By Jim Barber
It wouldn’t be summer time in Canada with out a bunch of sizzling, sweaty and tremendous enjoyable live shows from the most effective rock and roll occasion bands to ever come from the Nice White North – Honeymoon Suite.
Greater than 4 many years on from their a lot heralded and now basic 1984 self-titled debut album, which is highlighted by timeless radio staples corresponding to ‘New Lady Now,’ ‘Burning In Love,’ ‘Wave Infants,’ and ‘Keep in The Gentle,’ the seemingly ageless quintet is ready to convey their splendidly in style model of Canadian melodic arduous rock and powerhouse onstage vitality to Ontario, together with Brockville, Petawawa, Thunder Bay, adopted by a swing via the Maritimes earlier than heading out to western Canada with exhibits persevering with into the autumn and early winter, together with at The Empire Theatre in Belleville on Sept. 27.
Co-founder/lead guitarist/songwriter Derry Grehan talked to Music Life Journal in regards to the enduring reputation of the band and his rationale as to why they aren’t solely nonetheless a must-see attraction for long-tenured followers but in addition for an growing variety of youthful music lovers.
“A part of it’s as a result of we’re a reside band. We’ve all the time been a reside band. We’ve obtained virtually all the unique members; we’re nonetheless buddies and we sound nice collectively. We will’t wait to rise up on stage to play each night time as a result of it’s nonetheless simply an excessive amount of rattling enjoyable. I like doing it, it doesn’t get outdated for me. We’re a rock band, and folks of all ages like rock band. We play loud, we play arduous,” Grehan mentioned.
“Quite a lot of the children’ music in the present day, it’s all simply a lot computer-generated stuff. There’s no bands anymore. It’s all simply form of canned music and autotuned and it’s probably not geared towards a reside band. So, I believe the children come out and after they see an actual band taking part in, that’s not all tracks, and a extremely good singer and all of the vitality we put out – nothing beats a reside band. Nothing. And there are variety of youngsters actually in search of that have.”
One of many methods the band stays very important, and continues to pursue their musical journey with such high-octane vitality is the truth that the proverbial artistic juices proceed to move, in addition to they ever have, with Honeymoon Suite releasing their ninth studio album, Wake Me Up When The Solar Goes Down on July 25, a bit over a yr because the launch of the critically acclaimed document Alive. Each had been launched on Italy’s iconic melodic rock/metallic label Frontiers Music, internationally, and on BCM Data for home consumption in Canada.
At first it might appear a bit jarring for a band hailing from Niagara Falls, Ontario to be working with a label approach throughout the Atlantic Ocean in Milan, however Grehan mentioned it’s been a protracted and fruitful relationship between the 2 events, and one he and his Honeymoon Suite bandmates had been excited to interact in once more for the final two albums.
“We’ve been working with them for a very long time, really. Not less than 10 or 15 years. We’ve executed a couple of initiatives with them right here or there through the years. So, this isn’t our first go spherical with them. We’ve executed different albums with them. They’re a melodic rock label and I assume they needed to have a band from Canada. They’re not simply arduous music and metallic, there’s numerous completely different stuff on the label,” Grehan mentioned from his residence in Nashville the place he and his household spend time other than their long-time residence in rural Illinois.
“They’ve labored with Whitesnake and Journey and so they’ve widened their perspective. Initially, they reached out to us. We made a little bit of noise in Europe and the U.Okay. again within the day and we’re nonetheless a presence there. And the truth that we’re all nonetheless collectively and nonetheless placing out music made us enticing. Their A&R division, that’s their job to seek out bands like us. After which across the time we had the Alive document all completed and had been in search of a label. I put an e mail out to them, and so they got here again with the most effective supply. Regardless that they’re thought-about impartial [meaning they have no official entanglements with the major labels] they’re nonetheless a correct document label, with an workplace and workers and an A&R division and a reserving facet for exhibits. So, they’ve obtained a full group with a correct promotion crew, which can promote the document in Europe and Japan, and so they have folks within the U.S. as properly. It’s good to have anyone, a label, working in your behalf and placing it on the market correctly, lining up the press and movies and issues like that. Whereas we’ve executed a couple of albums the place we simply did all the pieces ourselves and once you’re by yourself, you’ve obtained to rent a publicist and all that. So, it’s good to have a correct label that believes in what we’re doing.”
Wake Me Up When the Solar Goes Down, as with Alive, was produced by fellow Canadian Mike Krompass, the second straight album with which he has collaborated with the band. In Canada, the document additionally comes out on his personal boutique document label BCM.
“Canada’s clearly our bread and butter so we needed somebody who knew the market very well and will deal with simply this nation. Technically, we’re signed with BCM after which Mike really licences the album to Frontiers. So, we have now whole management right here in Canada, which is good, and we are able to do what we wish by way of what singles and movies to launch and the place to play. So, actually, all people’s pleased. And likewise having a take care of Frontiers, they’ll really manufacture the CDs and vinyl and distribute them and although all the pieces is recoupable, it’s good to have them care for the upfront prices. We are going to manufacture our personal vinyl and CDs in Canada with one other producer, and we get to maintain all that cash,” Grehan mentioned, including that he had heard about Mike, who was figuring out of Nashville on the time a couple of years in the past and determined to offer him a name.
