The Honeys

The Honeys (Chinese: Tianmi de Haizi) are one of Shanghai’s oldest and most popular alternative music groups. They formed in 1997 after lead singer Yu Tian – formerly of Lunar Eclipse, one of the first rock groups in Shanghai – had moved to Hangzhou to attend the prestigious China Art Academy. There, he met drummer He Zhenhao and bassist Zheng Yu, and the band was born. Fellow Lunar Eclipse alumnus Wu Qingyong joined the band in 1998. In between studying and playing, the band also opened “Soho”, Hangzhou’s first rock bar, in 1998.The Honeys returned to Shanghai after graduation, and cut their debut album “On the Street” in 2002 with Fanyin Records. It was the second-ever album released by a Shanghainese rock band, and the first on a Shanghai-based label. The eleven original tracks range from heavy riffs to crooning ballads, and their catchy pop-rock buzz and Yu Tian’s irresistible charisma have made them integral to the Shanghai soundtrack. In 2003 they were nominated for “Best Band” by listeners of East Radio. They have been profiled by the BBC and have also appeared in the South China Morning Post. The band’s line-up has changed, though, with Wang Zhe now on guitar and Dai Zhe on bass. Famous guzheng player Zhang Jie now also plays with The Honeys for a lot of their live shows.In 2006, The Honeys entered the studio to record several new tracks with UK producer Safta Jaffery and sound engineer George Shilling, where they also combined traditional Chinese instruments with modern rock rhythms. Beside gigs in China (among others at the Beijing Pop Festival and at the Shanghai Rock it! Festival), The Honeys also played abroad twice in 2007. First they performed at a showcase during Musexpo in Los Angeles in May. For this event every year more than 10,000 bands apply, but only 30 get an invitation – and The Honeys were one of them, the first Asian band ever to be part of Musexpo. Their showcase at “Keyclub” on Sunset Strip not only marked The Honeys’ first international concert, but also the first-ever concert by a Shanghai-based alternative act in the United States. While in the U.S. the band also got a chance to perform at the legendary “Whisky a Go Go”.In September 2007, the band went to Germany for a small tour, where they played together with the German band 4LYN (www.4lyn.com) whom they had met in Los Angeles. After the tour the two bands went to the studio together and recorded a Chinese-English duet.In January 2008 The Honeys followed an invitation to headline the MIDEM opening party in Cannes (France), which was organized in co-operation with the Chinese Ministry of Culture.Besides the live shows songs of The Honeys recently have been licensed for the Mel-Gibson-production “Another Day in Paradise” and for the soundtrack compilation of the German movie "Kein Bund für’s Leben". Also the TV station ARTE has used their music in a documentary about Yang Fudong's latest work.In October 2007, The Honeys signed their first endorsement deal with the company Sennheiser, which provides equipment and service for The Honeys’ in-ear monitoring systems and microphones. This was the first time that the company has offered such a contract to a rock band in China. Another endorsement deal with Fender (guitars, bass and amplifier) was signed this year.In December 2007 the first song of the new album, “Yi Jiang Nan” was released and promoted all over China – reaching 2 on China Music Radio‘s and 1 on East Radio’s charts. The long-anticipated album followed in January 2008, with gigs in several big cities in China.After having played their biggest show so far in May – together with 4LYN in Chongqing for 10,000 people at a festival organized by the German Goethe-Institut – the band traveled abroad again for their first appearance in Hong Kong (including a showcase at Music Matters). After a short summer break they were back with gigs e.g. at the China Now! Music Festival (part of the Shanghai International Tourism Festival) and as opening act for the QianJiang Show by Cui Jian, the Chinese godfather of rock’n’roll.Right now The Honeys are preparing their first international release, a showcase at the Canadian Music Week in Toronto in March 2008, followed by their second trip to Germany in April.