HANDSTAND RECORDS

Est. 2019
Brooklyn, New York

Gabrielle Dana – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano
Ben Fitts – Lead Guitar, Keys, Analog Electronics
David Bloom – Bass
Victoria Smith – Drums

War Honey was formed in mid-2019 when vocalist Gabrielle Dana and guitarist Ben Fitts began writing songs together shortly after becoming roommates in Brooklyn, NY. The longtime friends, who met as teenagers while attending band camp, soon filled out their lineup, recorded a demo, and began booking shows in the area in early 2020. They managed to play exactly two of these shows before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.​

After having to cancel their shows and losing their original rhythm section due to the pandemic, Dana and Fitts turned their focus inward. They wrote more material and, with the help of drummer Victoria Smith, recorded their debut EP “Shard To Shatter” from their home. The result was an introverted, somber EP that captured the feelings of alienation and loneliness they were experiencing during the lockdown. “Shard To Shatter” garnered positive press and tens of thousands of streams, and later attracted the attention of the label Handstand Records, who released a vinyl run of the EP the following year.

Following the return of live music, War Honey again rounded out their lineup with bassist David Bloom (who performed on the band’s single “Skinless”) and drummer Ian Ackerman. The current lineup has been playing regularly around NYC and recorded War Honey’s second EP “Last Woman Left At The Market”. While “Shard To Shatter” was a quiet, introverted record, “Last Woman Left At The Market” was live-tracked by the entire band to capture the feel and energy of one of War Honey’s recently returned live shows. The result is a new EP that is simultaneously a companion piece, a sequel, and an inverse of their previous one. In 2023, drummer Victoria Smith, who had previously worked with the band in the studio and as a live fill-in drummer, replaced Ian Ackerman as the band’s full-time drummer.

Their newest single, “I Don’t Blame The Rats”, was released on March 31st, 2023. Their new single sees the band maintaining the dense atmospheres and jazz-influenced chord progressions that defined their previous releases while also venturing into heavier musical territory than the band has ever been before. “I Don’t Blame The Rats” features ethereal distorted lead guitars, belting operatic vocals, prominent ambient and noise elements, and dramatic dynamics.

More from War Honey

War Honey

Shard To Shatter 12″ EP

$15.00

War Honey

Sweeter Than The Average Fudge CD

$10.00