Honeybear,
the Band, the Vancouver-based vintage soul, blues, and roots quartet
that music blog B-Side Guys describes as sounding "as if The Teskey
Brothers decided to collaborate with the ghost of Muddy Waters,"
releases their new single "Unbroken" out now. The track serves as a
quiet anthem to resilience, blending soul, blues, and pop sensibilities
into a message that has resonated far beyond its original intention.
"Originally
the tune was written as a quiet anthem to resilience, targeted at a
friend of ours who was going through a really rough patch and needed
some help to see the light at the end of the tunnel," the band explains.
"However, this song has ended up being much bigger than us, our
friends, and our own situations. Many that we play the song for can
think of their own particular situation or relationship where some of
this song's energy could have helped, and we are glad to hear their
stories and bring it forward."
Comprising
Ian Beaty on vocals and bass, Colin Brumelle on guitar, Mike Kenney on
keyboards, and Tim Watson on drums, Honeybear takes listeners on an old
school road trip through the dusty back roads of American music. While
the band formed in 2023, the four members are old friends who have been
playing together in other formations for over a decade, crossing paths
on tours across Canada, down the West Coast, and beyond. As individual
performers, they have appeared at most major folk and jazz/blues
festivals in Canada.
The
band's origin story captures the spirit of musical perseverance that
defines their sound. When the pandemic struck and live music came to a
standstill, the four friends found themselves jamming outdoors in parks,
with amps and PA systems hooked up to jerry rigged motorcycle
batteries, just to bask in the joy that is playing live music with like
minded souls. That creative determination has paid dividends.
Their
debut FACTOR funded album, self released in June 2025 on their own
Playmor label, has received well over 4 million streams on Spotify with
approximately 110,000 monthly listeners. The album has been featured on
official Spotify Editorial playlists including Nu Blue, New Music
Friday, Blues Bar, and Best Blues of 2024. The band is also receiving
airplay on CBC, NPR, CKUA, and other indie and co-op radio stations
across the globe.
Honeybear
is fast becoming a festival favorite with appearances at Rifflandia,
Barnside Harvest Fest, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Harmony Arts, Wapiti,
Starbelly, and many more. Recent packed club shows at some of the
country's favorite dive bars including The Horseshoe in Toronto, the
Rainbow in Ottawa, and the Ironwood in Calgary have seen the band
routinely selling out shows in brand new markets.
