Chapel Hill, NC – On June 27, Chapel Hill-based folk pop band Honey Magpie will celebrate ten years at the Cat’s Cradle Back Room in Carrboro, NC. The show will trace the band’s work from the very first song they played together to their newest, unreleased pieces. And bring your mermaid tail, because they’re also celebrating the mythical tales that have shaped their writing and inspired their sound.
Few local bands can claim a ten-year lifespan, but Honey Magpie has made it to this milestone anniversary, and they’re still going strong. Since their 2015 debut at Fitzgerald’s in Chapel Hill, Honey Magpie has released two albums, Honey Magpie (2017), which centered on sweet, feel-good folk, and Midnight Morning (2020), which explored nostalgia, disillusionment, and straight-up silliness.
Though their sound and lineup have evolved over the years – from a 5-piece band to a strings-and-vocals trio to a duo – singer-songwriters Rachael Hurwitz (vocals, guitar, keys) and Pippa Hoover (vocals, cello) have been the steady heart of the band.
On the surface a somewhat unlikely duo – Rachael brings most of the “Honey,” while Pippa is more of a “Magpie” – their collaboration has created a body of work full of delicious contrast. Their songs are bittersweet, bitingly comedic, fantastical, yet emotionally real.
And the two singer-songwriters are well-matched where it counts. Both love vocal harmonies, nature imagery, and referencing classic fairy tales, often subversively. Their song “Lost in the Woods” depicts a more savvy, self-possessed Little Red Riding Hood, while “Ugly Duckling” tells a story better aligned with the true, antagonistic nature of swans.
But the fairy tale tune that best encapsulates Honey Magpie’s ten-year journey might be “Mermaid (Crest of a Wave),” which reimagines Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid from the perspective of the protagonist’s sisters. Although released on Honey Magpie’s second album, the song originated as a chord progression the band began tinkering with in their first year together. It’s a song that developed as Honey Magpie matured, and the central figure of the mermaid – half fish, half human – is the perfect symbol for the contrast found throughout Honey Magpie’s work.
Opening the night is Nashville-based singer-songwriter and cellist Sarah Clanton, who, in a fitting twist, is also a professional mermaid. Sarah’s cello-infused indie folk pairs seamlessly with Honey Magpie’s equally cello-rich sound, and guests just might get to see her tail!
Guest musicians Brenden Macie (banjo, bass) and others to be announced will join Rachael and Pippa, providing full-band instrumentation.
Doors open at 6:00 pm and the show starts at 7:00 pm. Tickets are available for $12 in advance through the Cat’s Cradle website or for $15 at the door. The Cat’s Cradle Backroom is located at 300 E Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510.
