The California Honeydrops

The California Honeydrops’ New Album Soft Spot Is All Soul, All Groove, And All Love; All At Once

“This record is all about love and good lovin’ and other things that matter,” says The California Honeydrops’ frontman, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski of the band’s brand new LP, Soft Spot. Released today, Soft Spot finds the band drawing deep from the soulful well of the great rhythm and blues acts that came before them—from roots rock to classic Bay Area R&B, to Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second line. “We continued the Honeydrops’ album tradition of bringing special musical guests to bless the studio with their magic,” adds drummer Ben Malament. “Sousaphones, strings, space echoes…it’s all here.”

The Honeydrops have come a long way since Wierzynkski and Malament started busking in an Oakland subway station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, streetlevel feel. Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later at Oberlin College and on the club circuit in Oakland, California. With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Beauilleu on bass, they’ve built a powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski’s vocals.

Fans can purchase or stream Soft Spot today right here at https:// cahoneydrops.fanlink.to/softspot as well as vinyl for pre-order here at https:// californiahoneydrops.merchtable.com/ music/soft-spot-vinyl-lp/ and CD for purchase here at https:// californiahoneydrops.merchtable.com/ music/soft-spot-cd. The Honeydrops will continue their nationwide Lil Bit Of Lovin’ Tour at Tempe, Arizona’s Marquee Theatre on October 14th. A complete list of tour dates can be found below or at cahoneydrops.com.

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The California Honeydrops

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More About Soft Spot from Honeydrops drummer Ben Malament: “The first thing many people say to us after watching the band perform on stage is “Man, you all LOVE to play together!” That’s why Soft Spot is such an important album, because we didn’t get to play and hunker down as a full band like this for almost two years! After a few of us recorded the Covers from the Cave album, strictly from home for our quarantined fans, it was a pleasure and privilege to let loose all together in the beautiful Oakland studio, bouncing off each other with creativity, jokes, and sweat, with Thai food and donuts, day after day, night after night. The music on Soft Spot speaks that joy and diligence. Sometimes we recorded when we were hella sick or had pulled back muscles—getting older is tough! Sometimes we recorded on our birthdays and had cake next to the mics. When you get good sounds, you can’t stop! And all the sounds we were getting were good. Really good. And that’s when the recording is easy.

“We continued the Honeydrops album tradition of bringing many special musical guests to bless the studio with their magic. Sousaphones, strings, space echoes, it’s all here. Our engineer, Jacob LaCally’s, aka ‘Cubby’s,’ fine ears and maybe finer patience kept the session rolling through the hours. Leon Cotter and Scott Messersmith have become staples of the Honeydrop sound, filling the room with the full band sensation we could lean back on. and Oakland native, Oliver Tuttle, with his beautiful energy and ideas and the ‘Ponchatoula Powerhouse,’ Miles Lyons, dropped in from Louisiana to add a whole new low end to our music!

“This album has our unique Honeydrop take on many styles of music, all under a cohesive production style so there’s no confusion. There’s no provin’. Only groovin’. ’Soft Spot’ is a special one. We can’t tell you how happy we are to have made it and to give you these new songs.”

More About The California Honeydrops: The California Honeydrops don’t just play music— they throw parties. Led by dynamic vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski, the band draws on diverse musical influences including Bay Area R&B, Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second line to bring a vibrant energy to their shows. Assembling their five core members plus two to three more world-class musicians each show, the Honeydrops deliver an eclectic performance and innovative recording style, evident in the seven studio albums, three live albums, and two cover albums the band has released since forming in 2008. Their highly anticipated forthcoming LP, Soft Spot, is set to release in the fall of 2022, coinciding with a national tour.

Soft Spot Tracklist:

Honey and Butter Gonna Be Alright Nothing at All I Miss You Baby, Pt. 1 Tumblin’ Takin’ My Time The Unicorn Soft Spot In Your Arms Lil Bit of Love Sneakin’ into Heaven I Miss You Baby, Pt. 2

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