Athens, GA, is full of many great bands so it’s hard to pick a favorite one, but this week I’ll introduce you to Honeywheel. This four-piece rock band consists of Blake Kole (Drums), Jacob St. Amand (Guitar, Keyboard, Production), Jake Pokalsky (Bass, Vocals, Production), and Shubbham Kadam (Guitar, Vocals). The band recently released their EP Shadowboxing, and my current favorite song off of it would be “Velvet Diver.” Check out the interview below to find out more about the band and what music they are currently listening to.
VM: First off, tell me about the band. How/when did it come together, where did the name come from, etc.
HW: We formed the summer following our freshman year of college. Jacob St. Amand and Jake Pokalsky (longtime friends) met Shubham Kadam at a Semi-Formal for Sigma Kappa. After talking with each other and realizing a common love for music and performance, they decided to meet up and jam. Shubham brought his longtime friend Blake Cole to the jam as well, and the rest is history.
VM: What is the writing/music making process usually like?
HW: Some songs start off as jams in a band setting while other songs are built around a “skeleton song” (basic structure and chord/ideas) that one of us brings to the table. Sometimes the process is very quick, while other times songs can take several weeks.
VM: Who are your biggest musical influences?
HW (Jacob): Hard to say because the influences are so widely varied. I’ve always been a big heavy metal fan, bringing in influences from bands like Gojira (Blakes also a fan) and Intronaut, as well as influences from artist like Pink Floyd, Chon and Philip Glass to name a few. I know Shubham is a huge Radiohead fan and Blake loves the band This Town Needs Guns (aka TTNG). Jake likes Funk and Soul music a lot (Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Vulfpeck), as well as most of the bands I just listed for everyone else. He also really likes Led Zeppelin and Matt Corby.
HW (Blake): I draw inspiration from a sort of eclectic pool of styles as well, with a common element being a creative rhythm section. Groups that do it for me: Hiatus Kaiyote, TTNG, Flying Lotus, Toe, Gojira, and Tool.
VM: If you could only recommend one song off of your EP to someone which would it be?
HW: It’s impossible to say. The EP tries to capture a lot of different styles and sounds within four songs, so depending on what the listener is into, he/she may prefer one over another.
VM: Tell us a little bit more about the EP.
HW: It was a completely independent project. Jacob St. Amand and Jake Pokalsky handled all of the recording and mixing of the EP, which was both a trying and rewarding process. We went to Tom Lewis for the mastering who did an incredible job, mastering the EP at 1093 Studio.
VM: I know your EP was just released last week so it may be too soon to ask, but is there any new music in the works?
HW: We have actually never stopped writing new music! While the focus in the coming months will be to promote the EP, we are also thinking ahead about a full length album.
VM: Out of the venues you’ve played so far as a band, which was your favorite and why?
HW: We all have different preferences, but we always seem to have a fun time at Caledonia and Live Wire. Caledonia has that grungey rock and roll feel, while Live Wire has an incredible stage, with top notch live production.
VM: Any shows coming up?
HW: We just had our EP Release Party in conjunction with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Lite the Night Walk at Live Wire on Friday October 21st. We’ll be playing with Orange Constant and Funk Rex at the Caledonia for Medlife’s benefit concert on November 17th.
[tps_header]UPCOMING SHOWS:[/tps_header]
November 17th @ Caledonia Lounge in Athens, Georgia
[tps_title]FOLLOW THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA:[/tps_title]
Spotify
[tps_header]Check out what Honeywheel is currently listening to!![/tps_header]
Jacob:
Jake:
Shubham:
Blake:
- Malika – Hiatus Kaiyote
- Runner – From Indian Lakes
- Homesick – New Madrid
- Nakamarra – Hiatus Kaiyote
- The Protest – Flying Lotus
- Whatever, Whenever – TTNG
- Be Quiet And Drive (Acoustic) – Deftones
- Pink Rabbits – The National