Vancouver-based vintage soul, blues and roots quartet Honeybear is building on its rapid rise in Canada’s independent music scene with the release of its second album, The Cure. The 11-track record arrives September 4, followed by album release performances in Victoria and Vancouver.
The new project follows the group’s 2025 debut, I Was Wrong, which helped expand Honeybear’s audience through streaming platforms, radio exposure, festivals and live appearances across Canada. The band will mark the latest release with shows at Upstairs in Victoria on September 9 and Vancouver’s Hollywood Theatre on September 10.
Honeybear Builds on Momentum From Breakthrough Debut
Honeybear formed in 2023, although its members had spent decades crossing paths while touring throughout Canada and along the U.S. West Coast.
The group’s beginnings can be traced to the pandemic, when the musicians played together outdoors in parks, powering amplifiers and PA equipment with improvised motorcycle battery setups. That emphasis on live performance became central to Honeybear’s vintage-inspired approach.
Music blog B-Side Guys described the group as sounding “like The Teskey Brothers collaborated with the ghost of Muddy Waters.”
Since then, Honeybear has developed a sound drawing from classic soul, blues and roots music while expanding its audience through both digital distribution and touring.
‘The Cure’ Expands Beyond the Original Quartet
For The Cure, the band has broadened its musical lineup significantly. Across the album’s 11 tracks, songwriting by Beaty and Brumelle is supported by a rotating group of musicians.
Mike Kenney and Cindy Fairbank contribute keyboards, while Geoff Hicks and Tim Watson handle drums. Scott Smith adds pedal steel, and the horn section includes Jerry Cook, Jocelyn Waugh, Adam Kyle and Gregory Dent. Dawn Pemberton and Colleen Rennison provide background vocals.
Production was split between two recording facilities. Jeff Zipp worked on the project at Light Machine, while John Raham recorded portions at Afterlife Studios. Zipp subsequently mixed the album, with Doug Krebs handling mastering.
The expanded production maintains the warm, horn-focused sound that has become a defining feature of the group’s recordings.
‘Just Your Fool’ Passes 100,000 Streams
An early indication of the new album’s direction came through the single “Just Your Fool,” written by Beaty and Brumelle and produced by Zipp.
The blues ballad draws inspiration from Slim Harpo’s “Raining in My Heart,” while focusing lyrically on devotion that may not be equally returned. According to the band, the track has already surpassed 100,000 streams.
The performance of the single comes after substantially larger streaming numbers for Honeybear’s debut album.
Released in 2025, I Was Wrong has surpassed nine million Spotify streams, while Honeybear has attracted about 200,000 monthly listeners. Tracks from the group have also appeared on official Spotify editorial playlists including Retro Soul, The New Retro and Best Blues of 2025.
Radio exposure has included CBC, NPR and CKUA, alongside independent and co-operative stations internationally.
Canadian Festival and Club Circuit Drives Audience Growth
Live performances have also played a significant role in Honeybear’s growth. The quartet has appeared at festivals including Rifflandia, Barnside Harvest Fest, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Calgary Blues Fest, Kitchener Blues Fest, Wapiti and Starbelly.
The group has also sold out Canadian club dates at venues including The Horseshoe in Toronto, Upstairs in Victoria, Rainbow in Ottawa and the Ironwood in Calgary.
Industry recognition has followed. Honeybear was recently nominated for a Blues Music Award from the Memphis-based Blues Foundation and received a Blues Artist of the Year nomination from the WCMA.
The group was also included on the Vancouver Sun’s “10 Artists to Watch in 2026,” while Roots Music Canada named Honeybear its New Discovery of the Year.
Victoria and Vancouver Album Release Shows Set for September
With The Cure, Honeybear is seeking to translate its growing streaming audience and established live following into further momentum in Canada’s roots and blues market.
The band will begin its album release celebrations at Upstairs in Victoria on September 9, where Emmett Jerome will also perform. Honeybear will then return home for an album release party at Vancouver’s Hollywood Theatre on September 10.
The two British Columbia performances provide the first opportunity for audiences to hear the newly expanded record in a live setting, as Honeybear moves into the next stage of its development following the success of its debut.