Shallow Honey

We sat down with Shallow Honey to find out what makes them tick…

In this feature, we’ll speak to some of HOT VOX’s favourite new artists on the gigging scene and find out what shaped them into the artist they are today

Today we’re featuring Shallow Honey

Shallow Honey are an Alt-Rock / Dirty Pop four piece from the UK’s South Coast. The band deliver ‘melt your face’ guitar riffs, mixed with dirty, fuzz driven bass, hard hitting drums and feminist lyrics delivered with a theatrical sense of tongue-in-cheek humour.

Their singles ‘Explain’, ‘Draw the Line’, ‘Control’ and ‘Emily Doe’ have received huge support, being played on BBC Introducing the South, Sussex Music Magazine, Global Voice and Slack City Radio. Through 2022 the band have played prestigious venues such as Brighton’s ‘The Green Door Store’ and New Cross London’s ‘Amersham Arms’. In September they also joined Melita Dennett for a BBC Introducing Live Lounge on BBC Sussex & Surrey.

Who is Shallow Honey? Where are you from, how you met, how long have you been playing together etc

Carlos (Bassist) wanted to put together a band that he always envisioned in his head, rather than settling on other people’s version of ‘Rock Music’ from previous bands.

He put an online ad out for a ‘90s influenced guitarist’, and that’s how he found Ben Siviter. After Jamming together and various vocalist auditions, but no real joy, Carlos remembered Rai from a gig he went to a couple years prior – outlandish, brilliant stage presence and such unique vocal delivery. In the summer of 2022, we were lucky enough to find our incredible drummer, Cheryl, to complete our line-up and storm ahead through some really exciting shows and projects.

Who came up with the band name and does it have a story or any meaning behind it?

Carlos did! ‘Shallow Honey’ is a beehive. In May 2020, we had our first show booked, but covid put everything on ice – when the world got tipped upside down, Rai got a bee tattoo on her left elbow to celebrate everything we had achieved and act as a reminder to her of what we had to look forward to.

If you had to describe the band using just five words, what would they be?

We – like – to – play – loud

Who are your biggest influences musically?

Hole, Nirvana, Metric, The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth.

What’s the band’s biggest claim to fame so far?

Supporting The Subways to a sold-out show in Northampton!!

What’s your song writing process?

Usually, Carlos or Ben comes up with an idea at home, records a scratch demo and sends over a basic structure for the rest of the band members to add to it, we’re very lucky these days that we’ve all got access to recording software at home which makes life easier. Rai puts together the catchy melody and lyrics, and then Cheryl writes the drum parts to match the flow of when guitars meet with the vocals.

11 May

Emily Doe

Shallow honey

If you could go on tour with any current band or artist, who would it be and why?

Spinal tap – non-stop entertainment!

If you could put your dream team band together consisting of any musicians from the past or present who would the band members be?

Vocals – Jemina Pearl (Be Your Own Pet)

Guitar – J.Mascis (Dinosaur Jr)

Bass – Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth)

Drums – Sandy West (The Runaways)

How would you describe your live show to someone who has never seen you perform before?

A head banging, mosh pit of distortion and frenzy. Often going from frail and vulnerable verses into a huge wall of a distorted, uplifting chorus. Coupled with bags of melody and plenty of hooks, our goal is to connect with our audience and offer hope, strength and escapism at whatever adversity life throws at them.

Do any of you have any pre-gig or post gig rituals? If so, what and why?

Rai does power poses in the toilets before a show and Ben washes his hands, twice.

What would your ultimate rider be if you could have anything without being accused of being a diva?

Coffee, Captain Morgan’s spiced rum, Tony Chocolonely and a car ride home. All the C’s I guess…

This question is for all band members. If we were to browse your music library what is the most embarrassing song, we might find? Or who is your guilty pleasure artist?

Carlos – Shania Twain

Cheryl – Head Automatica

Rai – Nope. There is nothing ‘shallow’ about Rai’s music taste. If a song brings someone joy, there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.

Ben – Olivia Rodrigo-’Deja vu’- it’s a great song!!!!

Tell us one thing your fans would be really shocked or surprised to hear or learn about the band?

We live across 3 separate counties!! We spend a lot of time traveling around the south to practice and play shows together. Shallow Honey means everything to us, so we put our all into making the long-distance work.

If people want to check you out online, where is the best place to go?

We’re pretty busy on Instagram @shallowhoneyband and good old Facebook for keeping up-to-date with our shows.

Finally, what does the future hold for the band?

We’re so excited to announce that on the 26th of May, we will be releasing our 5th single, ‘Lightweight’! This track takes a deep breath into how ingrained and normalized body dissatisfaction is within society. A relatable subject to most, no thanks to the constant push of ”The Perfect Body”, from most media outlets.

Upcoming shows include playing the Fiddlers Elbow (Camden), The Fighting Cocks (Kingston), The Pipeline (Brighton), and a HUGE festival announcement, which we can’t share details about, just yet…

Recording our first E.P soon…also many bagels and brownies.