Honeyblood: The Story of Scotland's Most Electrifying Indie Rock Force
Honeyblood is one of Scotland's most exciting and enduring indie rock stories, a project born from a chance encounter between two musicians at a Glasgow gig in 2012. Stina Marie Claire Tweeddale, an Edinburgh-born guitarist and singer-songwriter, and Shona McVicar, a drummer from Cumbernauld, found an immediate creative spark when their respective bands, Boycotts and Partwindpartwolf, shared a bill. What began as a casual collaboration quickly evolved into something far more powerful, with the pair deciding to forge ahead as a duo rather than expand their lineup.
The origins of the band's name are as vivid and layered as their music itself. Tweeddale drew inspiration from two distinct sources: the theatrical stage blood she had used during a Halloween performance with Boycotts, and a lyrical reference from Gutless, a song by the influential American band Hole. It was a name that perfectly captured the sweetness and sting that would come to define their sound.
Their debut recording, the Thrift Shop EP, was as lo-fi and spirited as their ambitions were vast. Recorded in a bathroom on a four-track tape-deck, it included a cover of Karen Peris's The Girl on my Left and was released in a limited run of just fifty cassettes on the night of their very first concert at The Old Hairdressers in Glasgow on 4 April 2012. The Guardian responded with a positive review, signalling that something genuinely special had arrived. Just days later, their second performance at the Wide Days music conference in Edinburgh caught the ear of FatCat Records head Alex Knight, who eventually signed them to the label.
Their self-titled debut album, Honeyblood, was recorded in Connecticut with producer Peter Katis over just ten days in November 2013 and released in July 2014. The record announced Honeyblood as a formidable presence in indie rock, blending fuzzed-out guitar tones with Tweeddale's sharp songwriting instincts. The band threw themselves into touring with remarkable energy, sharing stages with major acts including Foo Fighters, Courtney Barnett, Sleigh Bells, and Deap Vally, while also appearing at celebrated festivals such as SXSW, T in The Park, and the Great Escape.
Following McVicar's departure in September 2014, drummer Cat Myers stepped in and helped usher in a bold new chapter. Together, Tweeddale and Myers recorded Babes Never Die at London's Fish Factory studio in the winter of 2015. Produced by James Dring and released in November 2016, the album earned widespread praise, with The Guardian describing it as catchy fuzz-rock with genuine personality. A BBC Alba-televised performance at the Belladrum festival in 2017 further cemented the band's status as one of Scotland's most vital live acts.
By 2019, Honeyblood had entered yet another new era. Signing with Marathon Artists, Tweeddale announced the project would continue as a solo endeavour, with Myers no longer involved. The resulting third album, In Plain Sight, released in May 2019, demonstrated that Tweeddale's creative vision was stronger than ever. The record earned a longlisting for the prestigious 2020 Scottish Album of the Year Award, a fitting recognition of a career defined by artistic courage, raw energy, and an unyielding commitment to honest, powerful music.
