honeymoon - A biography
The dictionary defines a honeymoon as "any new relationship characterized by an initial period of harmony and goodwill"; this was the intention when Monterey/Bay Area singer/songwriters Lauren Shera, Andrea Blunt, Sara Bollwinkel, and Christina Bailey began playing music together in early 2010 as a collaborative to showcase their individual songs and the music they began writing together: an indie-folk blend with traditional roots and pop sensibility. Each of the four young women have a unique and powerful stage presence that commands an audience's attention as they trade off lead vocals and switch between instruments with ease; combining pristine four-part harmonies with masterful arrangements played on guitar, piano, banjo, accordion, and violin. The ladies are also often accompanied by two very talented gents: Matt Bollwinkel on bass and Mark Quinn on drums, rounding out their sound perfectly. Between their original material and their choice selection of cover songs, honeymoon manages to weave the nostalgia of Americana music with the force of indie-rock in a way that is undeniably moving and unique. Since they formed, this energy and talent has consistently lead new fans to discover their music and become enthusiastic supporters of the group, causing a substantial "buzz" about honeymoon that is making its way all throughout California.
After playing to a sold-out audience at their very first hometown show, honeymoon hit the road for a busy year of touring. To date they have had the honor of opening multiple shows with renowned artists such as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jackie Greene, Truth & Salvage Co., Ray LaMontagne, and David Gray, as well as the Las Tortugas Festival in Yosemite, CA and the Furthur Festival in Angels Camp, CA where they closed the Sunshine Stage and were dubbed "Sirens and Goddesses" by Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead and Furthur. In between touring, the band spent time recording in Santa Cruz, CA at Gadgetbox Studios with local mastermind Andy Zenczak, who produced and engineered the album in addition to lending his musical talents to some of the tracks. The end result was a stunning debut EP of 3 original honeymoon songs, a rare cover of Nick Drake's "Black Eyed Dog", and a behind-the-scenes video that takes a look at the recording process with honeymoon and their wonderful crew. Released in October of 2010 to a packed house at Big Sur's historic Henry Miller Library, "After The Flood" is a dreamy first taste of honeymoon's talent and a glimpse at all they can accomplish as they further develop their sound and craft. Listeners who discover "After The Flood" will enjoy the title track which provides a fantastic introduction to each woman's voice and full band instrumentation; the beautifully solemn "Processional" with choir-like harmonies and layers of organ, violin and lap steel; and "Find Me", which was the first song the ladies ever composed and recorded together. It is a journey through their growth in their first year, and a must for anyone who has experienced their chemistry onstage and off, as it captures the extraordinary passion and dedication that each musician possesses.
With plans for a full-length album and further touring in the West Coast, 2011 is certain to be a bright year for honeymoon whether they are baking pies or making music, the harmony and goodwill are always present with this wonderful new group.
The dictionary defines a honeymoon as "any new relationship characterized by an initial period of harmony and goodwill"; this was the intention when Monterey/Bay Area singer/songwriters Lauren Shera, Andrea Blunt, Sara Bollwinkel, and Christina Bailey began playing music together in early 2010 as a collaborative to showcase their individual songs and the music they began writing together: an indie-folk blend with traditional roots and pop sensibility. Each of the four young women have a unique and powerful stage presence that commands an audience's attention as they trade off lead vocals and switch between instruments with ease; combining pristine four-part harmonies with masterful arrangements played on guitar, piano, banjo, accordion, and violin. The ladies are also often accompanied by two very talented gents: Matt Bollwinkel on bass and Mark Quinn on drums, rounding out their sound perfectly. Between their original material and their choice selection of cover songs, honeymoon manages to weave the nostalgia of Americana music with the force of indie-rock in a way that is undeniably moving and unique. Since they formed, this energy and talent has consistently lead new fans to discover their music and become enthusiastic supporters of the group, causing a substantial "buzz" about honeymoon that is making its way all throughout California.
After playing to a sold-out audience at their very first hometown show, honeymoon hit the road for a busy year of touring. To date they have had the honor of opening multiple shows with renowned artists such as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jackie Greene, Truth & Salvage Co., Ray LaMontagne, and David Gray, as well as the Las Tortugas Festival in Yosemite, CA and the Furthur Festival in Angels Camp, CA where they closed the Sunshine Stage and were dubbed "Sirens and Goddesses" by Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead and Furthur. In between touring, the band spent time recording in Santa Cruz, CA at Gadgetbox Studios with local mastermind Andy Zenczak, who produced and engineered the album in addition to lending his musical talents to some of the tracks. The end result was a stunning debut EP of 3 original honeymoon songs, a rare cover of Nick Drake's "Black Eyed Dog", and a behind-the-scenes video that takes a look at the recording process with honeymoon and their wonderful crew. Released in October of 2010 to a packed house at Big Sur's historic Henry Miller Library, "After The Flood" is a dreamy first taste of honeymoon's talent and a glimpse at all they can accomplish as they further develop their sound and craft. Listeners who discover "After The Flood" will enjoy the title track which provides a fantastic introduction to each woman's voice and full band instrumentation; the beautifully solemn "Processional" with choir-like harmonies and layers of organ, violin and lap steel; and "Find Me", which was the first song the ladies ever composed and recorded together. It is a journey through their growth in their first year, and a must for anyone who has experienced their chemistry onstage and off, as it captures the extraordinary passion and dedication that each musician possesses.
With plans for a full-length album and further touring in the West Coast, 2011 is certain to be a bright year for honeymoon whether they are baking pies or making music, the harmony and goodwill are always present with this wonderful new group.
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