HONNE discuss their debut album: "A bit of pressure is always a good thing..."

After trickling out a handful of EPs full of gorgeous, soul-infused electropop, the London-based pair are ready to put out something longer. Since those short-players, the in-demand outfit have been accruing praise at an alarming rate.

We spoke to HONNE about pressure, working with Izzy Bizu, and what to expect on their eagerly awaited LP. Check out "Someone That Loves You" below, and read our Q&A after.

Could you tell us a bit about the record?

Of course. So the album is going have a few tracks that we've already released that are really important to us and got us started on this journey, but the majority of tracks are new. It's almost entirely recorded by us at our home studios, other than the House Gospel Choir (living in London, we don't have quite enough space to record a choir), who feature on a couple of tracks.

What sort of sounds should we expect?

A couple of themes that run throughout the album are the nighttime and romance, so there's a lot of music on there ideal for those long nights ahead. At the same time though, it was always our intention to write a record that takes the listener on a journey so there are other tracks with some different vibes, more upbeat etc.

We spoke to Izzy Bizu recently, and she said you were some of the most chilled out people she's met. With all the talk about HONNE and people keeping a close eye on your every move, has it been difficult to remain relaxed?

I wouldn't say it's been difficult to remain relaxed. Before we even told anyone about HONNE we spent a long time writing. We must have had about 10-15 tracks before we even put one online. I think that enabled us to always be one step ahead and be able to feel relaxed and without pressure whilst continuing to write for the album.

Do you feel the pressure of expectations? Is that a positive or negative thing?

We try not to focus on that stuff too much, but having said that I think a bit of pressure is always a good thing. It can definitely help you to take a step back and think about if what you are doing is the best it can be or encourage you rise up to the challenge.

How do you feel now that the album's getting ready to be released?

It feels really, really good! We're so proud of all the tracks, and can't wait to get it out there and share it with the world.

What was it like working with Izzy on "Someone That Loves You"?

It was a lot of fun. Izzy's such a great girl and extremely talented too. It was nice how natural and collaborative the whole process was. A lot of people nowadays end up collaborating but don't even meet the other artists they work with, so we feel very grateful to have been in a room with Izzy working on this track together.

What does that song mean to you?

To us, "Someone That Loves You" is a song about wanting something, or someone, that you can't have. We love the fact that the song is upbeat and kind of feels happy, but the lyrics are actually quite sombre.

Do you have many other collaborations in the works? What do you like most about working with people outside of HONNE?

Right now we have a few things in the pipeline but can't say much more than that. We love working with other people. It gives us a chance to try new things, shares things we've learnt and learn some new things for ourselves.

We hear you're both interested in Japan/Japanese culture - what draws you to it?

Yes definitely. Andy has spent a couple of months out there over the last couple of years and finds it absolutely fascinating every time he goes. It's mainly the culture, the people and just the amazing look of Tokyo, particularly at night. One of our tracks "No Place Like Home" was written whilst I was in London and Andy was in Tokyo actually.

Have you been before?

I (Andy) have been and it's the best thing ever. I spent most of my time in Tokyo and its such a great place to draw inspiration from, as you can probably tell! We'll definitely be going back again, hopefully within the year, and I can't wait to show James some of my favourite parts.

What are you looking forward to this summer?

There's so much going on this summer! I think a highlight will be our US tour in August. Can't wait for that. Really looking forward to all the UK and European festivals too, particularly Glastonbury. Everyone loves Glastonbury. And, of course, releasing our album!

HONNE release Warm On A Cold Night on 22 July. Watch the video for "Someone That Loves You" below.

Tracklist:

1. Warm On A Cold Night
2. Til The Evening
3. Someone That Loves You
4. All In The Value
5. Treat You Right
6. Out Of My Control
7. Coastal Love
8. It Ain't Wrong Loving You
9. The Night
10. Good Together
11. One At A Time Please
12. FHKD