With electrifying sets at festivals such as Y Not and Stockton Calling, Honey Motel are sure to be crowd pleasers this summer, especially when showcasing their newest track, If You Didn’t Exist.
Flaunting their growing confidence, the single is laced with captivating guitar and intense bass lines.
With If You Didn’t Exist, the first release – other than live re-recordings – since lead singer Freddie Griggs joined the band, it’s obvious the group have found their missing piece.
It feels like the band are teasing you, starting the song calm and smooth with peaceful guitar and floaty drum beats, but that doesn’t last for long.
A sudden silence is followed by Griggs announcing ‘take it away Lew’ as drummer Lewis Fogg demonstrates his expertise with playful drumming being the backbone to the single.
Heading back to their indie-rock roots, the chorus is intense with Griggs hypnotic vocals.
‘Guess I was looking for drugs to keep the hell at bay’, is a lyric that unfolds a venerable story of feeling lost at 17, his voice full of longing.
While detonating into an explosion of powerful guitar is usual Honey Motel style, If You Didn’t Exist proves their portfolio is heading into a more riff-heavy territory than ever before.
Guitarist Sam Meredith offers up a dominant melody alongside bassist Jack Hughes’ effortless bass lines.
Talking about the single, Sam explains: “This is the first track the band and Fred clicked together on. I showed him the track in one of our first rehearsals and Lew and Jack played along.
“It was like the track went from black and white to technicolour instantly. He just seemed to get it. Fred brought it to life.
“Thematically, If You Didn’t Exist is about the quiet weight certain things carry in our lives. Things that might seem insignificant to others, but for us, hold everything together.
“A favourite band, a partner, a personal obsession, take them away, and suddenly the whole structure starts to wobble. The song sits with that feeling, the fear of losing what makes life feel like life.”
If You Didn’t Exist is an intriguing entry point into Honey Motel’s new era. Unveiling what to expect from the band from now on, the single is overflowing with charm, certainly creating excitement for what’s coming next.
You can follow Honey Motel here and listen to their new single, If You Didn’t Exist, here.
Mersey Music 