The 2025 Penguin Eggs Roots Music Canada Critics New Discovery of the Year is: Honeybear, the Band

Honeybear, the Band is the 2025 Penguin Eggs Roots Music Canada Critics’ New Discovery of the Year.

The Vancouver quartet comprised of Ian Beaty on bass and vocals, Colin Brumelle on guitar, Tim Watson on drums and longtime Vancouver Canucks organist Mike Kenney on keyboards started out the way a lot of new bands have recently: as a way to kill time during the pandemic.

But the members of Honeybear, who named themselves after the classic honey dispenser and whose music evokes a similar sort of nostalgia, sound as if they’ve been playing in the musical big leagues for years.

The sound is a wicked blend of classic soul and vintage blues and roots music that will transport you back to the era of Ben E. King and Muddy Waters.

And it’s so polished it’s impossible to believe that the band is less than five years old.

I suspect we’ll be hearing them on film soundtracks and maybe seeing them on Kimmel down the road if there’s justice in the world.

In the meantime, check out their website for upcoming tour dates.

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