On January 22, 2020, NYC indie band Queue delivered their swan song performance at Gowanus brewery and event space Threes Brewing, marking the end of their impressive four-year run that included a series of captivating singles - from the rolling, upbeat debut "Falling Into Skies" to the dreamy, introspective "Float Away." During this period, I was lucky to catch two memorable live Queue performances as part of Brooklyn recording studio Degraw Sound's annual Degraw Fest music festivals.
With their final performance as Queue this January, the band announced, "It's been a wild and fulfilling ride, but it's time for a change. Fact is, we've grown up a lot, as musicians and as fallible twenty-somethings, since we started in 2016" ... with 'change' being the key word in the announcement.
Today, we celebrate the birth of Forever Honey, the new identity and musical project of Liv Price (vocals, guitar), Aida Mekonnen (guitar, vocals), Steve Vannelli (drums), and Jack McLoughlin (bass) - and their debut single, "Christian." With the name change and an enhanced lineup, the magical songwriting and musical qualities of the band's former identity are amplified and powerfully shine through in the new adventure that is Forever Honey.
"Christian" is an impressive, guitar-driven indie pop gem that features perfectly-crafted and gorgeously-delivered lead and background vocals that channel elements of 90's Britpop Lush. Then there are the infectious guitar hooks, and the driving, feel-good beat that makes you want to get up and dance like Belinda Carlisle at an 80's high school prom. Forever Honey calls it "jangle-pop, sob-rock" and draws its lyrical inspirations from the members' personal experiences and self-reflection. Categories and labels aside, this is an incredible debut track that I think is going to garner some serious attention and listens.
"Christian, well you warm my hands
But Christian, would you hold my hair back?"
In Forever Honey's own words: "'Christian' is the band's personal coming of age story put to music - the sound of girls and boys telling their girls and boys when enough is enough; the moment when sweet nothings whispered in the wee hours become exposed to the sunlight, revealing holes of darkness. Written on the heels of the band's relocation to Brooklyn, this song channels the clever, no-nonsense of 90's brit pop and the jangly guitars of 80's alternative music; 'Christian' is the attempt to capture the intensity of personal relationships and life in a new city."
Produced, engineered & mixed by Ben Rice, and recorded at Brooklyn's Degraw Sound, "Christian" is the first single from Forever Honey's forthcoming debut EP, Pre-Mortem High, slated for an April 24, 2020 release.
But wait, there's more! Forever Honey recorded an accompanying music video for "Christian" at NYC's Arlene's Grocery. Directed by Liv Price and Bob Sweeney, the video features the band performing at what appears to be a high school prom dance where the king and queen are crowned. Watch, listen and enjoy!
For more information on Forever Honey, visit their official website, follow on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube) and find their music on SoundCloud, Bandcamp and Spotify.