Moon Honey has a new beginning. With the Debut Video For “Betta Fish.”
Interview conducted on January 5, 2018
By Dan Locke
Formed in the Big Easy, psych-pop, art duo Moon Honey includes lead vocalist, visual artist and lyricist, Jess Joy, and guitarist and composer, Andrew Martin, and together they’ve created an out-of-this-world concoction of magic that transports you to another peculiar and exciting realm of sound and vision.
A wild red-headed musical enchantress and multi-faceted artist from the bayou of Baton Rouge, Jess’ je ne sais quoi extends beyond her primal vocal conjuring’s to handmade mysticism—from personally directing D.I.Y. stop-motion music videos and assembling surreal collages to building paper maché stage production and sewing period-correct costume pieces. Born in the Big Easy and raised on the Cayman Islands as an anachronistic disciple of Jimi Hendrix and Mark Bolan, Andrew speaks through six-strings often while decked out in mod velvet threads. The union of these two dissonantly kindred spirits yields a totemic pastiche of psychedelia, rock, soul, performance art and good old-fashioned voodoo.
Currently nestled in the Silverlake Hills of Los Angeles, Moon Honey’s Jess and Andrew immersed themselves in the city’s arts scene whilst writing and recording the new music. Working with producer John Goodmanson [Blonde Redhead, Sleater-Kinney, Death Cab for Cutie], the band bottle their world into simultaneously complex and singable songs – like Betta Fish – and plan on inviting us further into their multi-colored, psychedelic universe, as they reveal more music, art and visuals created by the talented duo in 2018.
“We really believe in the human hand,” Jess goes on. “Andrew is so specific with his tones and the vintage tubes he chooses. The way he plays is very emotional. We don’t lean into electronic or digital music. We feel strongly about preserving the organic qualities that come from the hand and those imperfections. That ties into the artwork being handmade. I want everything to be tactile and have irregularities.”
“Musically, the guitar creates the sounds,” Andrew elaborates. “There are so many ways to break, bend, and warp that instrument. I believe in it so much.”
How did you find each other? Tell me about the development of the band?
We found each other accidentally—we were connected by friends because Andrew wanted someone to paint his guitar cabinet and I was recommended! I found out his band (at that point he was playing with percussionist/bassist Jermaine Butler in Louisiana) needed a singer, and though I had no experience, they were open and receptive to my enthusiastic tryout.
How did you pick your name?
We came across it in the Stax Museum (it was a nickname of a soul singer). At that time, I was really looking for words which had positive connotations but also no set definition. Words that allowed for free association. The combined words Moon Honey mean nothing, yet are full of poetry.
Tell me about your backgrounds?
Jess Joy of Moon Honey
We are uneducated musicians and sensationalists. I do have a degree in fine art, and I applied my painting technique to Andrew’s song canvases. Andrew was raised by Jimi Hendrix tabs on a small Caribbean island.
How do you describe your music?
Björk meets up with Jimi Hendrix to listen to the Stones and read each other’s tarot cards.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
I was raised on the Christian music radio station and Andrew was rocked to sleep as a baby with Yes and King Crimson.
Who influences you and why?
Right now I’m pretty obsessed with Alejandro Jodorowsky’s books. Psychomagic blew me away. I love people who merge their art with their life—people who are 100% open yet take responsibility for the creation of their own universe.
You successfully raised over $5,500 to support the debut of the band’s first album through a three week Kickstarter campaign. How did you do it?
Oh my gosh, that was so much work! I spent weeks making poppy paintings, painting portraits, painting a mini guitar, cutting down bamboo in the backyard to hand-make vinyl frames, hand-writing thank you letters, and crafting other special trinkets to send in exchange for advanced support! I even cooked three course vegan dinners and entertained people with our smoke machine at our house. We were determined to finish the record, and we had to be resourceful.
You just released the video “Betta Fish.” Tell me the story behind it.
Moon Honey
A man named Paul Meredith often came to film our live shows and uploaded incredible, beautiful footage. We got in touch with him to meet and say thank you, and then in the future asked him if he’d like to shoot an official music video. I brought him a loose idea involving the objectification of women in entertainment: I wanted there to be a dominant male gaze and a passive woman subject who makes a transformation from doll-like, wooden movements into fully fluid expression, breaking her role and seeking revenge. Paul and his brother Ben (who was DP) greatly flourished this story, adding that the man should most definitely choke and die—I agreed.
How was it to work with John Goodmanson?
John is an extremely likable, endearing, and affable creature to spend time with, and he is an absolutely stunning engineer. John’s producing was based on purity; he polished his mirror and shared it with us. His mixes are dynamic as the New York skyline. And when we couldn’t get his L.A. Airbnb door open at 3AM, he slept at our place with our roommate’s dog, no meltdown involved.
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