Frank Hartman, a lifelong student of classic rock bands and progressive rock icons like RUSH, Tool, and Alice in Chains, brings a uniquely Southern-rock twang into the music of Honeypot. His fans, whom he affectionately calls Honeypotheads, are music nerds, gearheads, comic book-and film-buffs. Debut LP On the B Side is now available!
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Honeypot about the new album, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I am from Charleston, South Carolina. The Dirty South. I create music that does not fall into a descriptive category. I think musicians should actually play a musical instrument well in order to be labeled a musician. It does not appear to be the norm. So I describe our music as progressive rock with a patina of pop to make it go down easy. Before you know it, you are listening to complex, provocative music and you like it. We tricked you into listening to a ¾ time signature. There is no going back now. The lyrical content is satirical and draws from the perceived problems of the overly entitled American who thinks they have problems. Turns out, we all have problems as humans. But, in a world in which any perceived inconvenience can be remedied with the click of a mouse (and a fat bank account), people are unhappier than ever. Something is wrong with our paradigm. That is the subject that intrigues me. What we perceive as problems, when they are just inconveniences.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
There are three consistent things in my life: my Faith, My Family, and my guitar. Women, friends, acquaintances, and epochs of time passed, but my guitar is a constant companion. My mother gave me my first guitar at 12 to keep me out of trouble. It was the same year I heard Hendrix for the first time. I was sold. Shortly thereafter, I saw Rush for the first time. I bought Rush Chronicles the next day and fell in love with La Villa Strangiato. Come rain or shine, I always have my Lord to lean on and my guitar as a medium, an outlet, to release whatever I am feeling. The written word is a complement because it allows me to describe what is going on around me. The complexity of human emotion is covered, and people relate, because we all are going through the same thing. We long for a little more time, a few more laughs, a little more love. Once you begin your path in music, there is no need to deviate, you will improve, and the music you create will better with time. All the while, it makes you feel better about the chaos surrounding us. To make a little structure out of the void is empowering.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
The singular lesson I learned from the first record is, if you create music in the forest, but there is no one there to hear it, did you really create music? Outside of our friends and family, the collective response was crickets. Lesson learned. I hired someone to get the word out this time. And the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I do object to being forced into something called Indie-Rock? Someone explained it to me. But I am not one for labels. People attempting to pigeonhole something I created because they can’t comprehend it seems reductive. Also, I created this record out of the ashes of a musical relationship. My bandmate is no longer with the project. And, as with things life, it was a spectacular implosion. The plan was to meet in Los Angeles and spend five days completing the record. Instead, he chose to film Kanye West’s revival as a roadie and leave after only nine hours in the Studio. I completed the project with the assistance of my friend Danny, which meant a little delay. I got a good song out of the experience.
I spent the first few months of the pandemic shut-in correcting a single vocal note in the titular song, “On the B-Side.” When you hear the “boy you’re ready to go,” that last “go” was the bane of my existence. I spent six weeks learning Logic to fix that one sour note. I could not hit it in Los Angeles because I lost my voice. Then I dove into Logic, realized it was a half-step low, corrected it, and then replaced it with a real vocal, right and left. As soon as it clicked, the recording process was done. Then it was just a matter of creating an entire album cover and finding a proper PR company. The things we do for the passions we have.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
The issue is in the question, over saturation. Ariel Hyatt (of Cyber PR) told me there are forty thousand songs uploaded to Spotify in any given DAY. Imagine trying to speak in a whisper when there is a collective scream about existence going on as you speak.
Second, if you are an unknown quantity, even if you are frickin’ Mozart, it’s hard to get people to pay attention. There are too many shiny objects in the sand and their attention span is that of a crow. In a different context, I learned the average consumer needs to see the name of your product at least four times before it registers. Seems like a Sysiphian task, no? Almost to the top of the hill, only to watch the boulder roll by and begrudgingly making your way back down to start the process over again.
The flip side is, technology allowed me to finish a musical project without too much trouble, once I learned to speak the language of Logic. You can create something out of the cacophony of being if you concentrate and drown out all of the background static. But music is best when played with others. The sum of the collective parts of a band help you to ascend to a level of playing and being that solitude does not allow.
What was the last song you listened to?
Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major right now. Prior to this moment, I have been listening to River of Deceipt by Mad Season. Layne Staley had a voice for the ages. And I prefer Chris Cornell because his sheer vocal ability is unmatched, and Maynard from Tool. But, lately, Staley kept my attention. There are no vocal histrionics, it is just really good baritone and feeling. And we all know he was a tortured soul. Somehow he puts it out there, and you feel like he does for just a moment. That’s a gift.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Now that I have a little more coin, I buy others’ albums. I chose to issue albums with this new record. After all I am an Analog Kid, but a Digital Man (nod to Neil Peart). There is something in the knowledge of knowing you are getting the Real McCoy, the absolute best musical quality, with a record that draws you back. Yes, records are high maintenance, but it is worth it. That said, in order to get my music into others ears, the MP3 is the only way to go. Most people never look up from their phone so you need a medium to hook them on their phone. If you set the hook just right, you can get them to buy the record too!
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Honestly, I had no preference prior to the release of this music. If you are asking as a pragmatist, I would put my money on Apple because they have a monopoly on the medium of consumption. For example, look at the row between Facebook and Apple occurring now. Who do you think has the upper hand? The heroin dealer (Facebook), or the distributor of heroin, Apple. My money is on Apple all day long, they have more operating capital and a monopoly on needles.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Both albums are on Spotify. I would start there. The first album is Chris on primary vocals and we intentionally did not plug the guitars in so as to avoid comparisons to Rush. Also, Country seemed a good bet with Whiskey Is A Demon. I thought that song was a sure thing. It has all the elements of a good country song. That said Honeypot is on all social media, but the most amusing one to me is the Insta account because I contribute a lot of content. I am not allowed to Post on my own account, but they do allow me to add to My Story. And I play live every Friday at 8 p.m.
Anything else before we sign off?
Yes, kids, the word for today is solitude. Because, whether you like it or not, you spent the last year alone. What a terror to be alone with your thoughts, right? Better to write them down or look for them at the bottom of a bottle. Anything to prevent contemplating mortality and the tiny expanse of the universe and time you represent.
