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07 June, 2017
The Grass is Green: Honeywise (their debut album and review)
The Grass is Green: Honeywise
(debut album
review)
By:
Moose
Honeywise are comprised of duo
Sophia Landis (vocals piano, mandolin, Native American
Flute, and percussion), Jason Suratt (guitar), and for this album they enlisted
the help of Trevor Troupe on bass. The
Grass is Green is their latest album and with it brings twelve songs of Americana
/ folk music. With their roots, and home base set in Iowa they have put together
an album derived from a life on the road. Honeywise are a young band having
only been around since February of 2016, and with this album they have found a
way to make their introduction.
Sophia and Jason met at an open mic
in Waterloo, Iowa and from that meeting has come Honeywise. Sophia was mainly
working on her solo project which in her words is “more down tempo piano
ballads,” and she enlisted Jason to help manage the production of her first
solo album. With Sophia finding it difficult to find gigs for her “Sunday
afternoon music” they decided to join forces. Jason’s outlaw country guitar
playing background and Sophia’s blend of Native American flute and storytelling
lyrics they have found their sound, folk music. The album spins like that as
well. A simple reflex of folk music is what they have achieved with this album.
The
Grass is Green weaves through the highways and bi-ways of a touring band. A
band according to Sophia in regard to where they live “we consider ourselves
residents of the road,” and that element is littered throughout the twelve
tracks of this album. Sophia pens most of the songs both musically and
lyrically, and it was evident through my first listen that the poetry of the
road had some influence on the shaping of this album. Sophia obliged by saying “I
have written music simply about people I’ve met and things I’ve seen on tour, “
and I could almost hear the rubber on the road, or the wind whipping through
the windows of a van, or in their case a recreational vehicle.
Throughout the album there is the
blend of Jason’s heavy guitar balanced with Sophia’s voice or, at times, her
Native American Flute. This particular instrument isn’t featured in many songs
that come my way so when I heard it I was intrigued, to say the least. Through
playing in a group called Big Blue Sky Sophia was introduced to this
instrument, and it adds an element sort of like the basil in a pesto. You know
it is there and hanging out, but at times comes to the forefront. Again
showcasing their brand of folk music with a traditional folk music instrument,
all blends nicely through twelve songs about having a good time and or with the
people you meet.
With the album completed they are
taking it out on the road with them to a city near you. They are continuing to
put together material for their next release. Honeywise brings a merging of
sounds to create something unique to them while keeping it within a folk music
vein. I will let Sophia and Jason close this out, but first I would recommend
going to see them wherever they may be. You can check out the link at the end
of this for all things Honeywise. Here are Honeywise in regard to Why Music, of
all things to pursue or want to do why this?
Jason: Music has been a part of my
life since early childhood. When my parents got divorced my dad got me a guitar
and that is how we used to spend time together, him teaching me to play basic
chords. When I moved to Iowa with my mom at the age of 8 all of the friends she
made were musicians so I was surrounded by music. She would bring the bar home
after closing time and they would jam all night (keeping my sister and I up
late despite having school the next day). She eventually married a musician and
we moved to Austin, TX to pursue his career. This was when I was in high school
and I decided then that I wanted to be a professional musician. I just loved
playing and performing. Years later my mom talked me into going to college and
I wasted 10 years pursuing higher education, receiving a master's degree, and
spending a few years working on a PhD. However, music was always part of my
life and I kept playing in bands. Eventually I started making enough
connections that I could keep my band on the road full time so I dropped out of
the PhD. program and pursued my music career. It's what makes me happy; simple
as that.
Sophia: I have loved music and
performing since I was young. I started piano lessons when I was three and have
been singing throughout my entire working memory. I have tried other jobs and
received a degree in communication studies, but the things I hate the most
about being a musician are less stressful than the feelings I would get when I
wasn't doing anything with my music. There's just something really special
about seeing someone smile, jump up off their chair, and start dancing while I
play. Few things are as rewarding.
06 June, 2017
The Anchor: by Whitherward (a review of their latest album)
The Anchor: Whitherward
A
review by: Moose
Whitherward are comprised of Ashley
Norton (guitar and vocals), and Ed Williams (guitar and vocals). Their current
album called “The Anchor” is thirteen songs about forty five minutes to an hour
in length. Ashley and Ed have put these songs together after many years writing
and touring together. Plugging away and grinding through all the mileage put on
as traveling troubadours. From their time spent in Nashville and now their time
fully devoted to being on the road and trying to make this work.
The name of the duo is taken from
the old English word “whitherward” meaning “in which direction?” The name’s
metaphor shines through on this album as the only constant Whitherward strives
and accomplishes is the exploration of sound and within the band. The duo
started writing together after a few failed relationships with other bands.
