Wild Honey Collective uncorks psychedelic folk for new mini-album, live shows
As an acoustic, folk-driven spinoff from a psychedelic rock band, guitarist-mandolinist Tommy McCord conceded it took a little while for The Wild Honey Collective to hone its sound after initially tackling songs remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You don’t really know what a band is until you’re actually playing in front of an audience,” the singer said of the group that’s leaned into its psychedelic roots while rolling out harmony-laden, folk-inspired acoustic music.
That’s certainly clear on the band’s latest album, the seven-track “Chicory,” which resonates with a driving, jangly, twangy and hazy vibe.
The seeds of the Lansing- and Grand Rapids-based band — featuring McCord, bassist/multi-instrumentalist Timmy Rodriguez, fiddler-singer Danielle Gyger, guitarist-multi-instrumentalist Dan O’Brien, pedal steel player Adam Aymor and drummer Joel Kuiper — were sown during the COVID shutdown.
McCord and Rodriguez had just released a new album for their Drinking Mercury rock band project when the pandemic forced them to cancel live shows and find socially distanced ways to keep playing music.
“The acoustic guitar hanging on the wall looked pretty attractive,” said McCord, noting they started assembling for outdoor jams with Gyger — McCord’s wife who grew up learning fiddle tunes — and O’Brien.
McCord stressed the group really is a “collective,” frequently calling on friends from other bands to join them on stage or in the studio, something they call “the spirit of the music-as-community ethos.”
"Chicory" features songs written by Lansing space-rock band Calliope, singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith, and Michael Dause, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and former member of Michigan’s The Accidentals.
Recorded by McCord primarily at Lansing’s GTG House, the record finds the band “getting into more psychedelic, extended things with pedal steel guitar” after collective members grew to realize “how freaky the pedal steel can be.”
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”All members have a love for classic rock and vintage country, so that’s a big part of the band’s foundation and our individual histories in punk and garage rock inform a lot of our overall approach,” McCord said.
The band has also expanded its reach, cultivating audiences across the state and the country while touring over the past two years.
“It’s been really rewarding to have this resonate with people,” McCord said.
The band plays Jacob’s Farm in Traverse City on Sept. 22, Confluxcity Brewing in Portland on Sept. 23 and Harvest Festival in Williamston on Oct. 7.
— Find more Michigan music news and concert listings at LocalSpins.com. Email John Sinkevics at john@localspins.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Wild Honey Collective uncorks psychedelic folk for new mini-album, live shows
