Oh Honey Sweetens The Troc

by Jane Roser

(photo by Shanna Fisher)

When Brooklyn-based folk-pop duo Oh Honey hit The Trocadero this Saturday fans can expect a cup of catchy beats, a dash of beautiful harmonies and a swirl of sweet, sweet sunshine.

“We’ve always had really great shows in Philly,” says guitarist/vocalist Mitchy Collins. “We played Festival Pier this summer with The Fray and Neon Trees and it was an amazing show. The crowd was so energetic, which always makes for a fun time so we’ve really been looking forward to coming back.”

Forming in 2013 after meeting through mutual friends, Collins and vocalist Danielle Bouchard have quickly ascended the ladder of commercial success. Their single “Be Okay” was prominently included in the 100th episode of Glee and Oh Honey recently toured with James Blunt on his U.S. leg of his Moon Landing World Tour.

Currently on the road with American Authors after playing large outdoor amphitheaters all summer, Collins says they’re excited to be performing at small venues again. “It’s easier to connect with the audience and hang out with fans afterwards. Detroit was probably the best show for us so far, but Minneapolis on Halloween was a lot of fun, too. We dressed up as Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys-it was a pretty cool night.”

Oh Honey released their debut EP, With Love, in November 2013 and their second EP, Sincerely Yours, just came out on Atlantic Records. The band’s feel-good single “Be Okay” has been a constant top 25 radio hit, but it took awhile for the tune to work itself out.

“The chorus was an idea that we kicked around for awhile that stemmed from a quote that goes ‘I hate to spoil the ending for you, but everything is going to be alright’,” says Collins, “it made its way in and out of different ideas for songs, but never really felt right, until one day it just did and “Be Okay” was born.”

Several tracks on Sincerely Yours were written at the same time as With Love, but were recorded differently. “When we were recording With Love Oh Honey was just an idea so we had nothing but time Sincerely Yours was recorded in between tours and in different studios whenever we had a free moment. It’s a darker album than our first one. The songs are definitely moodier, but we still kept the optimistic twist of With Love.”

Collins and Bouchard know that life isn’t always easy, though. “It honestly really sucks sometimes, so we explored the darker side of life and relationships in these songs, while maintaining the idea that there is always hope. That’s what we want everyone who listens to our music to know, that no matter how bad things can get, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s easy to lose sight of that, so this is our reminder, to our fans and to ourselves.”

The song on the new EP that truly stood out for me as a gem amongst diamonds was “Cracks In The Floor Of Heaven”. The imagery of “the cracks in the floor in heaven are the stars on the sky” is hauntingly beautiful and the duo admit this is a special song for them. “It’s simply about wondering if this is all there is, wondering where our loved ones go after all of this and asking if maybe we are just one floor down from heaven or in a better place if you don’t believe in heaven. Just making the most of life.”

After their tour ends, Oh Honey will be looking forward to spending quality time with their families over the holidays. Then, they’ll be heading back to the studio to begin work on the next two EPs to complete their ‘Postcards’ series and hopefully plan to hit the road to start off the new year with a bang.

Head on over to The Troc this Saturday to catch this fabulous duo then follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @ohhoneymusic. A bit of honey never tasted so sweet.