Three albums into their career, Honey Ryder – made up of singer Lindsay O’Mahony, Matt Bishop and Jason Huxley – have already achieved considerable fame and success during their time together.
Their third studio album, Born In A Bottle, has seen them receive airplay on BBC Radio 2’s B List, while the trio are constantly evolving their sound and style, taking into account their many influences which include Alanis Morissette and Fleetwood Mac.
Lindsay also juggles her music career with being a mother and wife, something which she has openly admitted has been difficult at times. However, it’s a balancing act she’s so far managed to juggle successfully, and with a loving and supportive family behind her, including her two sons, together with Mother’s Day being just around the corner, she kindly agreed to this interview to chat children, inspirations, Terry Wogan and still performing when she’s 90…
PW: How would you sum yourself and your music up in five words?
LO: Honest, passionate, fun, anthemic, heartfelt.
PW: Which bands and artists ultimately inspired you to want a career in music and have those influences changed over the years?
LO: Lots of female artists have inspired me over the years – people like Dolly Parton, Carole King, KD Lang, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette. I’ve also always loved the band sound from the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac to Oasis and U2 and I guess I always wanted the camaraderie that comes with a band rather than being a solo performer.
PW: Is there any band or artist you think Honey Ryder sound most similar to or do you make a determined effort to just be yourselves?
LO: We just try to make music that we like to play and hope that others enjoy it too – we’ve never set out to sound like anyone but it’s hard not to be influenced by those that inspire you. We’ve been compared to Fleetwood Mac as well as Lady Antebellum which I’ll happily take!
PW: Tell me about your latest single “What If We’ve Only Got Tonight”. Is there a story behind it?
LO: I wrote that track with Blair Daly in Nashville – it’s about a couple whose relationship has been suffering due to continual petty arguments. They question how they would behave if they were told they only had one night left on earth together and realise that somehow they have lost their appreciation of one another. They decide to resolve their differences……I’m sure that most people have been in this position or at least have been bogged down by the pressures of life and forgotten how to enjoy their relationship.
PW: The track features on your third album “Born In A Bottle”. How do you think your music and song-writing has evolved since you released your first record?
LO: I guess as a song-writer you’re continually evolving just by living and having new experiences. I wrote the first album ‘Rising Up’ with my friend and co-founder of HR, Martyn Shone, who comes from a very rock-influenced background. After Martyn left and Jason got on board Jason’s style of guitar playing definitely had an impact on our song-writing. My singer-songwriter background combined with Jason’s influences have produced a cross-over country sound with leanings towards folk and rock in some places.
PW: The track “Little Feet” is dedicated to your children, but you’re quite open about the insecurities you felt when they were born. What was it that made you want to be so honest with your feelings on the matter?
LO: I’m always 100% open and honest with my feelings – I definitely wear my heart on my sleeve. Although I adore my children and am eternally grateful for their existence – I can’t pretend that motherhood is plain-sailing and idyllic at all times!
PW: How does it feel to know that now, and years in the future, your children will always have that song to look back on and listen to?
LO: It feels great – I’m looking forward to them listening to it when they have their own children -because then they’re bound to relate to it way more!
PW: You’ve admitted there were many low moments, notably when your son Max was first born, but which was the worst for you, and how did you overcome that?
LO: Along with many women, I had a tricky pregnancy as well as birth…which meant I started off motherhood feeling physically low which in turn had an impact on my mental state. The moment that sticks in my head is the morning that my husband drove off to work for the first time. I felt really scared and clueless as to what to do. I look back and wonder why I didn’t get out and about more as babies are so transportable, but I think I was just overwhelmed by the situation.
PW: Would you agree that most new parents don’t open up about their struggles and so battle on in silence, trying to do their best?
LO: That’s probably quite true – being a parent is supposedly the most natural thing to do in life – but babies don’t come with a booklet and there are a ton of different roads you can take at any given moment…..and this choice can bring a lot of confusion and anxiety! I also think that if you are a parent with a healthy child you feel extremely lucky and grateful so it can sometimes feel inappropriate to moan about anything – but personally, I need to have a good rant every now and then!
PW: What advice would you give to new parents in terms of asking for help or support if they need it and being open about how they feel?
LO: I would say definitely join an NCT group during your pregnancy – you need to have friends around who are going through the same things as you….and also speak to your midwife and ask for lots of information about support in your local area. There are websites like mumsnet which help you realise that lots of people are in the same boat – and more often than not, if you reach out, you’ll find someone who understands what you’re going through.
PW: How do you juggle your career with being a mum?
LO: By having a very supportive husband and family – without them it would be difficult.
PW: What’s been the highlight regarding your children and has that made its way into your music?
LO: I guess I could say that a highlight has been seeing their relationship as brothers grow….it’s definitely been love-hate….but lately it’s a bit more of the former rather than the latter! No doubt I’ll write a song inspired by their ever evolving relationship – although I think someone’s already used ‘he ain’t heavy….he’s my brother’ – which incidentally always makes me cry now I have 2 sons!
PW: Your music has been supported most notably by Radio 2, so how important do you find it to have outlets such as radio stations backing you? Do you think you’d have the success you do without it?
LO: I think it’s really, really important to get radio play so that as many people as possible can hear your music – national radio stations are fantastic but there are many parts to the puzzle and local stations play a very big part too. Radio support has definitely helped us on our journey and we’re grateful for it.
PW: Of all the shows you’ve played so far in your career, do you have any favourites?
LO: We performed at The Royal Albert Hall which was an incredibly emotional and memorable experience.
PW: If you could play one venue that you haven’t yet, anywhere in the world, which would it be and why?
LO: Wembley Stadium. Let’s dream big! It’s a British institution – it would be unbelievable to stand on that stage.
PW: Which three artists or bands, who can be living or dead, would you most like to share a stage with and why?
LO: Fleetwood Mac – cos I would just love to have been part of that rock n roll chaos…plus I LOVE their harmonies, Ed Sheeran – because I think he’s an amazing song-writer and Dolly Parton….just because she’s a legend.
PW: What are your thoughts on social media? Would you agree it’s a necessary tool for bands and artists today or is the internet in general, like most things, a double edged sword?
LO: Sure it’s a double edged sword but the positives outweigh the negatives. The internet train has already departed so you might as well jump on board and be a part of it. I’m in no way a master of social media…but I try my best and accept that it’s a fantastic way of promoting your music and getting it heard globally.
PW: What are your plans for the rest of the year? Will you be heading out on the road for some shows?
LO: We’re planning to do a headline tour later on in the year but for now we’re just trying to get to various parts of the country that we haven’t played in a while. We’ll be heading up to Scotland very soon and we’re also really excited to be part of C2C at the O2 in March.
PW: Is there a point further down the line where you see yourself giving up your music career for your family or are you happy to continue balancing the two? Is that something you’ve thought about at all?
LO: If music will have me then I’ll continue! My children and family mean the world to me but I also love my career and can’t see myself giving up. I’ll still be strumming my guitar when I’m 90 if my hands let me!
PW: Finally then, what’s been your proudest moment as an artist and what’s the ultimate goal?
LO: The ultimate goal is to sustain my career – it’s hard to make money in music these days so you have to constantly think outside the box. My proudest moment so far is probably getting the chance to perform for Sir Terry Wogan on Radio 2 and being interviewed by him – he was a true gent.
For more information on Honey Ryder, visit their website, give their page a like on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Their music, including latest album Born In A Bottle, can be purchased on itunes.