They had met at Hotel Indigo, in Nashville, Ashley had been hosting a writers
night there, and much like open mic nights you are introduced to many
musician’s and those relationships stay true, even till today. Ed eventually
started showing up every week to either perform or hangout, and eventually Ed
and Ashley became friends “especially when we realized we were living around
the corner from each other, Ed was over at my apartment almost every day” according
to Ashley whom I had a great conversation with about the band. The seeds were
planted, and over time grew into Whitherward, which the name came from the
dictionary.com app, and just so happened to be the word of the day. “We thought
this was perfect for a touring indie-folk band,” from Ashley.
They recorded the album at Gold Gap
studios but on their own, as Ed had gone to Nashville via St Louis to attend
audio engineering school this was a few years ago. For the album they enlisted
a bass player (Patrick Hershey) violinist (Stephanie Groot), drummer (Tony
King), a guest appearance by rapper Jhan Doe (Meiko Elijah Gilliam, Ed’s
childhood friend), and Erik Olsen Jarvis whom arranged the strings on “The
Night I Fell For You.” Max Massano is the studio owner and assistant engineer
who was there to enlist any help, if needed. All of this talent lends to an
album’s worth of songs that took two months to record and hone in on, and the
hard work pays off in making a true album.
Whitherward with the album explore
sounds that blend nicely with lyrics that get dark at times. Tom Waits said it
best, and this quote ran through my head like a thought bubble as I was nearing
the end of my first listen to the album, and that is “I like beautiful melodies
telling me terrible things.” Lyrically they explore love and lost, and all the
in between of that, or the questions of love as well. Most notably on the song
“Haunted By Me” which I noted as I listened to the album. The album comes
ashore and then goes back to sea with sound, meaning, within one song you can
hear multiple influences and at times I heard the sound of whale, which either
is coming from the guitar or violin, or maybe even both. Most of all their
sound reigns true along with exploring the idea of personifying an anchor and
with this it can lead to symbolism most notably the sea. When I say this album
is a true album I mean four sings into it there is an interlude. Which in
today’s music doesn’t happen, and is rare as well, and with that put in I was
locked in much in the same effect as a play would have with an intermission. If
this were an actual vinyl record I could see myself flipping said vinyl over to
side b after this.
“The Anchor,” is referenced
throughout the album. The inspiration for Ashley coming from listening to the
folkie songwriter Lori McKenna’s new album “The Bird and The Rifle” where Lori
personifies a rifle, Ashely felt inspired and a friend of hers had challenged
her to do the same with an anchor. For them while the title track and first
track is “The Anchor” titling the album and making this album revolve around
the anchor was done on purpose. “We wanted to make an album that made sense,
and make sense of titling this ‘The Anchor.” As I had previously mentioned
there are references sprinkled throughout the album, and I encourage you the
reader to take a listen to it. Make it a drinking game or fun driving game
every time there is a reference to an anchor, if drinking please do so
responsibly of course. Whitherward achieved something with this album that made
me scratch my head to the first track, as I jotted down in my notes “this
reminds me of one of those great Disney movie songs. A love song? A theatrical
song showing off the voices, and setting the tone and theme for the album,” and
as the album went along I was pleasantly surprised. When the last song came to
an end I wasn’t scratching my head, I was smiling. As I haven’t heard bands
make an album like this in a while, and do it in a way such as this. Taking an
idea of an anchor and using that in so many different ways. Whitherward
musically and lyrically achieved exactly what they were setting out to do.
Within the writing, I would venture the guess that this maybe semi-autobiographical
for each of them. Not fully, but much like the anchor it is casually put in
there.
I will let Ashley close it out as I
always like to do but I would like to mention what they have coming up. They
are trying out a monthly songwriting series called “Songbird Sessions” that
they will be releasing on Patreon. This will be their third one that they have
done, and it is basically challenging themselves to write a song within an
hour. You can check it out at http://patreon.whtiherward.com . They will be launching a
Youtube series called “Simon & Garfunkel In A Subaru.” Where they will sing
one Simon & Garfunkel song from every city they tour through this summer.
According to Ashley “It will document our tour, but also, we LOVE S&G!
We’re always pushing ourselves to try new things. They aren’t always
successful, but they’re always a lot of fun!”
Check out the new album “The Anchor”
on Spotify or through their website as well. The links will be provided at the
end of this. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of my favorite parts of
the album, and after which I will let Ashley give her answer to why music, of
all things to do or go to school for, or decide on a profession why this (in
general not necessarily as a profession)? That part of the album for me was:
the sound of someone gurgling water. Here’s Ashley:
“Because it’s all
we can do without wanting to kill ourselves. And I’m only mostly kidding about
that. We’ve both tried other things. This is it. And we are both 100% committed
to Whitherward, which feels amazing to focus on one project. Other things just
get in the way. We make this the first and only priority and have seen more
success with it than anything else we’ve ever done…ever. Music.”
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