Amanda Anne Platt and The Honeycutters
One of the most popular touring bands from the USA, the music of Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters has been described as Appalachian honky tonk, and being based out of Asheville, NC., that nails it pretty neatly.
But, the band is more well-rounded with a richer depth of character than that suggests – a factor that has won them a much wider span of appreciation.
Everyone will agree that the unit’s most potent force is, of course, singer and song-writer Amanda Anne Platt, who has been rightly compared to some of the great female performers of the post-war years.
The band’s early albums won a batch of glowing reviews and ended up on many “Best-of” end-of-the-year lists.
The material is nuanced, bringing insight and wit to the stories she tells, often inspiring introspection, whether it be about life on the road, heartache or hope. There is an empathetic and appealing streak of humour ingrained in the story telling too.
In an interview for AmericanaUK, she revealed that she started to write songs when she was just fifteen years of age.
“It’s how I try to make sense of the world I live in,” she said. “I have kept a journal my whole life, and that has flowed into the songwriting.”
Influences range from old-style Country – “particularly the Texas stuff” to Gram Parsons, John Prine and Chris Smither, and more recently, Josh Ritter.
“I also love The Eagles, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. I draw from both the less-is-more thing, and the big band sound,” she added.
There has been universal praise on both sides of the Atlantic for each new release. Acoustic magazine said: “Amanda Platt has one of those gorgeous heartache-drenched voices that brings to mind Loretta Lynn or Sheryl Crow,” while RNR magazine said they were “remarkable,” describing the material as “delicious country songs.”
The Honeycutters made their first appearance in 2007. The current line-up features Matt Smith (pedal steel/electric guitar), Rick Cooper (bass/vocals), Evan Martin (drums/vocals), and Kevin Williams (keys/vocals).
