Readout RecordsEx-Foreigner/King Crimson multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald latest musical project is Honey West, which has just released its debut album, Bad Old World.
For McDonald, getting involved in the new band was as easy as crossing the street. He tells ABC Radio that he joined Honey West after befriending his New York City neighbor Ted Zurkowski, a Shakespearean actor-turned-singer/songwriter.
“Ted and I used to live literally across the street from one another, and…we got talking and I discovered that Ted had a band,” McDonald tells ABC Radio. Ian says he liked the group and Zurkowski’s “energy and charisma,” but felt they were “a little rough around the edges,” something he thought he could help with.
McDonald and Zurkowski soon began co-writing songs, and those tunes make up the bulk of Bad Old World. In contrast to King Crimson’s prog-rock and Foreigner’s arena-rock sounds, Honey West is inspired by such groups as The Kinks, The Move and Mott the Hoople, with some punk-rock energy thrown in.
The punk influence is most prominent on lead single “Dementia.” You can check out an official video for the tune on YouTube.
McDonald produced Bad Old World, while also contributing lead guitars, keyboards, flute, saxophones, clarinet and more. In addition, Ian recruited old friend Steve Holley, formerly of Wings, to play drums on most of the tracks. Longtime Joe Jackson bassist Graham Maby also guests on the record, while McDonald’s son, Maxwell, plays bass on three tunes.
Ian tells ABC Radio that Bad Old World was conceived as a cohesive album, “with an arc and a flow, mood changes and key changes.”
Honey West will celebrate Bad Old World‘s released with an intimate show at the New York club Bowery Electric on Wednesday, May 24. Find out more details at HoneyWestMusic.com.
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