Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
"No, not a desperate stab for pre-election cred by John Howard but a debut EP from a Sydney outfit sharing the same rootsy bloodline as Karma County and King Curly. Cut in producer Tony Dupe's Kangaroo Valley sound bunker (he has worked with Holly Throsby), there's something convincingly real about these mainly down-tempo tunes. Frontman Glen Colley's moody blues seem drawn from experience, not some singer-strummer songbook. Classy, end-of-night acoustica for the Vanguard crowd, in short."
- Jeff Apter (Sydney Morning Herald, 09/11/07) - Sydney Morning Herald
"...And honest is what they are. They veer toward a folk/country sound, but probably owing more to a line somewhere between early Not Drowning and Weddoes, with a touch of Karma County in stuff like The Thick Of It.
Glen Colley tells unflash stories in a direct manner, but with a real feeling best described as, erm, honest. Kate Adams (she and Glen previously of the shoulda-been-bigger Trophy Wives) adds quiet keyboard tinkles and maybe not quite enough female counterpoint vocals.
Eminently likable."
- Ross Clelland (Drum Media, Sydney) - Drum Media
Discography
Better Days EP - released in September 2007
Photos
Bio
HONEST JOHN are a four piece pop-rock group whose lush sound is shaped by many influences including Neil Finn, David Bridie, Karma County and Grant Lee Buffalo. Their lyrical tunes are melodic and atmospheric, spanning a range of styles from harmony-laden pop to dark, low-key ballads.
They have recently released their debut EP Better Days. It was recorded with producer Tony Dupé (Holly Throsby, Jack Ladder) in his Kangaroo Valley studio and captures the spirited intensity that the band have bought to their live shows across NSW.
Honest John grew out of an earlier collaboration between singer/songwriter Glen Colley and keyboardist Kate Adams. As half of melodic pop rockers The Trophy Wives they quietly went about their business building up a strong following in the Sydney scene, supporting the likes of Mick Thomas and the Sure Thing, Bernie Hayes and The Mess Hall.
Colley departed for the warmer climes of Central Australia in 2002 where he immersed himself in the surprisingly rich Alice Springs music scene. Here he formed 3 on the Tree, with multi-instrumentalist Mark Harris who now moonlights as the occasional fifth member of Honest John. With their rootsy, blues-tinged tunes 3 on the Tree quickly became local favourites and played alongside The Living End and Machine Gun Fellatio.
Like their namesake, Honest John now call Sydney home (although Colley is rumoured to have a tax-payer funded weekender on the South Coast). They are joined by a rhythm section that is as tight as the truth is loose, featuring Ian Krieger (The Last of the Knucklemen) on drums and Adam Fagerstrom (The Jimmy Nicols) on bass.
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