Lech Wierzynski of the California Honey drops says, ‘There are no celebrities in our band’.
And it’s true. What is most electrifying about this American blues and R&B outfit is their love of the music of the street. There are no pretensions for this crew, who joke their rise to public acclaim has been a story of ‘rags to slightly better rags!’
It has been said that the band doesn’t just play music, they throw parties.
This is because the style of music they love is about engagement.
‘We love people to get involved in the experience,’ says Poland-born frontman and band leader Lech. ‘It makes it more interesting for us. It seems a lot for people aren’t used to that level of participation but we force them and they start to see how much more fun it can be!’
The music of California Honey Drops is inspired by Southern soul and the music of New Orleans.
‘We play a lot of music inspired by the West Coast rhythm and blues and funk from people such as Leo Folsom and Sly and the Family Stone along with a lot of influence from New Orleans.
‘Right now I’m listening to the Harmonising Four, an old gospel group. I’ve been hooked on them lately.’
It’s the music of the people that Lech loves most.
‘The longest I have danced consecutively was at a second line in New Orleans. I was dancing for about four hours and for about four miles. Nothing gets me dancing like a New Orleans dance band. You can put dance hits on the radio, but there’s nothing like the rebirth of a brass band, and they specialise in keeping people moving for hours on end over miles and miles and miles. There is nothing like it!’
It’s here where Lech says the Honey Drops get their inspiration.
‘I go down there and I come back recharged. I have enjoyed the latest DeAngelo album that came out a few years ago, the Kendrick Lamar that came out this year. I like all types of music, but the type of music that puts me in touch with the feeling that lives inside of me is definitely the streets of New Orleans. You don’t need a studio, you don’t need a system. My happy place isn’t in the studio. It’s on the stage playing or in the street playing. Bringing people together with music. There is nothing like seeing it done organically with drums and horns in the street. The tradition of music down there continues to inspire me. It’s always changing but it does it slowly because it’s not a slave to the market. They don’t care what’s popular. A lot of music is a slave to the critics, a slave to the times. It’s good to see people doing what they want to be playing. You don’t have to reinvent every year to get some hype on.’
Catch the real R&B live party vibe of the California Honey Drops at Bluesfest this Easter long weekend. For tickets and program info go to bluesfest.com.au.
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