Honeysuckle is a progressive folk duo based out of Saratoga Springs, New Yo… Read Full Bio ↴Honeysuckle is a progressive folk duo based out of Saratoga Springs, New York, United States.

Formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States in 2012, the group quickly settled into a stable line-up of multi-instrumentalists Holly McGarry, Benjamin Burns, and Chris Bloniarz.

Blending the influences of traditional folk music and instrumentation with modern technology and sensibilities, the group’s characteristic sound pairs tight harmonies and the players’ restrained virtuosity with an unflinchingly introspective and confessional lyrical style.

Meeting during their time at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, the then-trio released three studio albums and an extended play during their seven years together, touring widely across North America in support of these releases.

During this early period, the group was crowned Americana Artist of the Year in 2019 and Folk Artist of the Year in 2018 at the Boston Music Awards, having been nominated annually each year for the latter since 2016.

These accolades and a relentless touring schedule have seen the group become a regular fixture on the North American folk circuit.

On 30 October 2019, four months after the release of 2019’s Fire Starter, Burns announced his departure from the group through a post on the band’s Instagram account; stating,

“I've felt pulled elsewhere for a long time. Chris & Holly - and you all - deserve nothing but a wholehearted song-partner to breathe life into the music. […] I know deeply that any real or perceived void caused by my absence will only become fertile soil for the deepening of all of our musical tap roots, and will allow us all the emotional real estate needed to expand into our Best Selves.”

The music video for 2019 single Miss You was released online the following day on 31 October 2019. Announcing the video’s release – composed of images and clips of the trio during the Fire Starter album release tour – the now duo said,

“Though it wasn’t the sentiment of the song at the time it was written, or the sentiment of the video when it was made, we would like to focus on the wonderful times we’ve shared with Ben over the last seven years. We’re excited to see what’s in store for our friend Ben, and we have many more adventures to look forward to.”

Honeysuckle continued as a duo comprised of members and romantic partners Bloniarz and McGarry following Burns’ departure from the group, releasing the LP Great Divide in 2021 and the EP Shadow Dance in 2023.

Burns’ has remained active as a drummer and percussionist, contributing to Quinn Sullivan’s 2021 release Wide Awake, and featured on Darlingside’s Fish Pond Fish and Shapes by Sam Moss in 2020.

Fire Starter
Honeysuckle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been singing for my supper for so goddamn long
It's been ten years now,
sung my songs for kings and clowns, and I'm goin' home again
The summers here are fine,
but I've been drinking all the time, and I'm goin' straight down
Am I my mother's daughter?
Am I my father's father?
How much is just me?

Fame is just a tempting mistress alone in the night
I was a coward way back then, but now I'm here again
I tell you I won't give in
And I finally found the time to look you
squarely in the eyes and tell you 'run to me'
Was I just weak and faltered?
A fool with a gambling problem
How much were my dreams?
I can walk the sands of my life all on my own
I know just I did, and now I'm in my bed
Oh, I'm gonna lie at home
Gonna quit my drinking wine
On stage they're cryin' in the lights
I'm prayin' I'll make it
Am I a saintly martyr?
Or am I a fire starter?
Is it all inside of me?

Who knows just what they're supposed to be?
I work just 'gainst the best of being me

Overall Meaning

In "Fire Starter", Honeysuckle reflects on her life as a musician, contemplating the effects of fame and the struggle to maintain a sense of self in the midst of it all. The opening verse speaks to the exhaustion that can come with a life on the road, singing for her supper for the past ten years, and how it's time for her to go home again. She acknowledges that the summers are fine, but she's been drinking too much and it's taking its toll. There's a sense of introspection as she wonders whether she's more like her mother or father and how much of her identity is truly her own. Fame is described as a "tempting mistress alone in the night", a notion that carries both allure and danger. Honeysuckle admits to being a coward in the past but is determined not to give in anymore. She finally finds the time to confront someone and tell them to "run to me", implying a sense of self-assuredness that comes with experience.

The second verse continues with the theme of self-reflection, as Honeysuckle questions whether she was just weak and foolish with a gambling problem. She wonders how much of her dreams were her own or influenced by outside forces. She acknowledges that she can walk the sands of her life on her own and has found a sense of ownership over her path. The final lines of the song ask whether she is a saintly martyr or a fire starter, implying that there is a duality to her nature and she is still grappling with her identity. The final lines, "Who knows just what they're supposed to be? I work just 'gainst the best of being me" speak to the universal struggle to understand who we are and to be the best version of ourselves.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been singing for my supper for so goddamn long
I have been performing for ages and I am exhausted and burnt out.

It's been ten years now, sung my songs for kings and clowns, and I'm goin' home again
I have been performing for ten years, I feel like I have sung for everyone, and now I am ready to return home.

The summers here are fine, but I've been drinking all the time, and I'm goin' straight down
Even though summers are nice, I have been drinking excessively and that is having a bad impact on me.

Am I my mother's daughter? Am I my father's father? How much is just me?
I wonder how much of who I am comes from my ancestors, and how much of me is just myself.

Fame is just a tempting mistress alone in the night
Being famous is appealing, but it can also be a lonely road.

I was a coward way back then, but now I'm here again
I used to be scared, but now I am here and ready to face everything.

I tell you I won't give in
I assure you that I will keep on going despite the challenges.

And I finally found the time to look you squarely in the eyes and tell you 'run to me'
I finally have the time to look you in the eyes and tell you to come to me.

Was I just weak and faltered? A fool with a gambling problem. How much were my dreams?
I question whether I was just a weak and foolish gambler, and how much of my aspirations were real and how much were just illusions.

I can walk the sands of my life all on my own
I can move forward in my life journey without anyone's help.

I know just I did, and now I'm in my bed
I am aware of what I have done, and now I want to rest.

Oh, I'm gonna lie at home. Gonna quit my drinking wine
I want to stay at home and stop drinking wine.

On stage they're cryin' in the lights. I'm prayin' I'll make it
The audience is moved by my performance, and I hope that I will continue to succeed.

Am I a saintly martyr? Or am I a fire starter? Is it all inside of me?
I wonder if I am a selfless person who suffers for the benefit of others, or if I am the type of person who creates change and inspires others.

Who knows just what they're supposed to be?
Nobody really knows what their true purpose is.

I work just 'gainst the best of being me
I strive to be the best version of myself, even when it is difficult.

Writer(s): holly mcgarry

Contributed by Lauren L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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