One of Austin’s best live bands Honey Made lit up Austin’s Saxon Pub on March 12 as part of SXSW 2025. The kind of powerhouse act that gets you dancing along whether you tune into them live or via a streaming channel.
Speaking of their live set, trombonist Donald McDaniel, a founder of the band, “We are a really great live band.We always have a high-energy show. We just naturally gravitate toward getting fans up out of their chairs and getting them engaged.”
Two lead vocalists, Willie Barnes II and Donald Ford Jr., are always moving, constantly walking into the audience and engaging with them.
Honey Made, 10-members strong for the SXSW show ; McDaniel is on trombone; David Thacker is on keyboards for this show, filling in for regular keyboardist Brian Cokely; Marcus Cardwell is bass; Mark Saldana, percussion; Dustin Hunter, baritone and tenor sax; Joseph Morrow, trumpet; and Grant Hudson is on guitar especially for this show.Chris Barnes, the drummer, brother to Willie, is also a vocalist.
While the SXSW’s artist page for Honey Made says the band is funk and R&B – there is so much more to them, with powerful vocals spanning a variety of music styles, genres and instruments.
Donald adds, “For a while now, we’ve been trying to sell fans on the idea that you’re not going to hear only one genre from us. We think that’s a good thing. We’re not just throwing things together. It has to make sense in terms of the song and the lyrics and the feel we’re going for. So, yeah, if you hear a jazz-oriented solo, or a rock-oriented solo, it’s going to fit that piece. It’s going to make sense in the context of that song.”
The Saxon Pub playlist is rooted in their latest album, Charge It to the Band Fund, and included their latest single, “Pass Me By, which taps into the aura of retro soul with a smooth mix of silky smooth R&B, jazz and blues.
The songs from Charge It to the Band Fund also exhibit the band’s amazing variety. “Ashy Pockets,” a featured single last year, has some rock and P-funk. But there’s also hip-hop elements, jazz trumpet solos and reggae vibes all awaiting us when we tune into Honey Made’s music – so tap in!
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