With a seemingly bleak future, it’s inevitable to associate yourself with Ralph at the back of the bus (yeah, that famous “Simpsons” meme.) “I’m in danger,” the kid says. Add up the pressures of adulthood and it suddenly gets extra difficult to imagine all the promises of “the real world,” especially if you’re still testing the waters in your pilot episode.
Kids often hold onto dreams to keep them going, but one of adulthood’s biggest plot twists is changing the way everyone sees their dreams. Once you step outside your comfort zone, you suddenly realize how big your dreams are. In just a snap, it’s not all stars and galaxies. Call this nihilist o’clock, but these (quaran)feels are valid—so we decided to ask Honne for advice.
It’s easy to know why everyone’s Instagram stories instantly got flooded with Spotify shares of Honne’s new mixtape “No Song Without You” on the day it dropped. Apart from its therapeutic animation, the songs feel like a headfirst response to today’s challenging reality—only disguised as a warm embrace.
As Honne’s music has been a breeding ground for held back emotions and the frequent go-to for unapologetic reliability, we asked the electronic duo for advice on growing pains. Because they, too, have had their own share of it.
“You have to remember that everything that is worth working for takes probably10 times the amount of effort than you think it will. And it takes time, probably 10 times as much as you think,” James Hatcher said. “Andy and I worked for a very long time as very poor musicians,” Andy Clutterbuck chuckled before James continued, “before we managed to get Honne off the ground.”
James also mentioned having to work in schools and juggling part-time jobs—all while trying to write music and “make something happen.” James also left us a Notes app-worthy motivation: “Keep yourself back up and keep fighting to achieve your dreams.”
“Yeah, we can do it,” Andy followed through. “Well, I was about to say [that] it’s tough and I think this generation—these people—have it the hardest. But I don’t know, I think you should try and focus honestly on what you want to do ‘cause I guess your happiness is what comes first. If you’re not happy then that’s not very good.”
But Andy also considered uncontrollable circumstances. “It seems like a really hard thing to do,to change what your job is or whatever. But I think sometimes you just have to be brave and make changes in your life that might seem very hard at times—once you do it, you’d feel a lot happier.”
Honne’s listeners have grown along with the duo’s music—and it’s evident in how the narratives of “No Song Without You” have been received. Listen to the whole mixtape here:
Photo courtesy of Warner Music Philippines