Queen Bee & The Honeylovers — News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WATCH QUEEN BEE & THE HONEYLOVERS SMUGGLE MOONSHINE INTO A 1920’s SPEAKEASY IN NEW, TOE-TAPPING MUSIC VIDEO
‘HAYES & HOPSON’

ASHEVILLE HISTORY THEMED ALBUM TO BE RELEASED APRIL 27

Watch The Video For “Hayes & Hopson” Here

Thursday, April 4, 2019 (Asheville, NC) - Head over to AVL Today this morning to watch the music video premiere of “Hayes & Hopson” from North Carolina swing jazz/folk outfit Queen Bee & The Honeylovers.

This toe-topping follow up to “Beacham’s Curve” - a tender ballad of forgiven love, and the band’s inaugural music video comes in anticipation of ASHEVILLE, the Honeylover’s history-themed debut album slated for an April 27 release. The band’s beloved city of the same name has served as the ultimate muse for the project. Funded in part by a grant from the Asheville Area Arts Council, the record seeks to tell the story of the mountain town's past by highlighting its most iconic figures and folklore in each track.

In “Hayes & Hopson,” party-goers enjoy dancing and debauchery in the legendary speakeasy that used to operate in downtown Asheville’s Pack Square.

Says “Queen Bee” Whitney Moore on her inspiration for writing the song:

According to local legend, the Hayes and Hopson building (currently Pack’s Tavern) in downtown Asheville was a central hub in an illicit moonshine smuggling ring. The mechanics dug a tunnel to the fire department across the square, where they would take the liquor for delivery on firetrucks. The presumption was that no one was going to search a fire truck! Since the police shared a building with Hayes and Hopson and even rented some of the Hayes and Hopson building space to use as overflow jail space, one can only assume that at least some of the officers were in on the take.

"Hayes & Hopson"

The forthcoming LP will include 14 tunes ranging from melody-centered waltzy instrumentals, to raucous anthems and will breathe new life into old-time swing music while still holding true to the soundscape of the 1920s. For a glimpse into what’s to come on its release day of April 27, “foxtrot” your way over to “Hayes & Hopson” for the perfect, moonshine-filled three minute getaway.

Download Album WAV Files HERE

For more information, please visit:
www.queenbeeswing.com or read the official album announcement press release HERE.

For press and radio inquiries, please contact Danielle Dror (danielle@sabramusic.com) at Sabra Music.

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This spring, dive back in time with Queen Bee & The Honeylovers and take a whimsical journey through the “Land of the Sky.” The newly-budded swing-jazz-folk ensemble is slated to drop their debut record, Asheville, on April 27, 2019. Asheville is a breath of fresh air in a cynical time - a joyful romp through the history of a famous mountain town: Thomas Wolfe’s Altamonte, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s playground. “Queen Bee” Whitney Moore pays homage to her hometown’s golden age through stories passed down from her grandparents, local legends, and folklore set to the musical style of their time. This fourteen-song set breathes new life and innovation into swing music while it gives a dedicated nod to the small-combo legends who first defined the genre.

Each track on the album is set in a different iconic Asheville location during the swing era. Some song titles are place names, like “Beacham’s Curve,” “Hominy Creek,” and “Helen’s Bridge” while others tell stories of famous Asheville personalities like “Cornelia’s Masquerade” (Cornelia Vanderbilt), “Dr. Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic” (E.W. Grove of the Grove Arcade and Grove Park Inn), and “The Legend of Zelda Fitzgerald.”

Rather than erase the injustices of yesteryear with a nostalgic gloss for simpler times, the Honeylovers paint a picture of the past that points out that the “good ole days” were not good for everyone. Peel back the layers of Asheville, and you’ll find biting commentary that resonates with present-day politics. “Hayes and Hopson” is a raucous party anthem about Asheville’s most famous speakeasy, but it also decries the ubiquity of police corruption. “Logan and Moore” is an homage to Whitney’s grandfather’s tailor shop, written using snippets of their ads. It also laments mechanized displacement of handicraft, echoing present day woes of Amazon and WalMart. “Beaucatcher” recounts the origin story of Asheville’s iconic mountain while sharing the tragic tale of a homosexual man trapped in a heterosexual relationship. In Asheville we learn that history has already repeated itself again and again.

This is not just another kitschy swing revival band. Smart and savvy, the Honeylovers’ sweet melodies invoke a nostalgia for simpler times, while their lyrics point to the politics of the current-day. And in celebrating Asheville’s history, they are proudly promoting the city that Asheville has become.

The album was recorded by Grammy winner, Matt Williams in his Weaverville, NC studio, The Eagle Room. Joining them in the studio was Henry Westmoreland of Squirrel Nut Zippers, Eric Heveron-Smith of Postmodern Jukebox, Russ Wilson and James Posedel of the Rhythm Serenaders. Three of the songs “Cornelia’s Masquerade”, “Hayes & Hopson” and “Beacham’s Curve” were co-written with Michael Gamble, founder of the Rhythm Serenaders and organizer of Lindy Focus.

Queen Bee and the Honeylovers will be celebrating the release of the album with a full band show at the Isis Theater in their hometown of Asheville (where else?) on Saturday, April 27.

Track List
1. Asheville (North Cackalacky)*
2. Beacham’s Curve
3. Hayes & Hopson*
4. Dreamer’s Waltz
5. Legend of Zelda Fitzgerald*
6. Cornelia’s Masquerade
7. Beaucatcher
8. Dr. Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic
9. Hominy Creek
10. Logan & Moore
11. Ghost of Zealandia Castle
12. Helen’s Bridge
13. Kenilworth Naval Hospital
14. USO

*Focus Tracks: (1) Asheville (North Cackalacky), (3) Hayes & Hopson, (5) Legend of Zelda Fitzgerald

Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Matt Williams at The Eagle Room in Weaverville, NC
www.theeagleroom.com
Produced by Matt Williams and Whitney Moore
Lyrics by W. Moore, music by W. Moore;
Except tracks 2, 3, 6, with Michael Gamble
Tracks 10 with James Posedel
Track 12 with Steve Karla

The Band Is
Whitney Moore - Lead vocals on all songs
Mattick Frick - Acoustic guitar, vocals
James Posedel (of the Rhythm Serenaders) - Piano
Trevor Stoia - Upright bass
Russ Wilson (of the Rhythm Serenaders) - Drums
Henry Westmoreland (of The Squirrel Nut Zippers) - Trumpet
Eric Heveron-Smith (of Postmodern Jukebox) - Trombone
Matt Williams - Violin
Stephen Karla - Lead guitar on Helen’s Bridge

www.queenbeeswing.com
www.facebook.com/queenbeeswing
www.instagram.com/queenbeeswing

To download approved press photos, click HERE
To download album artwork, click HERE

For press inquiries and/or to set up an interview, please contact:
Danielle Dror | Sabra Music
danielle@sabramusic.com
828-505-6656

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