Nettle Honey
Seattle, Washington, United States
Music
Press
Nettle Honey's homey bluegrass twang goes down like a big helping of your favorite comfort food. That the band consists entirely of vocal harmonies and acoustic strings (fiddle, banjo, guitar, upright bass) lends the music a sort of busker/jug-band feel, even though there's no one playing kitschy (but fun!) stuff like washboards and, uh, jugs. Nettle Honey doesn't need the gimmicks: The slightly-tweaked bluegrass style they've cultivated does well enough on its own. - Seattle Weekly
Here’s another band we heard and met at NW Folklife. Nettle Honey is an old-time quartet from Seattle, WA that plays equal parts classic standards and original compositions. Their sound is as pure as the Northwest rain that falls on her mist-shrouded mountains and fills her roaring rivers. They’ve taken pure-core Appalachian chops and applied them to Nothwestern themes of nature and the land, with wonderful results. Their DIY CD Wild Greens and the Old Path takes its homemade aesthetic to a minimum, utilizing a simple brown paper sandwich bag as its package. The tracks are equally split between band originals (Wild Greens) and old-timey chestnuts (The Old Path). Fiddler Brittany Newell leads the band with her solid old-school sawing, and Johnny Fitzpatrick swaps between clawhammer and three-finger banjo with ease. Rock-solid rhythm comes from Colin Sterling (guitar) and Robert Fulwiler (bass fiddle). Nettle Honey is a band to watch as they expand their touring schedule outside their Seattle base. Fiddlefreak recommended! - fiddlefreak.com
Discography
Wild Greens and the Old Path (2010)
Photos
Bio
The roots of Nettle Honey go back to a University of Washington dormitory cafeteria in 2005, where the young and confused freshmen Colin and Johnny became friends based on a Foghorn Stringband sticker. Things improved for these two bright-eyed youths, and they met other bluegrass musicians and began busking and playing house parties under the name Old Technology. Notable accomplishments of the early years include surviving the U-District Farmer’s Market’s first winter in business.
In 2008, after several line-up changes, fiddler Brittany joined and the band was renamed Nettle Honey, also featuring Rex (mandolin) and Will (bass). The group recorded their first EP, which showcased the band’s unique blend of bluegrass and indie-folk influences. Nettle Honey began playing more shows in venues ranging from coffee shops, to bars, to about every alternative housing situation you can think of.
Later that year, they attended the Portland Old time gathering, and it was not long before their hearts were aflutter with old timey charm. They began learning tunes, playing dances, and meeting The Tallboys, The Atlas Stringband, and other bands they thought were really cool!!! Another important development was Colin and Brittany moving into the Second Breakfast house, with its beloved backyard shack. This shack would become the band’s practice space and spiritual home.
In 2010, as the college days ended, Rex and Will left the band and Johnny, Colin, and Brittany played as a trio until Johnny’s roommate Robert bought a bass. After a few late night Ravenna bridge jams, it was obvious that he was the one for the job. He also brought to the band a van, knowledge of amplification, and incredible beer brewing capacity.
Soon after Robert joined in 2011, they tightened up their sound, figured out a more consistent amplification system, and began touring throughout the Northwest and playing at bigger Seattle venues such as the Tractor Tavern. They recorded “Wild Greens and the Old Path” a split album featuring distinctive original songs and traditional old time tunes.
The band is currently all living at the Second Breakfast house, which has become deeply infected by old time music and is a regular host of Seattle Subversive Square Dances.
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