and it was really nice to be recording in a studio again, especially one as
lovely as Toybox. Falling for Orpheus will be released 17th April 2015. Details to follow soon.
While creating the video and recording Falling for Orpheus, we started coming closer and
closer to the last stages of finishing the album. Having designed the album
cover, layout, CD and booklet we were ready to send the designs off to be made.
Along with the albums we also had our own badges made, which was
another first!
And so we get to the end of 2014. The albums arrived safe
and sound, and we will never forget how it felt to hold them for the first
time. The video for Dreams was released, and we want to say thank you again for
all the wonderful and supportive comments we received about it.
This left us to get extremely excited and nervous for the
last significant event of the year, our album launch on the 11th of
December at The Louisiana. All the hard work we spent working towards it, the
large amount of planning and rehearsing really paid off in the end.
It was one
of the best nights of all of our lives and we still can’t quite believe that it’s
over. It marked the end of a brilliant and eventful year beautifully, and we
are so extremely thankful to our families, our managers Craig and Steve, Jelli Records, and everyone who has helped and supported us along the way. You are
all so lovely and we wish you a wonderful 2015.
It’s safe to say that last night was one of the best nights
of our lives. The night of our album launch had finally arrived after a year’s
worth of hard work, ups, downs and many laughs along the way.
We can’t quite believe that it’s over! Thank you so much to
everyone who came along to support us – we would be nowhere without you. We all
hope you had a great time, and also hope you didn't suffer too much from the
awful weather and traffic you had to battle through to come and see us! At
least it was warm and cosy inside.
For those of you who couldn't come along, here’s a summary
of the night.
Having sound checked and decorated the stage with fairy
lights and paper snowflakes, we were ready to go!
We enjoyed standing on the door when they were first opened;
it was a great chance to meet some of the people who were coming to support us.
The fantastic Dear Light opened up the night, and his set
couldn't be described as anything else but truly stunning. Creating a
beautifully dreamy sound that pulls you right in, we really were loving every
moment.
For his last two songs, we were welcomed up on stage to
perform alongside him as his backing band. We've had a few rehearsals together
for our collaboration, which has been a great way for us to get to know each
other more and it was really lovely playing together on the stage.
After Dear Light's set was over it was time for us to play
our set, and we started to fill with excitement and nerves. As soon as we
started playing, the nerves went away and all we were left with was a strong
feeling of exhilaration and adrenaline.
Phil (Dear Light) joined us on stage for our first song
‘Road Signs’ adding keys.
We went on to play all the songs from the album, as well as
two new songs. One was called ‘Prisoner’ which featured Natalie playing electric guitar, and the other ‘Falling for Orpheus’.
It was nerve-wracking, but also really enjoyable to show everyone what else we
had been working on.
For our last four songs, Phil joined us back on stage for
more collaboration. It was so much fun to play with a fellow musical friend and
the extra texture added a lot to our sound.
For our song ‘Blind Eye’, Anja got up to the front of the
stage for the first time, since she was singing lead and playing bass. It was
nice to have all three of us at the front together, and with Phil adding drums
it made the song a real pleasure to play.
At the end of our last song, ‘Noah’, we invited members of
the audience up on the stage with us to play along with percussion instruments
we had brought with us. It was the first time we’d done anything like it and we
have to say we loved it! Everyone was having a dance and clapping along, and it
was a wonderful way to end the night.
After our set we went back onto the door to wish farewell to
those who had come. We really enjoyed all the conversations we had and it was
lovely to meet everyone!
Thank you again to everyone who has supported us along the way;
the night wouldn't have been anywhere near as special as it was without you.
Last night we had the pleasure of seeing the brilliant
Marika Hackman play in Bristol at The Birdcage. She is one of our inspirations and
the opportunity to see her perform meant a lot to us.
Even though we got there early before doors, we had to fight
our way to the front and although we missed out on the big comfy sofas, we got
a great (although uncomfortable) spot on the floor in front of the stage. It
was a nice surprise to bump into Phil Collings (Dear Light) there too, who will
be supporting us at our album launch.
Ema Sierra was the support act for the night. Performing as
a two piece with just two guitars and a vocal, they created a really lovely and
delicate sound. The whole audience sat quietly throughout their whole set and
watched. Ema Sierra is on Soundcloud.
Marika Hackman performed alongside a bassist and drummer,
which she said is a rare and enjoyable set up for them. It did sound lovely with
the accompaniment, and both the drummer and bassist played in very sensitive and
gentle way, which worked so well with Marika’s beautiful songs.
We enjoyed every moment of Marika’s set, and although we
know all her released songs by heart, we were equally mesmerised by her new
songs.
At the end of the gig we were lucky enough to get the chance
to meet her (and of course buy almost matching t-shirts). She was a really
lovely and down to earth person and we can’t wait to get the chance to see her
play again!
It is officially just ONE MONTH until The Honeyfire Album
Launch!
We’re not quite sure where the time has gone either, but we’re
practically jumping out of our seats at the thought. This album has been our
main focus for over a year now, and we've put so much work into it. We can’t wait
to both show the world our hard work, and have a great time by playing our
music and seeing the fantastic Dear Light perform. We’re even going to be doing
some never-seen-before collaboration! There might be some extra performers
involved too…
If you would like to support us and come along to our most
important event to date, please do buy a ticket and leave the rest to us! We've been planning how to make this event one of a kind, and as they say – the more
the merrier!
A few details – Date: Thursday 11th December 2014
Venue: The Louisiana, Bristol
Tickets: £4
Hope to see you there. Thank you again for everyone’s support so far xx
Firstly, we would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered the album and
bought an e-ticket to our launch on 11th December. We have been a bit overwhelmed to be honest. Your support and generosity really means a lot to us!
