Forget Nashville, with their buzz-making brand of rock-roots-country, the Honeycutters are out to make Asheville, NC the brand new music city. Singer and songwriter Amanda Anne Platt founded the band in 2007, recruiting upright bassist Rick Cooper, mandolin player Tal Taylor, drummer Josh Milligan and Matt Smith on pedal steel and electric guitar, and since their debut they’ve been steadily gaining traction. The group has shared stages with Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Donna the Buffalo and the Steep Canyon Rangers, building up the chops that lead to 2015’s critical success, Me Oh My. Now full steam ahead, the group is preparing to follow up on their breakout album with On The Ropes, set to release May 20th on Organic Records.
Today, Elmore is premiering the title track of their upcoming release, a feel good barn-burner of a song that pairs Platt’s old-school country vocals with a rollicking, danceable melody. The harmonies laced throughout recall the roots tradition the band is steeped in, but the track is a radio-ready hit, dangerously catchy and perfect for when you need a little boost. “If you think you’ve got me on the ropes,” Platt warns doubters with her rich, deep croon, “well don’t you blink honey, here I go.”
Amanda Anne Platt writes about the band’s camaraderie and her songwriting process, recalling, “the first time I brought “On The Ropes” to the band, when we were in pre-production for this album, I played them a verse and a chorus and they all jumped in and nailed it. It was too easy. Which is nice, especially for a song that I wrote about wishing that I didn’t make everything such an uphill battle all the time. To me this is a pep rally of a song. I love what Jason Webb added with the B3. I actually have a coaster that I keep on my desk on which I wrote some drunken notes which became the third verse–the one about the thousand dollar hangover– and I think if this album sells a lot of copies I’ll have it framed.”
Listen to “One The Ropes” below, and follow the Honeycutters by heading to their website.
[…] Premiere: LISTEN: The Honeycutters, “On The Ropes“ at Elmore Magazine → “On The Ropes’ [is] a feel good barn-burner of a song that pairs Platt’s old-school […]