Photos: Lauren Maccabee INTERVIEW
Hailing from the musical mixing pot that is Brighton, glam-meets-garage rock bunch Black Honey are one of the hottest emerging acts you can see right now. In their short life, they’ve released a string of unfathomably cool EPs, opened for such juggernauts as Royal Blood, and taken their formidable live experience to audiences worldwide. Their debut album landed in September, and in October they’re dropping by Norwich Arts Centre to show it off. Ahead of the gig, band leader Izzy B. Phillips gave us some quick- fire lines about music, movies, and more.
BLACK HONEY
What have been some of the biggest milestones for you in the past few years? Deffo putting out our first record this week, it’s so surreal! We also loved touring Japan andKorea, as well as the big European tour with Royal Blood. As well as that tour, you also worked with frontman Mike on your ‘Into the Nightmare’. What was it like creating a song together? We have known each other for a while, I knew Ben first because he was always at this night in Brighton we used to go to. Writing with Mike is incredible, he has such a purist ethos andunderstands exactly how to make something the best and purest version of itself. It’s mostly new stuff on the record. How come a lot of the ‘classics’ didn’t make the cut? We decided to make a record that felt really new, because analbum without surprises is boring!We do still play them live, sometimes. You used to describe your music as being very ‘lo-fi’. Do you think that label still fits? Yeah maybe not, though I think our ethos is still pretty lo-fi. And I think Taylor Swiſt wouldprobably argue that we are lo-fi. At Latitude this year there were hordes of kids waiting to meet you. How does it feel becoming a revered indie icon? I don’t feel like an icon yet. Come and ask me again in 10 years. There are so many references to vintage art and movie culture on the record. What is it youfind
so enjoyable about these references? To me they are sincere. They’re things that are made with craſt or stories that hold their own withoutdepending on CGI effects and big blockbuster surround sound. On that note, is the album cover’s teeth and lips imagery inspired by The Rolling Stones? No, the inspiration behind it came from Andy Warhol, The Velvet Underground, Blondie andthe whole Factory scene. Do you ever plan on moving into film – acting or directing? Yes, I really want to become a director. I would act if I loved the character and felt like I enjoyed collaboratingwith the people making it. Somehow, we’re almost at the end of 2018. Who have been your favourite artists to listen to this year? We love a band called Viagra Boys because of their song Sports, which is brilliant. We also love Boy Azooga, Dream Wife and The Magic Gang. What have Black Honey got planned for the future? And will your lost mascot Jerry the Flamingo everreturn? We have so much coming up! We’re doing a full tour of the UK and Europe, including our biggest ever headline show at the ElectricBallroom in London. Hopefully next year we’ll get to explore newterritories around the world we haven’t yet been to, as well as new releases! It’s all pretty hushhush but watch this space. And yeah I think Jerry is long gone, we last saw him in a hot tub in Butlin’s
Alex Cabré
Black Honey play Norwich Arts Centre on Tuesday 16th October. For more information and tickets, visit
norwichartscentre.co.uk
12 / OCT-NOV 2018 /
OUTLINEONLINE.CO.UK
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