LONDON: Today, Canadian band, The Honeyrunners, announce the worldwide debut of their first full-length album, Everything Is On Fire (Gypsy Soul Records/Warner Music Canada/FUGA/Proper Music Group) slated for release Friday, October 22 on streaming platforms and limited edition vinyl. The band’s new 9-song body of work aims to disrobe our culture of apathy – a sentiment that everything is always on fire, with nothing to do but watch.
The record was born of late nights and long drives; a tapestry of rhythm and melody, underpinned by desperate optimism and a stark reminder of why your presence is needed in times like these. The chorus of the title track sums up the band’s approach to art, “Let it burn. It’s the ashes that I admire.”
The Honeyrunners are a Northern take on Southern Americana – hot-blooded and rife with the poetry of heartache. Their energy is contagious on stage and on record; as are their stories. They are a melting pot of folk, blues, soul, pop, rock, punk, alternative, and jazz.
“We write songs for the times we need them”, notes pianist and lead singer Dan Dwoskin, when asked about the insomnia-fuelled lyrics of the first single. “Ghosts is a song born out of stay-at-home anxiety, calling out the whispers in our head that keep us up at night…We anchored the track to a heartbeat stomp & clap, underscored by NOLA-esque shuffle drums.” It feels like home. Once the rhythm fell into place, the rest of the song came to life.”
Listen to the first album single “Ghosts” here and watch the video of Ghosts: Live in Studio here.
The Honeyrunners – Ghosts: Live In Studio
Written, composed and produced by Dan Dwoskin and Guillermo Subauste (aka, The Honeyrunners), Everything Is On Fire is a response to a public outpouring of anxiety and depression. After a year and a half of challenges in a broken music industry, the two musicians are well-acquainted with these feelings. The process was cathartic – writing and recording songs for people who need to feel they are not alone in this heaviness, surrounded by a world full of apathy. Guillermo’s weighs in, “We anchored tracks with a New Orleans sensibility, using pocket rhythms, countless styles of keys, and punchy horns to bring the songs to life. The cherry is a quilt of guitar hooks, a choir’s worth of harmonies, and a soulful lead vocal by Dan.” It feels like home. There is no coincidence that the band toured to New Orleans in January 2020, showcasing at Folk Alliance International, with the entire industry coming to a standstill shortly after.
The four-piece Toronto group (toting eleven members for larger shows) is fronted by Ottawa-born songwriter Dan Dwoskin (keys, lead vocals) and Canadian-Peruvian multi-instrumentalist, engineer, and producer, Guillermo Subauste (bass, vocals). Newer additions to the lineup include the ever-soulful Conor Gains (electric guitar, vocals) and Toronto-born drummer and filmmaker, Lewis Spring (drums, percussion, vocals).
Recording at Subauste’s Pacha Sound studio (Toronto) was a blessing for the band, taking the time to fine-tune their new sound. Self-produced by Subauste and Dwoskin, “This record was born of the love, fear, and insecurity of being a new Father. The music was years in the making, honed during a gap between the original Honeyrunners roster and a new lineup of musicians joining the band between 2018 and 2020. We started with twenty-five songs and trimmed it down to nine, crafting a front-to-back listen with a potent story.”
The Honeyrunners have toured North America coast-to-coast and scored placements on commercials for Coca-Cola and Bacardi.
Media contacts:
Jo Donnelly /jo.donnelly@propermusicgroup.com
Joshua Hart / joshua.hart@propermusicgroup.com
The Honeyrunners
Everything Is On Fire
- Run & Hide
- What Are You Scared Of?
- Wake Up
- Ghosts
- Everything Is On Fire
- Honeymoon
- Mixtape
- Cabin Fever
- Those Eyes
The Honeyrunners – Ghosts (Official Audio)
The Honeyrunners – Ghosts: Live In Studio