2018 beware! Black Honey are hard at work on their debut album

Relaxing on an Italian beach on a boiling hot day, Black Honey are enjoying some downtime after drinking a lot of wine and eating just as much pasta. “It’s my best day off in ages,” says frontwoman Izzy B Phillips. The Brighton four-piece are in Europe for a massive tour supporting hometown friends Royal Blood – and it’s safe to say they’re all having a great time. “The crowds have been really receptive,” she continues; “they really listen to you.” As for their offstage antics, both bands have been out almost every night, getting smashed. “They come onto our tour bus every day; Ben brings round tequila shots before we go onstage and we jam a lot. It’s nice because we’re from the same place and now we’re in a similar place - being in a band and on the road, and that we’re from the same hometown and are in similar friendship groups makes it a bit more sincere. They take me under their wing a lot, too; Ben and Mike are very protective over me.”

It’s a friendship that’s been growing ever since Royal Blood watched Black Honey perform a few years ago – though Izzy criticises it as “a terrible show”. Since then they’ve toured together, playing a number of smaller venues around the UK. “They just really feel like a part of our world and our family,” she considers, detailing the one piece of advice that Mike’s given her: “His tip was, ‘If you’re unapologetically and authentically yourself then you can’t go wrong’. And it’s a sentiment that defines Black Honey perfectly: refusing to conform to the perceived idea of how most people interpret ‘rock’ music. Having spent the year recording new music and playing some of their biggest shows to date – including Glastonbury’s John Peel Stage, Reading & Leeds and London’s Alexandra Palace with Royal Blood – they’re now putting the finishing touches to a debut album.