The Creative Process

From a very young age, I would sing with my dad. My mum and dad divorced when I was just a baby, and even though I would see my dad occasionally, we were not close. As I grew up,  it was obvious that we shared the same love. Music.

Whenever we compose a new song, it is normally achieved very easily, within the hour. I write down words beforehand, or vise vera,  and then when dad has worked out which chords fit my melodies, we bring together a brand new tune. With some harmonies, often a a brand new section as the middle 8, we have the song finished.

We write what inspires us. We write what we are feeling. My father tends to write darker, more complex lyrics, whilst I write simple and cheerful lyrics.

Xmas Wish by Honeygene

Xmas wish

With the help of Spaceman sam and his flat mates, a christmas video was created for 'Xmas Wish'

It is available to download on itunes, as well as the drum and bass and the radio edit version.

The new album, 'Under the almond tree' was now recorded. A total of 11 tracks including songs such as 'Montgeo bay' and tracks such as 'Full of dreams' which uses lyrics from a old recording when I was just four years old.

Honeygene had a long break in April 2009 but we came back fighting in 2010 when we started playing regular gigs at The Abbey in Kentish Town. We still play gigs there, because it is free, we get food, and the people who run it are lovely. Plus, they have a great garden area.

The next two years

I went back to Jamaica twice in that year. Yes I know. How did I afford it? Unfortunately I am still paying that price. Honeygene was progressing, with new songs, a new style and some good photos too, thanks for Barry MccDonald and the greatness of Camden Market after hours.

At the end of the year I took a year out. I decided to go to Jamaica for 8 months. As you can only imagine, I learnt alot of lifes lessons, and it opened my eyes into a new world. A world of music, beaches, coconut trees, jamaican home cooking over coal fire, new people, friends, babies, and Jamaican countryside and families and community. A look into religion, growth, poverty, and the local way of living. I met alot of brilliant Jamaican musicians.

Fanta cooking goat ovet the fire at Christmas

Limo.  A hell of a dancer, and character. He loved the ladies, spliff and bottles of Heat. It is exactly what is sounds.

The Christmas Itch festival was a chance for me to return home, play some gigs, and promote our christmas song. You are reading correctly. Honeygene have a song called 'Xmas Wish' which is available on Itunes. It is cheesy, catchy as I sing about snow, santa and about people in love being apart at christmas. I returned after two weeks for New years eve 2009. Splendid.

The Birth of Honeygene reggae

Album Launch 2007

Since going to Jamaica, most of our songs have a strong reggae influence. When we were over there ‘paperman’, a local guy said to us,

"use your songs and just put a jamaica riddim to dem."

That is sort of what we did. We kept our distinctive style, our close harmonies, our pretty melodies and strands of darkness, but the drums became more offbeat, creating a laid back feel which people could chill too. It also opened my world to reggae and dancehall, alone with soul voices. I went to university in September 2007 and I met some amazing long life friends.

I have to begin by saying that was the best year of my life. I have never had many laughs in my life, and never had so much fun. I studied music, continued my classical singing lessons, and had some very interesting moments. Most nights I would sit with Kim (my flat mate) watching my screensaver of photos from Jamaica, and we would smoke and have the giggles in our halls of residence, in our small cosy rooms filled with fairy lights, candles, and incense, covering the smoke alarm with a grubby sock.

Our first official album as Honeygene was in November 2007 at The Borderline, Charing Cross. It was a great night, packed, buzzing, and looking good with a new blonde hair and smokey makeup. 

 We had guests. Brian Allen, Dads brother on bongoes

 Frog on the song 'Sweet serene' doing his Bob de Bop

Overall, I great, great night.

Jamaican love

I went to Jamaica in 2007 with my dad. we had already recorded our first album, and this holiday would open up a different world. Our first night there, we were naive, taken deep into the countryside, up onto the mountains and waterfalls by a jamaican on a motorbike. It was beautiful, but we didn't know that at the end of the day they would demand a tip, which we didn't have and make us drive to the cash point where they would stand and wait for us to draw out money. We luckily went our separate ways, blagging our way home, and wrote our first song, 'Montego Bay'.


"driving out to the country, a beautiful place to come from, with a tour guide we just met at the roadside. stepped down a hundred stairs to where the rasta man he says his prayers, we washed our sins, in a sacred spring."

From this moment forward, we would stay within ten miles of our guest house, and meet so many people on the beach. One person in particular, my first romantic love. Jermaine.

 This experience created songs such as 'The otherside of the world' and 'The one thing'. We didn't just come home with an amazing tan, but memories which you can't erase. We met artists such as Mikey over there, and Coach. Nearly every day we would sit under an almond tree, sing with the guitar, while the locals would come and join us, singing along.

This would later become the allmond tree which titled our second album 'Under the Almond Tree'

During the three weeks we were introduced to a completely different culture, met some amazing people, experienced some wild emotions, and this would stay with me for the next four years of my life until this day. The plane journey home was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, my dad held my hand and we flew away back to rainy London.

The Beginning of Honeygene

I would firstly like to say I have no idea what to write my blog about. I have so many things I have experienced, some good, some very bad. I think the  best place to start here, would be introducing you to my first love. Singing.

I have been singing with my dad all my life. We wrote our first song 'Perfect Harmony' in 2006 as my nana was dying of cancer. We sang this to her, and then performed it at her funeral. That was the beginning of Honeygene. The name was created using my dads performing name Phil Honey Jones.

 If you are reading this, and wondering what we sound like, take a look at our myspace, check out some of our tunes
www.myspace.com/honeygene


From there, we kept writing, bringing back to life old tunes such as Hot lover and Only 17. We created new harmonies, and lots of other songs such as Red Roses, Purple Paradise, Blue Heaven and so many more. Our music started with a heavy influence from Elliott Smith. At the time, that is all we were listening too. Our songs were a mix of Rock n roll, blues, country and some light pop. We recorded our first album, 'A beautiful place to get lost' in 2007. This was a lyric taken from one of Elliott Smiths songs. The album was recorded quickly, and we produced a clear, crisp sound with pretty melodies and interweaving harmonies. It was all so easy and exciting.

We were giging alot back then around North London, small acoustic sets. They were some of our best times together. Father and daughter against the world doing what we loved best.

I was about to start uni back then. About to leave home for the first time. The lyrics in '2008' the final track on the album was about this. With the lyrics "two years have been and gone, thats why i'm writing this song."   It was meant for the future. How I would survive in London, on my own, new friends, new people, new atmosphere. Everyone has to do it. But before this I would go somewhere which would change my life, my heart and my music tastes completely. I went to Jamaica.