Long-time friends Andy and James (they don’t disclose surnames) are bringing a little romance to East London dance floors as Honne, a duo inspired by classic soul and complex synths. Signed by Super Recordings, the label that launched AlunaGeorge and Bondax, Honne are being upheld as the sound of the new even before their debut single has been officially released.
Drake and Frank Ocean are obvious comparisons to Honne’s lo-fi, synth-heavy soul, but Andy’s voice has the unfinished edges of Bon Iver or James Blake, rather than the crooner smoothness of Bill Withers or D’Angelo. Warm on a Cold Night is a cinematic piece of songwriting that builds from sparse snare drum beats to an infectious, grooving chorus with soaring synths. Demo track All in the Value features a guitar solo worthy of Guns N’ Roses, giving a bizarre, but welcome, late-Eighties feel