Over 2.5 Million Streams: Vancouver’s Honeybear, The Band Drops Blues Revival Debut, “I Was Wrong“
Honeybear, The Band, steps into the spotlight with a compelling self-titled album that speaks the language of blues with sincerity and vigor. Fronted by the charismatic Ian Beaty on vocals and bass, with Colin Brumelle’s guitar cutting through the mix, Mike Kenney’s keyboards coloring the soundscape, and Tim Watson’s steady drumming locking the groove, Honeybear offers a refreshingly honest blues experience for today’s listeners.
From the first note of their single “I Was Wrong,” it’s clear Vancouver-based Honeybear is not retreading old ground but charting a new course. The song’s lyrics — penned by Beaty and Brumelle — evoke the universal journey of reflection and growth, balancing vulnerability and strength with a bluesy authenticity that is both timeless and immediate. “There were times when I was wrong / And I didn’t know it / There were times when I was wrong / And it knew it well,” Ian sings, with a voice that carries the weight of hard lessons learned and the grace of acceptance.
Produced by Jeff Zipp and released on their own Playmor label, the album showcases the band’s tight interplay and dynamic range. The music moves effortlessly between heartfelt balladry and upbeat grooves, with a sound rooted in classic blues tradition yet unafraid to embrace contemporary nuances. Honeybear invites listeners into a world where each song is a story, a confession, and a celebration.
The band’s Vancouver roots run deep, and their live shows are a testament to their commitment to connection and authenticity. Whether playing the intimate corners of local venues or larger festivals, Honeybear’s energy is palpable, and their musicianship impeccable. Their sound bridges generations, inviting longtime blues aficionados and new fans alike to rediscover the power of the genre.
“I Was Wrong,” the lead single set for release on June 20, 2025, is already generating buzz on Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube, capturing attention with its raw emotion and catchy melodic hooks. The song’s lyrical honesty resonates widely, reminding listeners of the redemptive power of owning one’s mistakes and moving forward.
The band describes their creative process as deeply collaborative.
“We write what we live,” says Ian Beaty. “Our songs come from real experiences, moments that stick with you — the kind of stories that belong in the blues.” Colin Brumelle adds, “We want the music to feel alive, something that makes people feel they’re part of the story.”
Honeybear’s lineup reads like a blueprint for success in modern blues: Ian Beaty’s soulful vocals and commanding bass; Colin Brumelle’s expressive guitar work; Mike Kenney’s rich keyboard textures; and Tim Watson’s solid, tasteful drumming. Together, they create a sound that is robust and nuanced, commanding attention without overpowering.
With their new album poised to make waves, Honeybear, The Band is hitting the road with a tour that brings their compelling blues to audiences across British Columbia and beyond. Tour dates include:
- July 12th – Bowen Pub
- July 17th – Vibrant Vines, Kelowna
- July 19th – Starbelly Jam, Crawford Bay
- August 5th – Harmony Arts Festival, West Vancouver
- August 7th – The Drake, Canmore (w/ support from Colleen Rennison)
- August 8th – Ironwood Stage, Calgary (w/ support from Colleen Rennison)
- August 9th – Wapiti Festival, Fernie, BC
- August 11th – The Richmond, London (w/ support from Sandra Bouza)
- August 12th – Mills Hardware, Hamilton (w/ support from Sandra Bouza)
- August 13th – Horseshoe, Toronto (w/ support from Sandra Bouza)
- August 14th – Howe Island Barn, Kingston
- August 15th – Old Church Theatre, Trenton
- August 16th – Rainbow, Ottawa
- August 29th – Fox Cabaret, Vancouver (w/ support from Colleen Rennison)
- September 12th – Barnside Harvest Festival (7:45-8:30 set)
- October 8th – Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver (City of NV Presents)
Honeybear, The Band’s arrival signals a moment for blues lovers and music seekers alike to embrace a band that blends roots, heart, and a touch of modernity. Their music is honest, deeply felt, and destined to carve out its own place in the rich tapestry of blues tradition.
