SLOW DOWN HONEY In The Picture
Slow Down Honey believe in the 3-minute pop song. As Alex Bennison, frontman and the band’s primary songwriter tells it, “We love the 3 minute pop song. All the best songs are short, sweet and have lots happening in them. The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, The Beatles. They were masters of the short pop song.†Songs like “On Your Records†and “When I See You†put that confidence on display. They offer a nod to the history of the genre…while busting it wide open.
Their debut EP In the Picture unleashes a crackling, electric blend of catchy melodies and layered harmonies that find an unexpected meeting place in the sounds of Elvis Costello, The Cars and Wilco, with a good measure of the Clash thrown in to speed things along. .
The last place you might expect to find the boys in SLOW DOWN HONEY is a sleepy beachside town, but Alex, Tim, Lachy, and John have resisted the charms of the city and instead focus on honing their craft in their hometown of Umina. The band has spent the past year writing, jamming, and playing small seaside pubs and private parties. They insist that their main focus be the music; as Alex puts it, “we’ve got an Aussie work ethic. It’s just no bullshit, no gimmicks, straight down the line songwriting.â€
Their hard work began to pay off last year when they caught the attention of Australian producer David Nicholas (INXS, Midnight Oil, George), who threw his hat in the ring to produce the band's 5 song E.P - after hearing only a few rough demos. Mixed by Australia’s own Tony ‘Buchman’ Buchan (Blue King Brown, Gin Wigmore, Kid Confucius).
Not bad for guys who have been playing together since they were 8 years old. Alex and Tim John, the group’s bassist, have been mates since primary school and started playing together as children. Over the years the two, now 23, have formed several bands and “lost three members to growing up.†All the changes were hard on the duo, who wanted to settle down and form a band with a unique and immediately identifiable sound. “Being in different bands is kind of like moving houses,†Alex says. With Slow Down Honey, they have finally come home.