Ireland singer-songwriter Honas continues to build momentum with not one, but two new songs.
An artist drawn to music after spending a portion of his childhood living in Guyana in South America, Honas took a serious step towards furthering his craft in 2020 when he joined Lisa Hannigan, Saint Sister and Nealo at the musical pilgrimage Hibernacle in west coast Ireland. Further experiences would be gained in studios across London, Berlin and Vienna with producers who have worked with the likes of The 1975, Interpol, Warpaint and Florence and The Machine.
Last November, Honas released his debut single 'Everyday Life' that was followed in January with 'Cash Machine'. Now he's ready to take the wraps off 'Icy Blue' that is paired with a special bonus track, 'Someone Of A Kind'.
A winter trip to Canada with a group of mates that was soundtrack by '80s power ballads, as well blossoming love, inspired Honas to write 'Icy Blue' when he returned home.
Looking to recapture those nostalgic moments, 'Icy Blue' is a giddy pop-rock belter fostering heartland rock vibes and brimming with glistening instrumentation with a rhythm that'll have you sliding across the floorboards like Tom Cruise in 'Risky Business'.
"'Icy Blue' came about straight after a trip I took to Canada in February 2022. There were six of us on the trip and the whole ten days were absolutely boiling over with this ridiculous level of giddiness."
Ahead of the release of 'Icy Blue' tomorrow (5 April), scenestr is amped to premiere the song today. Enjoy.
Honas continues the story behind 'Icy Blue': "Having been deprived of craic for almost two years, this was just a huge release of joy. Thirty seconds barely went by without one or all of us creasing ourselves laughing.
"We had arrived over to an absolute winter wonderland, and our first evening consisted of us getting drunk and pelting snowballs at each other. We all travelled around together in an SUV, blasting a healthy mix of '80s power ballads, hard rock, country and everything in between, depending on who was on DJ duty.
"Now I can't even see the word 'Toronto' without hearing Bryan Adams, but 'The Boys Of Summer' by Don Henley really sticks out in my memory because it's probably the perfect cruising song, it's kind of impossible not to imagine you're in a music video, or a montage scene in a movie.
"So when I got home I had the urge to write a driving song of my own, and so I created a new Logic session and named it 'Boys of Winter'. Needless to say, I was pretty certain that title wouldn't be sticking around.
"I had met someone in Canada, and I wasn't sure if I'd get to see her again. So that worry, combined with the comedown from a trip of a lifetime, resulted in 'Icy Blue'. It ended up a bit more intense and faster than Don Henley's tune, so be careful if you're listening while driving."
As for 'Someone Of A Kind', that was written reflecting a personal connection. "'Someone Of A Kind' is written about someone really close to me, our bond, our history, our flaws, how we see ourselves in each other and how we're scared sh.tless of losing each other.
"It initially came together very quickly, and then took a bit of time to really finish off. Myself and my writing partner had two verses and the chorus written on the first day, but the verses had a different chord progression.
"At this stage the song had a nice flow to it, but I felt lyrically I hadn't really landed on what I wanted to say. I changed the verse chords the following day, recorded some new parts and instantly felt more excited about it.
"Then over the next few months I revisited it, first to rewrite the second verse, then a few weeks later to write the bridge. I had a clearer image at this stage of what I felt the song needed to say, so nailing these two sections really helped tie it all together.
"It was a bit like piecing a puzzle together by the end. It's nice to take a step back now and hear it in its full form. It serves as a bit of a reminder to me that songs don't have to fall out of you in one go. Some take a bit of time and work, and that's ok."
