Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet are back with their ecstatic single, ‘Work It.’ Arriving in tandem with a brand new official video, the track heralds a wave of new activity for the Manchester collective, with fresh music and live dates all on the agenda for the year ahead.
Driving a broad terrain of musical textures from esoteric protest songs to floor-thumping dance rhythms, Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet are an genre-defying ensemble based in Manchester. ‘Work It’ is the opening track of their current album, It’s Been A While, Buddy, out now. True to its title, ‘Work it’ is a heart-pumping, pulse-quickening, funk’n’soul workout. A fusion of elastic basslines, brassy breakdowns, and piano-house hooks, Ríoghnach Connolly leads it all from the front with her commanding soulful vocals. Watch here: Work It – Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet – Radio Edit (vimeo.com)
The track is also paired with the B-side ‘You Go To My Head,’ the band’s laid-back take on the Fred Coots-composed classic, which was famously covered by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holliday among others. Initially recorded as a distraction from the humdrum of lockdown, it sees the light of day for the first time in 2023, with this final studio version given its finishing touches by Werkha.
Speaking of ‘Work It’ Phil Howley of Honeyfeet says:
“I love all of the new songs as they’ve all got such different personalities but I do really love “Work it” for its drama and scope…. The recording of this album I found to be one of the most inspirational and educational experiences of my whole musical career. We got to all work together in one space and got to watch the pieces come together before our very eyes. It was a truly democratic writing process, where we could listen and respond to each other in real time And then at the end of the day you could listen back and see that you created something really interesting. It was this process that I found to be such an enlightening and rewarding experience. I’m incredibly proud of the new material.”
Directed by Elle Brotherhood of On The Brink Studios and featuring a playful dance routine courtesy of movement artist Freya Jenkin, ‘ Work It’ is coupled with an energising official video shot around the Islington Mill creative hub in Salford.
They have already garnered high profile fans like Craig Charles who called them a ‘Brilliant Band’ on BBC 6 Music and dub poet and writer Benjamin Zephaniah, who said, “I’m in love with Honeyfeet”
The announcement today also comes as Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet prepare to take their latest tunes to live rooms and festivals nationwide. With Ríoghnach solo dates, full band shows with Honeyfeet, and even a few fixtures with her co-collaborator Stuart McCallum in trad-folk side project The Breath; full dates and details are below:
2023 LIVE DATES : Ríoghnach Connolly/ Honeyfeet/ The Breath
March
16 Saint Patricks festival, Armagh (Ríoghnach Connolly)
17 Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, St Albans (Honeyfeet)
18 Kanteena, Lancaster (Honeyfeet)
April
15 Victoria Baths Springfest, Manchester (Honeyfeet)
28 Camp Quirky, Northamptonshire (Honeyfeet)
May
04 Trinity, Bristol (Honeyfeet)
12 Boiling Wells Amphitheatre, Bristol (Ríoghnach Connolly)
13 Hallé St Peter’s, Manchester (The Breath)
18 Hootenanny Brixton, London (Honeyfeet)
June
10 Fox and Firkin, London (supporting The Langan) (Ríoghnach Connolly)
July
15The David Hall, South Petherton (The Breath)
23 Secret Garden Party, Huntingdon (Honeyfeet)
25 Dalston Curve Garden, London (The Breath)
28 Šramlfest, Znojmo (Honeyfeet)
August
04 Underneath The Stars Festival, Barnsley (Honeyfeet)
11/ The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno (The Breath)
September
23/09/2023 Allen Valley Folk Festival, Allendale (The Breath)
30/09/2023 Sam Henry Weekend, Portrush (Ríoghnach Connolly)
October
20/10/2023 Folk Expo, Manchester (Honeyfeet)
November
08/11/2023 The Mount Without, Bristol (The Breath)
Tickets for all shows on sale now:
Honeyfeet / The Breath
FOR MORE INFORMATION
https://www.instagram.com/rioghnachconnolly/
https://honeyfeet.org
http://thebreathmusic.com