“I’ve been residing the place I’m within the U.S. for about 20 years now, however I’ve been making numerous journeys right down to Nashville in these final 20 years too. Each on occasion, I’d come down right here to do some writing journeys. I heard that Mike was residing down right here and was this man from Toronto who was a reasonably good producer, and I believe somebody mentioned I ought to simply attain out to him as a result of he’s additionally a guitar participant. So out of the blue I simply DM’d him and he’s like, ‘dude, I like your band! Why don’t you guys come down.’ At it was after I was taking place with [daughter] Leah at lot, as a result of she was writing songs down in Nashville with folks too.
“On a type of journeys we really went to his place as a result of he was producing numerous pop for lots of younger singers. In order that was my first in-person introduction to Mike. We wrote and recorded a couple of songs down there for her and from the Mike requested me what’s happening with Honeymoon Suite. I advised him we had been writing and needed to make a document and one factor led to a different, and Mike supplied to provide the document, which was Alive. So, that’s the way it went.”
The brand new album options the signature sound of Honeymoon Suite, with a extra fashionable, 21st century method that enables for his or her basic rock vibe to shine via, with out sounding cliché or anachronistic. And it rocks with all of the impression and vitality that solely veteran musicians and songwriters who’ve been round each other and collaborating with one another for many years can engender.
“Mike Krompass is accountable for lots of that. He’s a Canadian dude; he’s a producer and he’s additionally a guitar participant and multi-instrumentalist. He’s a bit youthful than us and he grew up listening to Honeymoon Suite; we had been considered one of his favorite bands. So, as a child he was studying my licks to the purpose the place he is aware of the band and our repertoire inside out. And since he’s youthful, he’s very slick within the studio with all of the tech. He’s obtained all the brand new manufacturing methods and is aware of Professional Instruments inside and outside. So, he doesn’t a lot change our sound as make it sound present. The three of us, Johnnie, Mike and I, we wrote the entire album collectively and Mike’s actually good at balancing issues off. Once you hearken to the album, they’re nice melodic tracks, however they sound recent – they don’t sound dated. It’s sounds very new, however we’re undoubtedly not sounding like a pop band. We’re nonetheless Honeymoon Suite,” Grehan mentioned, including that there’s all the time going to be a pure development in a band that’s nonetheless totally engaged creatively, and attuned to at least one one other’s vibe.
“It’s all actual gamers taking part in actual devices. It’s not churned out of a pc. And, yeah, the guitar sounds are a bit excessive and crunchy, however that’s simply the distinction in working with the producer and completely different gear now. We by no means make the identical document twice, so that is what we’ve provide you with now. It seems like us, however it’s not a replica of The Large Prize (1986) or the primary album. I wouldn’t need it to. In itself, it’s sounds nice.”
Internationally, the primary single launched by way of Frontiers was the compelling and optimistic vibe of ‘I Fly,’ which was one of many compositions Grehan initiated and delivered to Dee and Krompass.
“I got here in with that one and I had these refrain chords. I used to be messing round sooner or later and the way in which I write is it all the time begins with guitar; it begins with a riff or chord development. And ultimately sooner or later I used to be writing I simply saved saying, ‘after I fly, after I fly,’ again and again. I couldn’t get that out of my head, and I didn’t know what it meant, however that’s the one lyric we had at first,” he defined.
“Then when the entire music lastly got here collectively, and it was time to write down the phrases I form of primarily based it round flying as a result of it simply appeared like that; and its metaphorical. The primary verse is about taking off, leaving the bottom, and passing via the clouds, which we achieve this a lot once we’re touring. After which it’s additionally metaphorically evaluating that to somebody’s life after they’re leaving a nasty scenario or a relationship – they’re leaving that behind as they fly as much as one thing hopefully higher and freer.”
‘Loopy Life’ will not be deliberate to be a single, however could possibly be, and is a tune that solely a veteran touring band may write with any authenticity, because it’s a gritty, however enjoyable tackle life on the street.
“Once more, that’s one which I kind of began. It’s not nation, however form of blues-rock country-ish, though extra like simply straight blues rock. And that’s simply me having enjoyable with a drop-D guitar and a riff. I’ve been attempting to write down that tune for a couple of years now and we lastly pulled it collectively. It’s form of a celebration tune. It’s about being on the street and it’s only a down and soiled rock tune. And we wanted a type of on the album. Regardless that it’s been 40 years, not loads has modified. It’s nonetheless numerous late nights and early mornings, and that goes whether or not you’re a younger band or an older band. That’s nonetheless the way in which it’s.”
It’s been a rocky street at instances for this venerable band. After the primary blush of business and in style success all through the Nineteen Eighties and into the early Nineteen Nineties, radical modifications within the musical panorama with the appearance of digital know-how and the explosion of the so-called Grunge motion, almost despatched the band packing because it did many a melodic arduous rock band on the time.
