Today London soulful art-pop duo Andy Clutterbuck and James Hatcher – better known as HONNE – share their new single ‘Backseat Driver’, the latest release following ‘Imaginary’, ‘Songs In My Head’ and ‘Girl In the Orchestra’ to be taken from their new album OUCH out on Friday 6 September via Smile More Recordings / AWAL Recordings.
The beautifully introspective ‘Backseat Driver’ showcases HONNE’s ability to turn deeply personal experiences into something universally relatable. “It was written as a result of having some therapy sessions, which ended up being more casual conversations about my life and who I was as a person”, explains Andy Clutterbuck. “In my teens and growing up I always thought I was quite outgoing. I certainly wasn’t shy and felt lucky to have a broad range of friends in different circles. As I’ve gotten older, I feel the opposite has happened and for whatever reason I feel I’ve become much more of an introvert and for a long time I’ve felt almost ashamed of this, like it was wrong to be like this in some way, especially for someone who is one of the front people of a band. Having therapy allowed me to understand that there’s nothing wrong with the way I am and helped me change my view on being an introvert. ‘Backseat Driver’ is about coming to terms with and enjoying taking the backseat and going by unnoticed.”
Deep down HONNE has always been about two people, and the friendship between them. Sure, the UK alt-pop duo have reached incredible heights – from those initial humble recording sessions in Bow, East London they’ve notched up more than three billion streams, selling more than 210,000 tickets for their live shows. But alongside this, it’s been a story of growth, maturity and kinship. On their enchanting new album – the playfully titled OUCH – James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck are ready to tap back into their foundations and realise the kind of melodic effervescence and heart-tugging songwriting that only HONNE can provide.
2021’s LET’S JUST SAY THE WORLD ENDED A WEEK FROM NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU DOpushed the duo as far as they could go. Laden with unbelievable features – including walk-on roles from Khalid, Griff, Niki and Pink Sweats – it reinforced their global stature, seeing them co-write and co-produce RM from BTS’ track ‘Closer’ in 2022. Closing their deal with Atlantic, the future is going to look a little different. The new album is being released through their own Smile More Recordings / AWAL Recordings, and for their radically ambitious independent era HONNE want to remove the gloss, and show the emotions underneath.
OUCH is impeccably detailed, and wonderfully entrancing, it’s also informed by profound shifts in their own lives. Andy Clutterbuck has become a father to two young children, balancing his commitment to the group to his own burgeoning family life. For James Hatcher, too, adulthood has come calling – he got married to his long-time partner just before sessions began.
“The new album is largely about my kids,” explains Andy. “It’s about the wonderful things they bring to your life, but then also the isolation parenthood can bring, before coming through the other side. It’s a playful way to say: it’s wonderful, but it’s going to hurt.” For James, too, shifts in his personal life have impacted on his creativity – he feels “grounded” by marriage, and unafraid of disapproval.
The album is built as a narrative, beginning with a teenage crush, and closing with the responsibility of family life. ‘Girl In The Orchestra’ may be a sweet tale of adolescent infatuation at a school music group, but ‘Dents In The Sofa’ is an incredibly powerful message from the brink. Andy’s wife had a difficult experience during the birth of their first child, and it’s something he still finds hard to fully discuss. “If there weren’t any NHS staff or doctors around she probably would have died,” he notes. “There was this moment in the hospital when a big red button was pressed, the room flooded with doctors and I was pushed to the back. The lyrics imagine she had gone, and there’s just a dent in the sofa where she once was. It’s a dark story, but it’s ultimately a positive experience to come through it.”
Touching on everything from early 90s hip-hop production to slick 21st century pop via torch songs and ballads, OUCH is testimony to the frenetic creativity only HONNE can conjure. Recently taking the decision to move out of their long-time studio, the pair decamped to South London, occupying a space in Deptford. Near-neighbours included Oh Wonder and Tom Misch, with this creative community – and extra space – re-booting the pair’s approach to music-making. “It was definitely fun to make,” James grins. “It was a reminder that what we do is enjoyable. When you do it a lot, you can get stuck in your ways. But it’s OK for it to be fun! We’ve re-learned how to relax, and try new things.”
Every single aspect of HONNE’s new album feels expertly detailed. From the cover art – a design taken from Shanghai based illustrator Sheng Chen – to the music videos, the pair have overseen every single aspect of the project. “One of the things we’ve been looking forward to is for this album was being able to go back to how we started,” says Andy. “It’s very us, everything we’ve done is made by us, and we wanted to be across it all and take back control. It feels really nice to get it back and put your stamp on everything.”
A real-life coming of age tale, it closes with a tender moral from a father to his children. Andy states: “The album finishes with a message to my children, basically saying: life is good, but you only get one so make the most of it while you can.”
