Interview Honeyblood: “I’ve had my eyes opened a little bit more”

They made a huge first impression with their boisterous Peter Katis-produced debut album. Honeyblood have primarily spent the past summer stomping their way through festivals every weekend. During the week, however, it’s been a different story, as the band’s Stina Tweeddale reveals.

“During the week we’ve been at home writing,” she says, “or trying to as much as possible, for the second album. It’s kinda different to the first album. At first, there’s no pressure to write any songs because you’re just doing it because you wanna do it. You’re writing for yourself. Now it’s like, ‘Oh right, now I actually have to write a second album and I’ve only got four months to do it.’ It’s been a change in the process, and I’ve had my eyes opened a little bit more,” she laughs. “Before, I was innocently writing songs for the sake of writing!”

There have been all sorts of changes for the duo: not only is Tweeddale finding herself exploring entirely different territory when it comes to her lyrics, she’s also got herself a new writing partner in drummer Cat Myers. “I think that the whole thing has been different,” she confirms, from London’s Fish Factory Studio, where they’re are currently recording. “Cat’s with me now so I have a completely different writing partner musically, and the songs have definitely developed in a way where they’re not so much… The first album was pretty personal and either written about my own personal experiences or about my friends. I think - talking to other musicians, who are on their third, fourth albums - there seems to be a process where you write a really personal first album and then your second album becomes this wild record that could go anywhere. I think that’s what’s happened!

“I was like, ‘Cool, I’ve got loads of things to draw inspiration from’ and then I just ended up going into this fantasy world and writing these crazy stories. My favourite songs have turned from more of a personal voyage into this fictitious mental dream world that I’ve made up in my head. I like it! There are these mad characters that I’ve discovered and they’re now the stars of the story. Maybe it’s because I’m a big loner and when I’m at home I don’t spend enough time with people so I make up characters in my head…”