Amy Honey CD

Armed only with a guitar, a suitcase, and her legendary chutzpah, Amy Honey left Halifax for Vancouver in 1996, and the West Coast hasn't been the same since. Songwriter, bandleader, and now the proud co-proprietor of a record shop and label, Honey has become a driving force in Vancouver's burgeoning independent music scene.Honey has played in a number of genre-bending bands, but it was the 1998 inception of hard-rocking three-piece locomotive Clover Honey that launched her to indieland notoriety. Famous for their hook-drenched power pop, the group has enjoyed three national tours, six months at the top of Canada's college radio charts, and grabbing first prize at CITR's battle of the bands in 1999. Five years later, Clover Honey continues to rock stages around the city to a dedicated following.Not content to settle with Clover Honey's success, Honey decided to explore solo songwriting. Along the way, she has discovered new influences beyond her hard-rocking roots. She came of age to the Ramones and the Misfits, punk and garage music handed down to her by delinquent high-school boyfriends. It was then that she vowed to spend her life learning guitar, seeking "good music, good drugs, and a good party". Her party-loving ethic remains, but Honey now counts Jonathan Richman, Bobbie Gentry, and Mahalia Jackson as inspirations."Let's put it this way: I've been around the block a few times musically. Pinning my sound down to one influence is impossible."On her self-titled debut CD, Ms. Honey unleashes a new stage persona: seasoned front-woman, frank and sardonic songstress, and kick-ass lead guitar. Her work has taken a mellower - but no less raunchy - turn, choosing to focus on her lyrics and "that voice". Honey favours a conversational vocal style that is deceptively simple, luring the audience closer before soaring with a clear, sweet melody or wading through a tough and dirty blues arrangement. And it's all delivered with a powerful yet off-handed charisma that has become Honey's signature.Amy Honey loves playing live, "I want to establish a relationship with the audience; I want an engaged crowd, and I work for it. Each person in the room should feel as if we've taken the party to their place, like I'm sitting on their couch and singing directly to them. Those are the best times."