Band members left, document offers disappeared, and venue sizes diminished, however the core duo of Grehan and vocalist/frontman/co-writer Johnnie Dee stood agency, weathering the slings and arrows of typically outrageous rock and roll fortunes. And so they continued to launch albums, beginning with Lemon Tongue in 2001 (independently, with the album referred to as Dreamland in Europe, that includes some completely different songs).
A full fledged reunion with authentic members Gary Lalonde (bass), Ray Coburn (keyboards), and drummer Dave Betts befell with nice fanfare in 2007, resulting in the brand new album Clifton Hill in 2008 (launched internationally on Frontiers) though Coburn left simply two years later, former member Peter Nunn stepped in and has remained a key contributor to the band reside and on document for the previous 16 years.
“Gary and Dave have been again for a very long time now. They left the band for some time earlier within the Nineteen Nineties. When the Nineteen Nineties got here in, issues simply form of fell aside, not only for us. I believe for each melodic rock band it was a tough time then. However Johnnie and I soldiered on; we saved going. We obtained different gamers in as a result of we weren’t working as a lot, however we managed to get via the Nineteen Nineties. We had nice session gamers who got here and went, however they weren’t Dave and Gary. It by no means really sounded the identical, it wasn’t actually us. So, after a few years of that, within the early 2000s I mentioned to Johnnie that we wanted to attempt to get everybody again,” Grehan mentioned.
“We had been all nonetheless buddies once we parted methods, we by no means had an enormous blow out. It’s simply the way in which issues panned out. So, I simply took an opportunity and referred to as all of them up and requested in the event that they had been fascinated with perhaps coming again and attempting a couple of exhibits, as a result of I missed them. We began gradual and we constructed, and we’ve continued to construct it, man. And with these guys, there’s a chemistry with the 5 of us, together with Peter. We make a sound that solely we are able to. We’ve had different gamers which can be technically higher, however they by no means appeared like the identical band. So, when you may have the identical guys who performed on the albums taking part in within the precise band, you may’t beat that. And although Johnnie and I are kind of the core and in each band the core is often the singer and the guitar participant, however you’ve nonetheless obtained to have the songs, and also you’ve obtained to have the voice, and have that chemistry. So, yeah, we’re fortunate that we’re nonetheless buddies and companions alongside Gary and Dave and Peter too.
“And thru all of the robust instances, I assume we had been simply too cussed or dumb to do anything. And, , I don’t need to do anything. However there have been some actually tough years in there within the Nineteen Nineties when Grunge was in. There wasn’t a lot for any of the bands like us to do. Our music was out of fashion. However now because the early 2000s, melodic rock got here roaring again and we’re doing so, so significantly better there days. And it’s nice. I’m a lifer in any case. I’m a songwriter and I do all the pieces. Honeymoon Suite is just like the mothership for me and it’s nice as a result of it permits me to do different issues in music. I write and produce exterior of the band. And so long as I can keep in it and make a residing, which is absolutely uncommon to be a musician and make a residing and have the ability to purchase a home and assist a household. I’m very grateful and grateful for that. And this dang band simply retains going. And I don’t know why, however I do know we’ve obtained nice followers, we’ve obtained an ideal catalogue that’s nonetheless getting airplay. The songs have withstood the check of time, and I’m very pleased about that.”
Some of the vital of Grehan’s non-Honeymoon Suite gigs is being the daddy of up-and-coming Nashville-based singer/songwriter Leah Marlene. Already a rising star, she gained worldwide consideration after ending third within the 20th season of American Idol. She’s launched two albums and a slew of singles, self-written and self-produced for probably the most half, along with her dad taking part in extra of a supportive function, permitting the precociously gifted and pushed younger artist to forge her personal path within the music trade.
“In fact, her mom and I are extraordinarily proud. It’s simply been loopy what’s occurred along with her in a brief time period. And it’s a beautiful factor that occurred with American Idol, as a result of it actually boosted her profession, however she is aware of she’s obtained numerous work nonetheless to do and he or she’s working arduous on it. She’s executed all of it herself so, yeah, it’s great to see,” Grehan mentioned.
“She’s a reasonably good lady and he or she’s fairly on high of her personal enterprise. The music enterprise that she’s in is totally completely different from the one which I got here up in as of late. So, we do speak about it, however it’s modified a lot, it truly is completely different for these youngsters as of late and the way issues go. It’s an entire new world for them. I be taught loads from her really. The children know all about what’s happening and how you can get your music on the market; it’s all about social media now. And he or she’s obtained a reasonably good deal with on all of it.”
Proud day, iconic Canadian rock star, and axe slinging skilled, Grehan is proof that sticking it out in robust instances, staying true to your self, your roots and your genuine self can repay!
For extra data on the brand new album, tour dates and different band information, go to https://www.honeymoonsuiteband.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and creator primarily based in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, who has been writing about music and musicians for greater than 30 years. In addition to his journalistic endeavors, he works as a communications and advertising specialist and is an avid volunteer in his neighborhood. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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