Francine Honey kicks up her heels with her friends in her new single and video One Big Party — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Rocking and rollicking with a driving rhythm and a singalong chorus, One Big Party is an ode to the reunions we’ve all been longing for during the pandemic — as well as reunions of every kind.
“I had my group of high school friends in mind when I wrote it,” Honey shares. “We reconnected at a high school reunion some years ago and have gotten together regularly since then. Our parties almost always involve being outside around a fire and howling at the moon by the end of the night!”
Being stuck at home the last couple of years, we’ve all had cabin fever. “As we were all hunkered down at home, didn’t we all make plans for when we’d get together again?” Honey asks. “I know I did! I don’t know how many times I put an X on my calendar on the wall, only to have to scratch it out and put the X in another spot.”
One Big Party was written with Fabio Ingratta, who Honey met at a songwriters’ meeting she hosted. “He has a certain style that I thought would suit a party song,” she says. “We had so much fun writing it and came up with so many scenarios that it was hard to nail it down. Even though we only lived 15 minutes apart at the time, we used Zoom and lots of texts back and forth with lines describing the kind of party we were going to have with our friends.”
The song features Nashville A-list players Will Kimbrough, Fats Kaplin, Danny Mitchell, Dean Marold and Grammy-nominated producer and drummer Neilson Hubbard, recorded live off the floor by Dylan Alldredge at Skinny Elephant Recording Studios in East Nashville. “They were all together, except for me!” Honey explains. “I was in on the session via Zoom with a sound feed direct from the board.” She then recorded her vocals in her studio in Leamington.
One Big Party is the latest preview of Honey’s upcoming album I Carry On, and the song officially kicks off Honey’s Summer Of Fun campaign. Speaking of fun, the track is complemented by a playful, Risky Business-inspired video featuring Kristian Dambrino and Honey getting ready for their party.
Having garnered numerous honours from industry organizations and competitions — including the International Songwriting Competition, Canadian Songwriting Competition, UK Songwriting Competition, Austin Songwriting Group and more — Honey is also a member of the Songwriter’s Association of Canada, Nashville Songwriters Association International, Canadian Country Music Association and Americana Music Association.
She co-ordinates the SAC’s Leamington/Windsor Regional Writer’s Group, mentoring other songwriters, and has showcased at the Texas Songwriters Symposium four years in a row, as well as NSAI Tin Pan North Festival, Hugh’s Room, WinterFolk Blues and Roots Festival, the Kingsville Folk Music Festival and the Folk Music Ontario conference. Francine’s music and songwriting have not only taken her through Canada and the U.S., but also to the U.K., Switzerland and Italy.
Watch the video for One Big Party above, sample more music from Francine Honey below, and join the party at her website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