Don't forget you can still pre-order our album and buy an e-ticket for the launch show at our Bandcamp page.
We also really appreciate all the lovely comments we've received about our name change. It's really great that you like 'The Honeyfire' as much as we do.
The Honeyfire and Bashema at the Balloon Fiesta
On Saturday we played at the wonderful Bristol International Balloon Fiesta which was Anja's first time at the Fiesta. It was also our last festival this year. It was nice seeing some of you there, although you
were rather shy so next time please do come over and have a chat. Thank you to Bashema from Meet Your Feet who joined us on piano for a few songs and for Jelli Records for running the stage. After playing we stayed and enjoyed sets from Darren Hodge, Brockley Forest and Meet Your Feet.
We're now all on holiday which is nice but a bit sad to be apart. We'll be back in two weeks fully recharged and ready to work on an exciting new collaboration project involving Greek mythology the underworld and a trip to a London recording studio! We'll post more on that soon.
Really excited for our next show which has just been announced in basement of The Louisiana in Bristol for THE FLUX Presents playing alongside Ellie Makes Music and Demi Louise Music on Friday 12th September. This will be a stripped back acoustic (ish!) set from us which will be fun. Checkout the Facebook event for more information. Entry is £5 on the door. Doors open 7.30pm.
We're back from our Christmas break! Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year!
Scarlett Shocks
We began 2014 with a great gig on the 3rd at the Louisiana, in Bristol. We were given the opportunity by the venue to organise the whole night there. So we decided to put on an all female night with 3 of our favourite local acts and asked I Am Horse, Maxi Rai, and Scarlett Shocks to play with us. They all said yes!
Maxi Rai
The night began with a beautiful acoustic set from Scarlett. A stand out song from her was a one with a slightly different take on Red Riding Hood, but more on that later. She was then followed by Maxi who entertained everyone with her songs about friends, family and an ancestor (a young 18th Century female convict) who was spared a death sentence and deported to Australia.
It was then our turn to take to the stage. It was a lot of fun to play with such an appreciative crowd. It was especially nice to see the legend himself, Big Jeff, enjoying himself at the front. There were a few laughs, especially after one of Anja's cymbals fell over mid-song (she still kept playing it, amazingly!)
I Am Horse
Last to take the stage were the brilliant I Am Horse, who made their wonderfully unusual sound combining classical instruments such as the flute and violin, etc. with keyboards and synths. It was rather funny when they introduced a song as the second one of the night about Red Riding Hood, although with a slightly less positive ending!
It was a real pleasure to play alongside such lovely and talented musicians.
In other news, we have just released our first music of this year – Our single 'Starlight'. It is available to download from iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp.
Our next gig in Bristol is on Friday 24th January at Cafe Kino in Stokes Croft, Bristol. Also playing is folk artist Evie Woods. Entry £4. Doors 8pm.
All three of us go to a lot of gigs so we thought it might be nice to blog about some of them. So here's the first.
On
Sunday I was lucky enough to see White Lies live once again. The last
time I had seen them live was almost exactly four years ago also at
the 02 Academy, so I was left with quite a strong sense of déjà vu
while having ‘pre-drinks’ at the German Christmas Market (hot
chocolate).
The
gig started with excellent support from Frankie Rose. With an
indie/surf/pop/rock sound, my brother Scott and I were left reminded
of bands like Best Coast.
As
we stood waiting for White Lies to come on stage, my terrible ‘gig
luck’ struck as a man about twice the size of myself took his place right in front of me. Not only that but he seemed to take pleasure in charging into the audience.
Needless to say, I was swept away from Scott numerous times.
When White
Lies started their set I was delighted to see that they continued to
play songs from the album ‘To Lose My Life’, which will always be
one of my favourites. I must admit that when they played ‘Unfinished
Business’ my eyes may have started uncontrollably watering (again)
– White Lies continue to be the only live band that can make me
cry.
Amazing Light Show
First album aside, the songs from ‘Ritual’ and ‘BIG TV’
are equally brilliant and it was a pleasure to be able to see them
played live. They also surprised us all with a cover of Prince’s ‘I
Would Die 4 U’, which of course they pulled off.
Their light
show was pretty spectacular. With large LED panels behind them
playing live camera footage, it looked like a large stadium
performance in a fairly small venue. A few songs featured lasers,
which got me planning my dream light show. All in all it was a
fantastic performance.
I must say their exit was lovely. The
band, Harry McVeigh especially, seemed thrilled and taken back by
Bristol’s enthusiasm and wild dancing that they just stood smiling
at us after they had stopped playing, and even took a group bow -
brilliant. Their look of genuine happiness was heart-warming, and I
may have leapt around like crazy at this point hoping they might
acknowledge my existence for a second.
Talking of gigs, our last two in 2013 are coming up fast!
19th Dec - BRISTOL, Southbank Club, Bedminster. 7.30pm, Entry £5
(The Jelli Records Christmas Show with Jelli Jelli, Crackers & Wolfhound Home Made Mince Pies)
21st Dec - BRISTOL, The Spiegeltent, Waterfront Square. 2.00pm, Free Entry
(Busking in the Christmas Market)
Then 2014 starts with a bang and a gig with three of our favourite female acts:
3rd Jan - BRISTOL, The Louisiana. 7.30pm, £5* Advance / £6 Door
(with I Am Horse, Maxi Rai and Scarlett Shocks)
*Contact us if you want to be added to the cheap list so you can pay £5 on the door.
