Yonkers, NY’s own Honey Daze has forged a truly unique sound, blending the ethereal beauty of shoegaze with the power of hardcore and alt-metal.

This potent concoction is fully unleashed on their new EP, ‘Another Habit to Break.’ Produced by scene veteran John Naclerio (known for his work with Brand New and My Chemical Romance), this EP marks a significant turning point for Honey Daze, largely due to the arrival of vocalist Sean Dowling. His dynamic vocals and gut-punching lyrics are the crucial missing piece, perfectly complementing the band’s already formidable sound. Imagine the intense energy of Glassjaw colliding with the heavy grooves of Deftones and the grunge of Alice in Chains.

Guitarist Mathew McGinnis describes their approach as an evolution of “the quiet/loud thing that the Pixies and Nirvana did.” Honey Daze takes it a step further, adding layers of “effects and noise to make the sound blurry and obscure” before exploding into a “heavy riff.” Dowling echoes this philosophy, emphasizing his aim for varied vocal delivery, knowing “when to sing and when to scream.”

The EP kicks off with ‘Critters,’ a sprawling track that immediately showcases Honey Daze’s diverse palette, from clean guitar passages and minor-key melodies to stop-start hardcore riffs with grunge edges. Then comes ‘Paste,’ a post-hardcore gem featuring jingly, Johnny Marr-esque guitars and seamless transitions between clean and screaming vocals. And just when you think you’ve got them figured out, they deliver ‘Brussels,’ a soaring, hook-laden track that’s almost a pop song cleverly disguised within textured guitar parts. Not to be outdone are the pure bangers: the alt-metal thrasher ‘Love Bones’ and the revenge-fueled hardcore track, ‘Burning.’

‘Another Habit to Break’ is a personal snapshot of life told through a captivating blend of power and sound. We asked the band for further insight:

<a href="https://honeydazeny.bandcamp.com/album/another-habit-to-break">Another Habit to Break by Honey Daze</a>

“This is our first EP and we finally feel solidified as a band. About a year ago Sean joined to be our singer and he really helped us achieve the sound we had been going for. We had a few songs we started working on before Sean got on board and we ended up writing and finishing the EP pretty quick. It was a difficult time for a lot of us between jobs, partners, and family but we all managed to pull through and put our all into writing these songs in such a short time. We tracked everything with John Naclerio at his studio Nada Recording in upstate NY which was a great experience. We tried to balance out our love for shoegaze and obscuring sounds with our penchant for just heavy riffs some breakdowns. The EP I believe is a pretty perfect reflection of where we were as a band and friends when we wrote the EP and we’re really stoked to be dropping it on Candlepin records! We already have some more music in the works we’re excited for what ahead.”
– Mathew McGinnis

“Another habit to break for me was like, another thing I need to overcome. After all this time trying to find balance I’m still hit with these new challenges in life that I never could have expected.
And having to learn how to cope with each new thing. Sometimes it’s like, when will it be enough . Will I ever feel like I’m done having to learn all these lessons. But maybe that’s the point is we never stop growing, and that part of the process of growing is facing new punches life can throw at you. Another new thing clawing at you, another habit to break.” – Sean Dowling

Headline photo: Ricardo Arguello

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