Honey Motel release genre-blurring debut EP Motel FM alongside cosmic new single ‘Aphrodite’

BabyStep Magazine
14 minutes ago
2 min read

Liverpool quartet Honey Motel have released their anticipated debut EP Motel FM, a six-track collection that captures the band’s high-voltage indie energy while pushing their sound into more adventurous, genre-blurring territory.

Blending indie, alt-rock and alt-pop, Motel FM showcases a band evolving rapidly — shifting between raw guitar-driven intensity and more textured, melodic moments. Produced by Alec Brits (Clean Cut Kid, Michael Aldag, St Catherine’s Child), the EP channels the immediacy of Honey Motel’s live shows while expanding their sonic palette with jazz-influenced chord progressions, layered harmonies and dynamic arrangements.

Across the record, the band move effortlessly from the silky vocals and choppy indie grooves of ‘If You Didn’t Exist’ to the driving fuzz of ‘T.N.A.K.’, while tracks like ‘Milk’ highlight their knack for unexpected musical turns. The result is a cohesive yet wide-ranging sound that sits somewhere between the dramatic alt-rock sweep of Nothing But Thieves and the breezy indie charm of Royel Otis.

The EP arrives alongside new lead single ‘Aphrodite’, a psychedelic indie sweller that acts as the project’s unrestrained finale. Written during a period of isolation, the track spirals from claustrophobic domestic imagery into cosmic existentialism — blending mythology, dark humour and surreal lyricism into a monologue about meaning, self-imprisonment and the absurdity of existence.

Musically, ‘Aphrodite’ reflects the band’s experimental instincts. Instrumentals were recorded in Wales before sessions moved to Liverpool’s The Cabin, where chorus vocals were quadruple-tracked, harmonies pushed into new territory, and unexpected textures — including accordion — were added to intensify the track’s freight-train chorus. Recorded live in a chapel, engineered by Owain Fleetwood Jenkins, and produced by Alec Brits, the song closes the EP in a chaotic burst of energy.

Speaking about Motel FM, the band describe the project as a broadcast from the margins.

“This is our debut EP as a quartet — six tracks stitched together from chaos, boredom, love and quiet dread. It’s for the losers, the weirdos, the misfits — the ones who feel they don’t belong but keep tuning in anyway.”

Honey Motel formed in Liverpool’s rehearsal rooms, rooted in the teenage friendship between guitarist Sam Meredith and bassist Jack Hughes. Drummer Lew Fogg joined in 2023, solidifying the rhythm section before vocalist Freddie Griggs completed the lineup in 2024. The quartet made their live debut at Liverpool Sound City 2024 and have since built a strong reputation on the UK live circuit.

Their rise has been swift. The band supported The Lottery Winners on tour following the chart-topping success of KOKO, picked up tastemaker press across outlets including Clash, Notion, Wonderland, 1883 Magazine, and Earmilk, and earned radio support from Radio X, XS Manchester, and BBC Introducing. Festival appearances have included Y Not Festival and Stockton Calling, with further shows lined up including The Great Escape and a headline date at Liverpool’s EBGBS.

With Motel FM, Honey Motel deliver a debut that feels both ambitious and unfiltered — a snapshot of a band leaning into chaos, melody and experimentation in equal measure.

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