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.
Vagabond
Honeysuckle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So now you howl at the moon, you laugh at the stars
You say, "you don't know anything at all about us"
You say, "you don't know anything at all about us"
You made your home out of the road
You live beneath the trees among the leaves
You say, "they don't know anything at all about us"
you're carved into the canyon,
swallowed by the river,
grew beneath the redwoods,
called a highway rambler
But don't look back
look back
The lyrics of Honeysuckle's "Vagabond" speak to the life of a nomad who has lost touch with their original identity and now finds solace in the simplicity of nature. The opening lines, "Nomad, you've forgotten your own name / So now you howl at the moon, you laugh at the stars," illustrate the singer's disconnection from the societal constructs that come with a permanent identity. In a primal effort to connect with their surroundings, the nomad reaches out to the natural world by howling at the moon and laughing at the stars. They embrace their life as a vagabond and reject the conventions of a settled existence.
The chorus of the song consists of the line, "You say, 'you don't know anything at all about us,'" which is repeated twice. This line reinforces the idea that the nomad is content with their life and refuses to be judged by the standards of social norms. The nomad has built their home out of the road, living beneath the trees and among the leaves. They have carved out a life for themselves in areas where most people wouldn't go, highlighting their repudiation of society's conventions. The nomad recognizes that others may not understand their lifestyle, but they have accepted and embraced it.
In the final verse, "you're carved into the canyon, swallowed by the river, grew beneath the redwoods, called a highway rambler," the singer's connection to nature is further emphasized. The imagery of being "carved into the canyon" and "swallowed by the river" highlights the nomad's integration with their surroundings and illustrates that nature is a part of them. The reference to "growing" beneath the redwoods further underlines the nomad's connection to nature, while being called a "highway rambler" speaks to both the nomad's lifestyle and their identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Nomad you've forgotten your own name
You have detached from your identity as a wanderer, losing yourself in the vastness of the world
So now you howl at the moon, you laugh at the stars
You've found solace in the beauty of the universe, and express that through primal, joyful sounds
You say, "you don't know anything at all about us"
You feel misunderstood and ignored by those who settle in one place, who cannot fathom your unique lifestyle
You made your home out of the road
Your home is not limited to any physical structure, but rather the journey and paths you take
You live beneath the trees among the leaves
Nature is your constant companion, providing shelter and a sense of belonging
Along the streets where no one goes
You seek out the unexplored, finding freedom in the lack of societal constraints
you're carved into the canyon, swallowed by the river, grew beneath the redwoods, called a highway rambler
You are an integral part of the natural landscape, shaped by the land and connected to every aspect of it
But don't look back look back
Don't dwell on the past, keep moving forward to new experiences and adventures
Contributed by Mateo D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.