The California Honeydrops Announce New Album 'Soft Spot'

In their fourteenth year together, bay-area soul/R&B favorites The California Honeydrops hit the post-lockdown ground running. Tour dates and festivals returned, including the Honeydrops' first headlining show at Red Rocks, and, much to the delight of the band and fans alike, the group returned to the recording studio to lay down a new full-length album. Today, the Honeydrops are sharing the very first taste of their upcoming release Soft Spot-out October 7th.

"Takin' My Time" kicks off with a slinky groove that the Honeydrops are known for, having made a career out of their signature blend of Bay Area R&B, Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second line. With tasty horn-section interjections dancing around well-timed background vocals, "Takin' My Time" embodies exactly what guitarist, trumpeter, and lead singer Lech Wierzynkski wanted to channel with the song's lyrical content-as he describes, "Slow down, erase your social media, smoke some weed, watch the sunset, get out of the rat race."

The Honeydrops have come a long way since Wierzynkski and drummer Ben Malament started busking in an Oakland subway station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, street-level feel. Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees.

He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later at Oberlin College and on the club circuit in Oakland, California. With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Beaullieu on bass, they've built a powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski's vocals.

Fans can listen to "Takin' My Time" below and pre-order or pre-save Soft Spot ahead of its October 7th release right here. This year has also brought the Honeydrops' return to live music with their first headlining date at Red Rocks as well as performances at festivals across the country including FloydFest, High Sierra, and Burning Man, and now, The California Honeydrops will kick off their nationwide Lil Bit Of Lovin' Tour in Napa on September 9th. A full list of tour dates can be found below or at cahoneydrops.com.

Listen to the new single here:

Tour Dates

Sept. 9 - St. Helena, CA - Charles Krug Winery

Sept. 10 - San Luis Obispo, CA - SLO Gathering

Sept. 11 - Perris, CA - Same Same But Different Festival 2022

Sept. 19 - Buena Vista, CO - Ivy Ballroom at Surf Hotel

Sept. 20 - Crested Butte, CO - Center for the Arts

Sept. 22 - Telluride, CO - Sheridan Opera House

Sept. 24 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up

Oct. 14 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre

Oct. 16 - Flagstaff, AZ - Yucca North

Oct. 18 - Durango, CO - Animas City Theatre

Oct. 19 - Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf

Oct. 21 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom

Oct. 22 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads

Oct. 23 - St. Louis, MO - The Big Top

Oct. 25 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club

Oct. 26 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club

Oct. 27 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall

Oct. 29 - Indianapolis, IN - HI-FI Annex

Oct. 30 - Ferndale, MI - Magic Bag

Oct. 31 - Kalamazoo, MI - Bell's Brewery

Nov. 2 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground

Nov. 3 - Portland, ME - Aura

Nov. 5 - New York, NY - Sony Hall

Nov. 6 - Boston, MA - Royale Boston

Nov. 8 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live

Nov. 9 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre

Nov. 11 - Charlottesville, VA - The Jefferson Theater

Nov. 12 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel

Nov. 13 - Highlands, NC - Highlands Food and Wine Festival 2022

Jan. 15-22, 2023 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Sandy Beaches Cruise 2023

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