This is the first time I have written about or mentioned Honeyblood on our site. It has been a semi-conscious decision. If there is a lot of hype about an artist then I will tend to wait until I am ready to check them out rather than go with the wave of adoration.

I have a theory on the name Honeyblood I might be wrong, but I know that the Hole song ‘Gutless’ contains the line ‘I wanna drink your honey blood’, so if the band are reading this, please correct me if I am wrong. Yes, I am a huge Hole fan. I grew up with the band and Celebrity Skin still remains one of the most played albums in my collection. That aside, Honeyblood are going to inevitably get the stereotypical comparisons, but essentially they do have a far softer side than the manic, peroxide debauchery of Hole.

Our Song of the Day is ‘Biro’, it is one of the catchiest songs I have had the pleasure of hearing in 2012 and I have been meaning to write about it for some time, I think I just wanted to wait for a lull of sorts.  Duo Stina Marie Claire (known from band Boycotts) and Shona McVicar appeal to my 16 year old self in so many ways. Claire’s vocals have incredible strength and a lusty sweetness that is perfect for the music they are producing.

‘Biro’ may immediately feel like it has the power of a ballad, but when you really listen, it has ridiculous raw passion. Honeyblood are bordering on a seamless amalgamation of so many defining eras of music including grunge and pop. There is an undercurrent of vulnerability with Honeyblood that is brilliantly endearing. I have not said this in a while, but I really want an album from this band.

Please note: Video shot live by Detour Scotland.

Halina Rifai