Honey Motel: Milk
(Self Release)
Out Now
Liverpool’s rising indie-alt quartet Honey Motel announced the new EP Motel FM and unveiled the luminous new single Milk. Arriving ahead of a summer full of festival slots including Lakefest, 110 Above and a main stage appearance at Y Not, the release marks a major moment in the band’s fast-accelerating journey, from grassroots buzz to potential festival bill mainstays.
Opening with an intimate, acapella vocal line, Milk swiftly expands into a vibrant blend of alt-rock and indie textures. Jazzy guitar chords flutter over a thick, thick bassline and syncopated drum patterns carry the track forward under the yearning, heartfelt lead vocals that offer emotive reflections delivered through playful, yet ultimately honest lyricism. The track soon bursts into a euphoric, anthemic.
Delivering on the suspense set through the verse, the album is like a release of emotion, an explosion of pent up feelings as the soaring, Conor Mason-esuqe (Nothing But Thieves) vocals shine over the crunchy guitar and half time drum beat. Following the second chorus, the track takes a turn into sprawling jerky rhythms and fuzzy tones, eventually closing on a climactic final iteration of the chorus.
Guitarist Sam Meredith explains the emotional backbone of the track: “Milk explores the quiet unraveling that happens when you’re unable to open up, especially in moments of emotional low. It captures the struggle of bottling things up—of feeling detached, numb, and disconnected—particularly through the lens of male vulnerability.”
Inspired by frontman Freddie Griggs’ personal experiences, the track’s standout lyric “where are the drums” becomes a poignant metaphor for distraction, or perhaps the absence of emotional ease others seem to possess. “It’s a track about losing grip, quietly,” Meredith adds, “and what it sounds like when no one hears it.”
Produced by Alec Brits (Clean Cut Kid, Michael Aldag, St Catherine’s Child), Milk captures a band stepping confidently into their new sonic identity, bringing the bright accessibility of indie-pop with a biting alternative rock flare. Confident, cathartic and musically mature, the single is a great example of what the band are capable of.
From opening for chart-toppers The Lottery Winners to appearances at Stockton Calling and The Great Escape, their blend of emotional songwriting and infectious grooves has struck a chord. With headline shows and major festival appearances now on the horizon, including a coveted main stage slot at Y Not Festival 2025 alongside The Prodigy, The Last Dinner Party, and The Wombats, Milk sets an exciting tone for the upcoming debut EP Motel FM.
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All words by Simon Lucas-Hughes. More writing by Simon Lucas-Hughes can be found at his author’s archive.
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