Honey Joy have released a new song from their forthcoming second album ‘II’, which is set for release 04 Sept via London indie punk label Everything Sucks. The song ‘Pain’ is about a patient vocalist Meg Tinsley was tending to (in her role as a nurse) who was in a lot of pain. The video explores the idea of pain and how pain can be good or bad, voluntary or involuntary, celebrated or mourned. Meg says of the patient: “After having a heart attack and a stroke he wasn’t able to talk, his frustration and shock seemed to manifest in frustrated screaming and pain all over and no meds would touch it.”
‘Pain’ exemplifies Honey Joy’s ability to draw upon their punk rock and indie pop influences in a cathartic swirl of sound and spirit. It’s also representative of the album’s split inspiration. ‘II’ is a journey between the dark and the light. Meg wrote half the songs whilst signed-off sick from work due to her mental health and the other half when she was out the other side and on a mission of self love. It’s “an exploration of the places your mind can go and a narrative of my experiences during those times,” she says.
‘Part Two: The Healer’ was the first track to be revealed from the record and is the embodiment of Meg’s attempts to practice self love, following a rough period with her mental health. It’s about coming out the other side.
‘II’ was recorded at the sadly recently closed Music Land Studios in Haggerston, London with Simon Small (Black MIDI, Apologies, I Have None, Cult Dreams, The Front Bottoms) over a mere five days last year. “Our beloved pug dog Vinnie was on hand at each session to give creative advice to Simon when it was needed,” says guitarist (and Meg’s husband) Matt Tinsley.
Matt, Jay (drums), Giles (guitar) and Joe (bass) grew up together and have been playing music in bands with each other since they were 16 years old. As Honey Joy, the band have played shows across the UK and in Europe and the US. They released their self-titled debut album in 2017.