We got to catch up with indie folk rockers The Honey Brothers a few weeks ago at the Wanderlust Festival in Tahoe. The interview was all glitz and giggles, these guys are quite the witty group. In case you don’t know who they are, I highly suggest you get a hold of their new EP titled “Demonstration.” Peep the review here. Oh, and Entourage’s Adrian Grenier is the drummer!
Andrew Vladeck – Banjo, vocals
Adrian Grenier – drums, vocals
D.S Posner – guitar/vocals
How did you guys form The Honey Brothers?
Andrew: The Honey Brothers formed as a ukulele trio back in 2002. (Adrain Grenier and D.S. interject with a Southern old timers’ accent, “yep, back in 1903 I tell ya!”) We did mostly an old time thing on street corners. And it wasn’t till later that Adrian came along and tried to hijack us. He van-jacked us and brought us to his recording studio and dragged us into the 21st century.
Adrian: I saw gold in them here (Said in that same Southern old timer accent).
Who came up with the name The Honey Brothers?
Andrew: Many names banded about. A very popular one we were playing with was White Sabbath.
Adrian: Uh, I think we went with that for one minute.
D.S: The people over at Black Sabbath thought it was a little too close.
Adrian: (laughs) Yes, they gave us a cease and desist order.
D.S: Grey Sabbath, Mauve Sabbath …
Adrian: Teal Sabbath! It depended, we were like chameleons and able to play any type of festival. But eventually, the horny cow …
(everyone busts up laughing)
Adrian: Wait, what’s that song? It’s the horny cow?
Andrew: It’s Honi Cow.
D.S. and Andrew: (starts singing some weird song) “Honi cow ooh wa wiki wiki!”
D.S: It was Hawaiin music that had this song “Honi cow ooh wa wiki wiki.” And we took that and made that “horny cow.”
Andrew: We were gonna be the Honey Cow Brothers and then we just became the Honey Brothers.
D.S: Better than the Honey Cows, let’s just leave it at that. (laughs)
Adrian: But better than the Horny Cows!
What’s all your stage monickers about? 
D.S: My monicker is Dr. Jay Carl Honey. I though of myself as just kind of a straight Southern Carl Perkins type of guy.
Adrian: I’m Honey DuContra. It just seemed different.
Andrew: It’s Dory Honey. At the time I was reading Oscar Wilde’s book “The Importance of Earnest” or uh, “Portrait of Dorian Gray?” Oh wait, “The Importance of Being Dory,” (laughs). Anyhow, that’s how it went.
Who’s one of your favorite musicians of yesteryear and today? (We were all stoked on seeing Andrew Bird after the interview and most definitely all the guys agreed that he’s one of their favorites.)
Andrew: Of yesteryear, I’m a big fan of Bob Dylan. I”m also a huge fan of Reverend Gary Davis! The King of blues-finger-picking. I’d play a bunch of his songs more than anything else much to the dismay of my other Honey Brothers. But honestly, that’s what I’m completely fanatic about, just old time peat mud style fingerpicking. And as for today, uh, that’s a hard one.
D.S: (Interjects) Lady Ga Ga!
(everyone laughs)
Andrew: Lately I’ve been enjoying Sean Paul. And St. Vincent.
Adrian: Well, I got to see Mate of State of again today and they were great. I just saw them recently in LA. And the Black Kids. And The Kills. I like to see live music, so yes to Rock! And Queen for my yesteryear.
D.S: I like Animal Collective. And Broken Social Scene was really great today. I liked them a lot. My yesteryear is Buddy Holly.
Your “Demonstration” EP is awesome, when are you guys putting out a full length?
Andrew: Yeah, this fall we’ll be making a full length. We’re pretty excited about it.
What can your fans expect?
D.S: Hmm, prepare to be happier! It’s going to be a warm record right? We’re going to take some of this warmth.
Andrew: Yeah, our CD is gonna be like a glove-warmer you can put anywhere.
Adrian: And literally fuzzy on the inside.
How’s your Wanderlust experience going so far?
D.S: How bout that yoga?
Adrian: Yeah, what up with all this yoga? Why’s everyone all yoga? (said in a funny tone)
D.S: Yoga this, yoga that! (sighs)
Adrian: Yoga and yogurt apparently.
You guys aren’t into the yoga?
Andrew: We’re into yogis! (meaning the hot yoga chicks)
Adrian: I’m into yogis more than I’m into yoga quite honestly.
Andrew: Naw, I think they’re awesome. It’s so cool!
D.S: Yeah, we got to rehearse in a gondola on our way up to our gig. It was so great! The energy on the way up … that was really fun.
Awesome! Anything else you guys want add or ya’ll ready to go see some Andrew Bird?
All: Yes!!! Andrew Bird! (we all cut out and watched an epic Andrew Bird set)
