Photo by Mike Savoia
Los Angeles-based rock band Dirty Honey has been killing it over the last couple years. They’ve been touring North America with The Black Crowes and all over Europe, which has introduced them to audiences of all kinds. As far as mainstream modern rock acts go, Dirty Honey is among the top of the heap with their blues-rock riffs, great knack for melody, and vocals that can only be described as the love child of Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin. Don’t focus too much on comparisons, though; vocalist Marc Labelle, guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian and drummer Corey Coverstone are a quartet of uniquely talented individuals who have created a sound of their own.
In a recent Instagram post, Dirty Honey announced that they will be releasing “Heartbreaker 2.0,” a new version of the original track appearing on their self-titled 2019 EP. The post’s caption read:
“Some songs come to life after they’ve been performed live on the road. You can physically see an audience react to a line being sung a certain way or a riff grooving that you didn’t think of while recording in the studio. Over time, we realized Heartbreaker took on a new life on the road in both North America and Europe and we wanted to capture that energy in the studio.”
“Heartbreaker 2.0” is just as fantastic as the original, but there is a much more subdued, yet powerful vocal performance that is almost leaning more on the blues side. The guitar work is very impressive, and the rhythm section sits deep in the pocket and grooves like no other. There aren’t many major changes, but Dirty Honey was right in saying that it took on a new life. It is just as good as the last one and is hard to explain without listening for yourself.
Speaking of that, listen to “Heartbreaker 2.0” below!