Honeychurch
Encyclopedia
Honeychurch is a band from Bucks County, Pennsylvania
. Music journals such as The Big Takeover
and No Depression
have described Honeychurch's music as a mix of indie rock
, alt country, and slow core, with strong influences from 1960s and 1970s psychedelic
and folk rock
. Honeychurch has released two critically acclaimed albums: Calling Me Home (2001) and Makes Me Feel Better (2004).
-born Shilough Hopwood (singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter). Shilough wrote many of the tracks on the band's 2004 release, Makes Me Feel Better. Larissa Hopwood joined in 1999. She plays bass and sings both lead and harmony vocals. Lead guitarist Tim Kratz joined Honeychurch in 2001, and with his presence, the live band took shape. Kratz's playing combines slide guitar
and B-Bender
techniques and is often mistaken for pedal steel. Drummer Greg Millward joined Honeychurch in 2004, replacing Stefan Baker. A native of Doncaster
, England
(in Yorkshire
), Millward started playing drums in the brass bands which are traditional in Northern England
, and also played in Thumper and other groups in England before joining Honeychurch in 2004. Since 2008, Alex Yaker (frontman for the band Roomtone) has played piano with Honeychurch both at live shows and in the studio.
Other Honeychurch contributors and collaborators include engineer and pianist Patrick Robinson, violinist Jay Ansill
, harmonica player Vinny Asaro, pedal steel guitarist Jim Cohen, and designer David Weed. Both Honeychurch albums were released with the help of independent record store Siren Records
in Doylestown, PA. The band was named one of Philadelphia Weekly
s Top 5 of the Moment in March 2001 and they've continued to garner significant attention in the Philadelphia area.
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
. Music journals such as The Big Takeover
The Big Takeover
The Big Takeover is a bi-annual music magazine published out of New York City since 1980 by critic Jack Rabid.-Overview:The Big T usually appears in June and December, with most recent issues coming in around 200 pages. The review section, featuring Jack’s Top 40 for the issue, is regularly 60-80...
and No Depression
No Depression (periodical)
No Depression was a bi-monthly magazine that covered a broad range of roots music, including alternative country and Americana.-History:...
have described Honeychurch's music as a mix of indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, alt country, and slow core, with strong influences from 1960s and 1970s psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
and folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
. Honeychurch has released two critically acclaimed albums: Calling Me Home (2001) and Makes Me Feel Better (2004).
Background
The band was originally the solo project of VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
-born Shilough Hopwood (singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter). Shilough wrote many of the tracks on the band's 2004 release, Makes Me Feel Better. Larissa Hopwood joined in 1999. She plays bass and sings both lead and harmony vocals. Lead guitarist Tim Kratz joined Honeychurch in 2001, and with his presence, the live band took shape. Kratz's playing combines slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
and B-Bender
B-Bender
B-Bender is a guitar accessory that enables a player to mechanically bend the B-string up a whole tone to C-sharp. There are several different designs, but all use levers or pulleys inside or outside the guitar body that are activated by a pull or push of the guitar neck, body, or bridge...
techniques and is often mistaken for pedal steel. Drummer Greg Millward joined Honeychurch in 2004, replacing Stefan Baker. A native of Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
), Millward started playing drums in the brass bands which are traditional in Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, and also played in Thumper and other groups in England before joining Honeychurch in 2004. Since 2008, Alex Yaker (frontman for the band Roomtone) has played piano with Honeychurch both at live shows and in the studio.
Other Honeychurch contributors and collaborators include engineer and pianist Patrick Robinson, violinist Jay Ansill
Jay Ansill
Jay Ansill is a composer and folk musician, known primarily as a Celtic harpist and fiddler. Ansill has released several solo albums including Origami, A Lost World , and three privately released tributes to The Incredible String Band.Jay Ansill has worked as a collaborator with Robin Williamson,...
, harmonica player Vinny Asaro, pedal steel guitarist Jim Cohen, and designer David Weed. Both Honeychurch albums were released with the help of independent record store Siren Records
Siren Records
Siren Records is an independent music label based in Auckland, New Zealand. It was formed in 2000 by Adrien de Croy , and Tracy Magan Siren Records is an independent music label based in Auckland, New Zealand. It was formed in 2000 by Adrien de Croy (owner of York Street Recording Studios), and...
in Doylestown, PA. The band was named one of Philadelphia Weekly
Philadelphia Weekly
Philadelphia Weekly , is an award-winning alternative newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, published every Wednesday.The paper was founded in 1971 as a sister publication to the South Philadelphia Press. In 1995, the paper became Philadelphia Weekly...
s Top 5 of the Moment in March 2001 and they've continued to garner significant attention in the Philadelphia area.
Discography
- Calling Me Home (2001)
- Makes Me Feel Better (2004)
- Early Times (2008)
Further reading & External links
- Official Website
- [ Honeychurch at Allmusic]