“I Was Wrong” feels like both a confession and a release. Can you share the story behind that song and how it took shape in the studio?
Most of our songs are collaborative in nature, but this one came pretty much complete from bassist/singer Ian Beaty. The repeated chorus was a snippet of music that he had sung to himself for years while out and about, or around the house whenever he got called out or otherwise discovered he’d been incorrect. Ian’s two kids knew the refrain well enough to imitate him singing it long before it turned into a “real song”. Such a full-throated admission of imperfection did indeed feel like a joyful release. The jangling piano and bass line to Blueberry Hill played in his mind as the background.
To record it, we simply set up and played it live just as we had been doing on stages. The only thing we added to the live quartet sound were the background vocal “echos”, singing “he was wrong” in the third person, as the Jordanaires do for Elvis in (Let me be your) Teddy Bear.
The mix of serious and dark regrets with humorous musical elements continues to make it a song we can really dig into, and take ownership of its titular refrain like a motto.
The chemistry between you all really comes through on the album — what does your collaborative writing process look like, and how do you keep it honest and ego-free?
I feel very fortunate that we’re a pretty tight group of friends. I’ve grown up with bass player/lead vocalist Ian Beaty, and have known him for the bulk of my life. We have absolutely no filter and no fear telling each other when our ideas are truly terrible, or squealing in glee when they work out better than expected. Often, our songs come from a guitar lick, chord change, or those scraps of lyrics that seem to just stick in your head. Ian and are prodigious voice memo users on our phones, and we’ll text little scraps back and forth. One of my favorite things ever (and this happens often!) is receiving a midnight voicemail from Ian. He might be out of his house, maybe walking the dog on a warm summer evening or something, when inspiration strikes! Since he has no instrument with him, he does this beatbox thing with his voice where he “sings” drums, bass lines, and lead vocals all into a singular take. It’s hilarious. But also – it works! I’m like, “Oh yeah, there’s the song”. Once we take the songs into the group as a whole, everyone has their say. Keyboardist Mike Kenney might add a few more chord changes to keep things interesting. Drummer Tim Watson might suggest a different drum feel – “What if we tried this as a rhumba!”. Some songs just instantly work, others require rethinking and revamping until they either click or don’t! The voicemail and voice memo graveyard is large.
Blues can often be seen as a genre rooted in the past — how do you stay true to its tradition while keeping the sound fresh and relevant to today’s world?
We all grew up listening to a lot of blues and old soul, but in this day and age when you have – more or less – the entire musical output of humanity at your fingertips, I think you can’t help but have all these other influences seep in, so I think that helps keep it fresh. We, as a group, have pretty wide and eclectic musical tastes. Ian, for example, is a massive music connoisseur with an encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary pop. Mike loves Post Malone. I’m a fan of The Meters and Patsy Cline equally. But I think the thing that keeps it sounding like us is that, ultimately, our records are the four of us playing more or less live in a room. That’s how the music we love was made, and I think this approach helps keep the music grounded in those blues traditions, albeit with a few extra colors from the palette thrown in. We’re really just trying to make songs that combine all the elements we like together, and we are truly overjoyed that other people seem to like the tunes too!
For listeners discovering blues for the first time through your album, what do you hope they walk away feeling — or questioning — after hearing it?
If a listener is discovering blues for the first time through our album (and they’re enjoying it!), my immediate reaction would be to say “STOP LISTENING TO OUR ALBUM”, and go listen to Freddie King, Etta James, Lou Rawls, T-Bone Walker, Solomon Burke, et. al. We owe a great debt to these artists.
The blues, at its core, is just 3 chords and 5 notes, but its simplicity is deceptive. Most of our tunes are admittedly “simple”, but my hope is that maybe there’s a line in a song somewhere that sticks and makes someone chuckle, or think back on, in a moment of reflection. There’s something about the simplicity of the playing and storytelling in all our favorite old blues albums that keeps drawing me back, and if we can accomplish that same trick for a new listener, that would be an amazing victory for us.
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