Honey Magpie, Annie Stokes, Colin Cutler and Sam Foster

Known for vocal harmonies, classical string parts, and nature-inspired lyrics, Honey Magpie is fronted by singer-songwriters Rachael Hurwitz (guitar, keys) and Pippa Hoover (cello). Their first album, Honey Magpie (2017), centered on sweet, feel-good folk, but their most recent release, Midnight Morning (2020), also explored sadness, nostalgia, and disillusionment. 

This bittersweet repertoire earned the band the nickname “Honey Magcry,” but both frontwomen know how to laugh through the tears. Each has a long history of comedy in her creative work. 

Before forming Honey Magpie, Rachael and her sister Eliza made music video parodies of popular songs. In their 2013 video “It’s Finally Ironic,” Rachael and Eliza rewrote the lyrics to Alanis Morrisette’s hit “Ironic” to make them actually ironic, using examples so funny and satisfying that the video gained over a million views. 

Pippa has a growing catalog of comedy songs. Her bop “The Cat Cafe” — inspired by Chapel Hill’s own Cat Tales Cat Cafe — is full of cat puns and a meet-cute story that will make listeners smile. 

“It’s Finally Ironic” and “The Cat Cafe” will be the crown jewels in the carefully-curated comedic setlist Honey Magpie plans to perform. And to make those jewels even shinier, guest musicians Grace Bowman (violin and vocals), MK Rodenbough (bass), and Will Flowers (drums) will join Rachael and Pippa, providing full-band instrumentation. Annie Stokes, Colin Cutler, and Sam Foster will open the show.