The California Honeydrops To Release New Album ‘Soft Spot’ Share Single

The California Honeydrops Let Loose In The Studio
For New Album Soft Spot out October 7th
Share New Single “Takin’ My Time”

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.”

“Takin’ My Time”

 
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.

Ben Malament says, “We continued the Honeydrops album tradition of bringing many special musical guests to bless the studio with their magic. Sousaphones, strings, space echoes, it’s all here. Our engineer, Jacob LaCally’s, aka ‘Cubby’s,’ fine ears and maybe finer patience kept the session rolling through the hours. Leon Cotter and Scott Messersmith have become staples of the Honeydrop sound, filling the room with the full band sensation we could lean back on.

We enlisted the Kid Wonder and Oakland native, Oliver Tuttle, with his beautiful energy and ideas and the ‘Ponchatoula Powerhouse,’ Miles Lyons, dropped in from Louisiana to add a whole new low end to our music!”

Fans can listen to “Takin’ My Time” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Soft Spot ahead of its October 7th release. 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.

Soft Spot Tracklist:
Honey and Butter
Gonna Be Alright
Nothing at All
I Miss You Baby, Pt. 1
Tumblin’
Takin’ My Time
The Unicorn
Soft Spot
In Your Arms
Lil Bit of Love
Sneakin’ into Heaven
I Miss You Baby, Pt. 2

 

The California Honeydrops don’t just play music—they throw parties. Led by dynamic vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski, the band draws on diverse musical influences including Bay Area R&B, Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second line to bring a vibrant energy to their shows. Assembling their five core members plus two to three more world-class musicians each show, the Honeydrops deliver an eclectic performance and innovative recording style, evident in the seven studio albums, three live albums, and two cover albums the band has released since forming in 2008. Their highly anticipated forthcoming LP, Soft Spot, coincides with a national tour.

California Honeydrops Tour Dates and Ticket Info HERE