Artist Interview: Black Honey
By Resonate | June 4, 2021
Words by Hope Taylor
Photos by Laura Allard Fleischl
Two years on from their debut self-titled album, Black Honey are back with a bang with the cinematically inspired Written & Directed. Taking their love for films, specifically anything Tarantino, The Brighton based group have created an album that could be a soundtrack to their very own indie movie. In true 2020/21 style, we took to Zoom to catch up with Izzy B. Phillips, the no-nonsense frontwoman, just days before the new album was launched.
With lyrics such as “I like the way you die, boy” referencing cult classic Django Unchained, the band’s love for films is undeniable. “When we were making the record, we had to say which scene from a film it would be in, and that’s how we guided the sound of the album. Written & Directed is such a cliché but it would be rude not to. Who the fuck calls their album Written & Directed? Like whom the fuck do we think we are? Like it’s ridiculous but we love it, of course we did it. It’s such a Black Honey thing to Do.”
“I really hope there are some weird ones, I asked for the crazier the better,”
The band is in the middle of album launch week but it’s quite different this time round as Izzy testifies: “I haven’t even seen the band yet or played any gigs. It feels very surreal.” With a tour taking place in October and album release and listening parties taking place on Zoom, this launch feels, as you can imagine, different to the last. After an Instagram tour showing their fans the celebratory billboards across central London in honour of the release, the band have been determined to not be defeated by a global pandemic or another national lockdown as still had some further tricks up their sleeve to make this release one to remember.
“We’re going to Resident (an independent record store) in Brighton and do some in-person signings,” Izzy remarks as we discuss the plans for the release. As part of this, they’ve given the option for The Honeys (their fans) to request specific messages. Izzy remarked, “I really hope there are some weird ones, I asked for the crazier the better,” and with a particular Instagram comment requesting drawings of Kurt Cobain, I’m sure she had a chance to let her artistic side shine.
In true Zoom fashion, it was at this point where I’m introduced to the newest member of Izzy’s family and Black Honey’s newest mascot, the loveable puppy Zero, whose name pays homage to Tim Burton’s, A Nightmare Before Christmas. Izzy’s new puppy takes after her owner with striking white hair and a bundle of energy. “Everyone thinks she’s a lapdog but she’s actually really hyper and playful. She’s very naughty but I love her.”
Like most musicians, last year saw Black Honey go through a bit of a dry spell when it came to performing for a live crowd with only two shows throughout the course of the year. However, with live events looking like they can go ahead from June 21st, we won’t have to wait until October to be able to see Black Honey in the flesh. They also have a socially distanced gig planned for June 24th– fingers crossed! Izzy explains: “At the moment it [a live performance] feels like it is going to be happening to somebody else. When it comes closer to the time, I will become super excited. The idea of gigs or even just going to a pub right now makes me excited. It’s amazing to have something to look forward to and I’m so happy we’ve got these dates in and we’ve got this end goal in our heads.” With gigs becoming a distant memory for most of us, it was reassuring to know that Izzy could relate.
It’s no secret that Izzy B. Phillips is a strong female frontwoman and this confident, no-fucks attitude has definitely been a blessing. Within the recent weeks, the media has had a focus on female safety, so I felt it was important to understand how she navigates her way. With each female having their own personal stories, Izzy opened up, reflecting how she has been stalked, chased and even attacked on a train. “It’s that every single person has a version of this story that is so resonating. It is important to talk about, but it’s like are we actually here, where no one exists who doesn’t have a story to share? Artistically, I try to make things that have a feminist-leaning perspective because I believe that women are the future of rock and roll.”
“Just by showing a perspective from a female who is leading by example and not apologising is what women need at the moment to try and give them the courage they need every day to leave the house and feel safe or go to school and boss that exam.”
“When I can’t get out of bed because I’m feeling depressed, knowing the fact that I can give joy to people through something that I’ve made – honestly it’s like magic.”
Written & Directed is only the band’s second album release, however, they have a hardcore fan community who go by the name ‘The Honeys’ as Izzy explains. “I feel lucky that we are part of a group of people that relate to what we do. We can come together as a group and support each other and it adds more value to what we’ve made”. Izzy, along with the rest of the band, definitely have a special connection with their audience, with their songs being played on all occasions, from wedding to funerals, reflecting how much impact their songs have had on their fanbase.
Reflecting through the multitude of personal stories told to her by fans, Izzy explained how their stories have resonated with her. “I want to get to know the people who connect with our music and I don’t want to see people as digits on a screen. When I can’t get out of bed because I’m feeling depressed, knowing the fact that I can give joy to people through something that I’ve made – honestly it’s like magic.” From artwork to gifts, Izzy keeps a memory box filled with things that she has been given by her fans and with their second album already making positive headlines this DIY group is soon going to need to upgrade a memory box to an entire room.
Working with a multitude of collaborators, their new album has seen the likes of The Prodigy’s touring guitarist Olly Burden, The Libertines’ Carl Barat, and Mike Kerr from Royal Blood all of whom worked closely with Phillip which brought with it some nerves. “This album has so many people working on it, and what I learnt from collaborating with these really huge artists is they brought more to the record than just necessarily the song. It brought more to my learning as a creator. Writing with Carl and Olly was super nerve-wracking, as I had never met them and had to go straight into working with them. These were my heroes and I didn’t want to embarrass myself.”
Previously working with Mike Kerr, Phillips referred to him as a mentor and shared a piece of wisdom that he gave her – the line ‘if you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room’. Izzy expands on this saying to me, “Even if you are scared of something, there is always something to be gained or learnt in a situation that you feel out of control in.” Never a truer word spoken.
Written & Directed is out now.
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