Fresh off of a month-long trek across North America and with the newly released Extended Edition of their debut LP, Retrovision, things are just getting started for rising pop-rock stars, Honey Revenge. Our Chief Interviewer, Andrew Kjelson, had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the band's lead vocalist, Devin Papadol, about the band's new material, the duo's touring history, the future of the band, and much more!
MSM: You just released the extended edition of your debut LP, Retrovision. What inspired the decision to continue this album cycle instead of focusing solely on your future endeavors?
Dev: We've performed the songs off Retrovision on 8 tours in the last year and a half. We've spent some time writing new music for future releases, but our debut album gave us so many opportunities, and there are still plenty of people discovering those songs for the first time. It felt like an injustice to close out this chapter of our careers without a proper send off to this musical era. Not to mention, the new songs on the extended edition were written for the album!
MSM: I, along with many others, discovered your music through TikTok and other forms of social media. How would you describe the impact that social media has had on your success?
Dev: I grew up making friends online and discovering music from social media, so to think that our band is getting to be a part of a new wave of that music discovery is really special. We post videos promoting our music, but I try to do all sorts of content and I love meeting people at shows and hearing which video introduced them to us.
MSM: You're a relatively young band, as this project was formed in 2021. Could you tell us about how your band was formed and how you both decided on the name "Honey Revenge"?
Dev: To make a long story short, Donny saw a video of my old band playing in a skate shop venue that got some traction online. They sent us a message asking questions about the LA music scene because they were about to move here from Georgia. Mostly, they wanted to know if we knew any bands in need of a guitarist. It just so happened we were in the process of auditioning new guitar players! Fast forward to them joining the band and we decided to rebrand due to members moving on to other projects. When it came down to picking a name, we wanted something that represented the Pop and Rock elements of our sound. We have love for Pop Punk, but have never considered ourselves to be that kind of band. Honey Revenge is a name that encapsulates all sides of who we are sonically and visually.
MSM: The lyrical content/themes of your music can be a bit personal, as seen with songs such as "Distracted" and "Rerun." What inspires you to write songs with such a deep meaning all while keeping them upbeat and positive sounding?
Dev: I've always processed my emotions by talking about them. For better or for worse, I use music as a means to cope with life and its challenges. My favorite songs growing up were the ones that felt personal, and so many people tell me that our lyrics feel like they were written about them and their experiences. We always say we want to make songs you can cry and shake ass to! So far so good!
MSM: Following up on the previous question, your songs seem to have quite an impact on your fans' (including myself) lives. Are there any fans' stories that have stuck out to you personally?
Dev: This band was born during a very transitional period in my life. I was just getting out of my first long-term adult relationship and I was having lots of realizations about that experience. While I don't have a specific story, I meet tons of people at our shows that say our music helped them get through a breakup or a low point in their lives. Writing for Honey Revenge did that for me and it's really validating to know that the music that pulled me out of my darkest moments helped someone else in a similar way.
MSM: You're relatively new to the world of touring. How has the journey of "getting the hang of things" gone and what challenges have you both faced while adapting to this lifestyle?
Dev: We were thrown into touring pretty quickly. Our first ever tour as a band was a full North American run that was six weeks long. For us, it's a lot about taking care of ourselves. It's important to put things into perspective. Obviously we're so grateful for the opportunities we've been given, but touring is hard and self care is a lifesaver. Letting yourself indulge in a good meal when you have the opportunity, reading a book on long drives, letting yourself get a little extra sleep instead of going out on an off day. We've been really lucky to tour with people that are patient and willing to give us guidance.
MSM: You've worked/toured with artists such as The Home Team, The Used, and Skyler Acord (former-Issues). How would you describe the feeling of getting to work with some of your idols and who else would you like to work with moving forward?
Dev: The reason all the artists mentioned have had long, thriving careers is because they are great people. We've learned so much from them and it's self affirming to receive recognition from bands you've looked up to for so long. I'd love to get in the studio and write with Lynn from Pvris. I've looked up to her forever and their new album, 'Evergreen' was one of my AOTY. I'd love to tour with Waterparks and The Band Camino as well!
MSM: As artists you're always looking to reinvent your band's sound. As you begin to work on future material, what sort of changes are you wanting to make with sound/artistry?
Dev: We are very dead set on not making the same album twice. Retrovision was sort of a test to see how much we could get away with early on. We intentionally did a lot of different things on that album to not pigeonhole ourselves into one sound. We definitely want to lean a bit more into the heavier side of our music on this next album and play with our R&B influences.
MSM: In a short span of time your band has massively grown in popularity, especially with music streaming services. Have you made any goals for yourselves as your band continues to grow? What do you hope to accomplish in the next decade?
Dev: I'd love to see more of the world because of our music! We've already had the opportunity to travel to so many new places in such a short time. I wanna play in Switzerland for sure. It would also be awesome to have one of our songs in a movie and/or video game soundtrack!
MSM: Thank you both for your time! Do you have any closing messages/statements for your fans?
Dev: Thanks for listening to our silly little songs and coming to shows! Make sure to join our discord so you can make friends with other HR fans and be a part of the community<3
Watch the official visualizer for Distracted (Reimagined) by Honey Revenge on YouTube
Stream Retrovision (Extended Edition) by Honey Revenge on Spotify
Follow Honey Revenge: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Website, X
