Victorian Surf Coast indie-rock outfit Savage Honey are preparing to release their debut album Darling on Monday, 8 June, and today we are super pumped that we are able to give readers of the AU an exclusive early listen.
Born from Torquay, Savage Honey have spent the past few years building a reputation for heartfelt, anthemic rock and roll, pairing big guitars and memorable choruses with the kind of live presence that fills a room. The band have earned slots at Party In The Paddock, Here Comes The Sun, Feastival, Flock to the Fields and Volleyfest, while also sharing stages with Pacific Avenue and The Terrys.
At its heart, Darling is a coming-of-age album. It was written during Savage Honey’s formative first year as a band. On Darling, they bring together classic rock swagger, surf-coast spirit, and bright Australian indie-rock energy. As the band reveal in the track-by-track below, the album is shaped by the highs and lows of growing up: love, jealousy, heartbreak, family illness, addiction, hedonism and the grounding power of music itself. From the 70s rock weight of “Free Your Mind” to the deeply personal “Video Games”, the record finds Savage Honey turning formative experiences into songs built for both reflection and communal release.
To help guide you through the record, the band have put together a track-by-track breakdown, which you can read below while listening along.
Savage Honey – Darling – Track by Track
“Free Your Mind”
Inspired by 70’s rock and roll, “Free Your Mind” showcases Savage Honeys heavier side while telling the story of a vagabonds struggles to accept that the person he loves had a life prior to him. It touches on the human condition in relation to overcoming negative emotions such as jealousy.
“Long Time Coming”
With inspo from the likes of Pink Floyd and Neil Young, long time coming is a song about expressing love through creativity and art
“Moonlove”
A love song written by our rhythm guitarist Dom about the original drummer of Savage Honey during the early stages of their relationship and the beginnings of the band.
“The Patron Saint of Helpless Cases”
This song, lyrically, is about a man (Jake), who recognizes that he’s a benchmark for helplessness. Driven by ego and by hedonism, he finds himself in suffering and in pain. Musically and stylistically, it follows a 6/8 time signature which we love to play in and journeys from a tight and organized arrangement, to a more chaotic and frantic crescendo; this journey parallels the inevitable unravelling of the story line.
“Summer Solstice”
An anthem made for festivals that rings true to the working class culture of Australia. With a memorable chorus that hooks crowds in this song brings an audience together and makes people want to move!
“Bedsheets”
With huge dynamics and a groove that gets the crowd involved, “Bed Sheets” is a brilliant expression of the range of sound Savage Honey has to offer. You could listen to this song cruising down the coast, hiking through mountains or over a glass of red at dinner.
“Demons”
It’s a heartbreak-ballad. It was therapeutic to write, therapeutic to record and therapeutic to sing live (every time). It has a more folk/acoustic feel and serves as a down-tempo reprieve in an (at times) busy and loud album.
“Video Games”
Written as a tribute to Dom’s Mum after receiving her cancer diagnosis, “Video Games” touches on living away from your loved ones and the emotional struggles that come with feeling unable to help
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Images supplied by PR
