Meet Californian pop-rockers Honey Revenge.
Words: Sam Taylor.
Californian pop-rockers Honey Revenge are a lot of fun. Only a handful of tracks deep, they're quickly picking up pace with their relatable, hook-filled bangers that shine a light on even the bleakest of times. Devin Papadol (vocals) introduces her band.
Hello Devin, and how's it going? What are you up to today?
Hello! It's going really well. I'm currently sitting in my hotel room after a wild week of studio time, When We Were Young Fest, and Disneyland!
What's your band's origin story - how did you meet, how did you start making music together?
The internet is a beautiful thing. Long story short, I was in another band that had a video going around of us playing live. Donovan (who plays guitar for us now) saw that video and messaged us asking if we knew any bands looking for guitarists. They were moving here from Georgia and wanted to find their place in the scene out in LA. We coincidentally needed a guitarist at the time, so they sent in an audition video and joined from there. That band didn't end up surviving the pandemic, but Honey Revenge came out of it!
Can you remember the first Honey Revenge song you wrote? How has your music progressed since then?
I wrote 'Miss Me' for that other project about three and a half years ago. It went from being a completely different song to what it is now. Since then, I have developed a much clearer idea of what I want our sound to be and how to write a good song in general. I'm still really proud of 'Miss Me', though. It's what made this band who we are.
Do you have any lyrics themes you find yourselves repeatedly returning to?
Haha, yes. I write a lot of lyrics about being overly self-aware. A majority of those are about how I talk too much. I think I use music and songwriting to express what's going on in my head in a very train-of-thought kind of way. That being said, the lyrics are often realisations. I think I heard Donny say that self-awareness is the key to self-acceptance. I'm learning to like myself and also improve as a person overall. I'm only 24, so my songwriting is a direct reflection of me manoeuvring through becoming a person.
Hello! It's going really well. I'm currently sitting in my hotel room after a wild week of studio time, When We Were Young Fest, and Disneyland!
What's your band's origin story - how did you meet, how did you start making music together?
The internet is a beautiful thing. Long story short, I was in another band that had a video going around of us playing live. Donovan (who plays guitar for us now) saw that video and messaged us asking if we knew any bands looking for guitarists. They were moving here from Georgia and wanted to find their place in the scene out in LA. We coincidentally needed a guitarist at the time, so they sent in an audition video and joined from there. That band didn't end up surviving the pandemic, but Honey Revenge came out of it!
Can you remember the first Honey Revenge song you wrote? How has your music progressed since then?
I wrote 'Miss Me' for that other project about three and a half years ago. It went from being a completely different song to what it is now. Since then, I have developed a much clearer idea of what I want our sound to be and how to write a good song in general. I'm still really proud of 'Miss Me', though. It's what made this band who we are.
Do you have any lyrics themes you find yourselves repeatedly returning to?
Haha, yes. I write a lot of lyrics about being overly self-aware. A majority of those are about how I talk too much. I think I use music and songwriting to express what's going on in my head in a very train-of-thought kind of way. That being said, the lyrics are often realisations. I think I heard Donny say that self-awareness is the key to self-acceptance. I'm learning to like myself and also improve as a person overall. I'm only 24, so my songwriting is a direct reflection of me manoeuvring through becoming a person.
"You put your heart and soul into something and hope someone finds you relatable"
— Devin Papadol
Tell us about your new single, 'Rerun'. Where did it come from?
I'm super impatient. 'Rerun' came from feeling like I was living the same day over and over again with no payoff. I'm sure the pandemic had a lot to do with that, but I was miserable. Music is a waiting game sometimes. You put your heart and soul into something and hope someone finds you relatable enough. It sucks. I was in a really dark place when I wrote the song. I'm doing a lot better now, and I'm excited to put the song out and heal from the time that I wrote it.
What else are you working on at the moment?
We have SO much music in the works. We've written more songs in the last couple of months than I think I've written at any other point in my life. It's very exciting, but now comes the process of selecting the "best ones" which is tough.
We may also be playing some shows in some new places next year… so we are getting prepped for that too.
Are you creative in non-musical ways too?
I'd like to think so. I've always said that because I don't play any instruments, I see all of our songs in music videos and colour schemes in my head. I love to plan out all the little details around the music. I develop ideas for music videos months in advance, along with the wardrobe, makeup looks, and single artwork. Nowadays, visuals are such a vital part of a release, so why not make it fun?
What's been the highlight of your time as a musician so far?
The coolest part of being a musician recently has been developing friendships with artists I grew up loving. If 13-year-old Dev could see who I work with and play with now, I'm pretty sure she'd be shitting bricks. It's mind-blowing to me that people I look up to take my little band seriously and believe in us.
What's in the top spot on your band bucket list?
This is tricky!!! I am severely under travelled, so I want to tour anywhere and everywhere. I'd love to play in Europe, and Greece because I'm half Greek. I also discovered so much music from video game soundtracks as a kid, so having our song in a cool game would be a bucket list item for sure!
Is there anything else we should know?
We are chronically online as a band, haha! Following us on your favourite platform is the way to stay up to date on the Honey Revenge buzz!
I'm super impatient. 'Rerun' came from feeling like I was living the same day over and over again with no payoff. I'm sure the pandemic had a lot to do with that, but I was miserable. Music is a waiting game sometimes. You put your heart and soul into something and hope someone finds you relatable enough. It sucks. I was in a really dark place when I wrote the song. I'm doing a lot better now, and I'm excited to put the song out and heal from the time that I wrote it.
What else are you working on at the moment?
We have SO much music in the works. We've written more songs in the last couple of months than I think I've written at any other point in my life. It's very exciting, but now comes the process of selecting the "best ones" which is tough.
We may also be playing some shows in some new places next year… so we are getting prepped for that too.
Are you creative in non-musical ways too?
I'd like to think so. I've always said that because I don't play any instruments, I see all of our songs in music videos and colour schemes in my head. I love to plan out all the little details around the music. I develop ideas for music videos months in advance, along with the wardrobe, makeup looks, and single artwork. Nowadays, visuals are such a vital part of a release, so why not make it fun?
What's been the highlight of your time as a musician so far?
The coolest part of being a musician recently has been developing friendships with artists I grew up loving. If 13-year-old Dev could see who I work with and play with now, I'm pretty sure she'd be shitting bricks. It's mind-blowing to me that people I look up to take my little band seriously and believe in us.
What's in the top spot on your band bucket list?
This is tricky!!! I am severely under travelled, so I want to tour anywhere and everywhere. I'd love to play in Europe, and Greece because I'm half Greek. I also discovered so much music from video game soundtracks as a kid, so having our song in a cool game would be a bucket list item for sure!
Is there anything else we should know?
We are chronically online as a band, haha! Following us on your favourite platform is the way to stay up to date on the Honey Revenge buzz!
Taken from the December 2022 / January 2023 issue of Upset. Honey Revenge's single 'Rerun' is out now.
