Laura Prestridge, Leo Smith, Ataman Billor and Madison Lupica are the four artists that make up Auburn’s newest sound: Habanero Honey.
The band formed four weeks ago and has played a show in Auburn every weekend since. People are catching on quick to the good vibrations exuding from the drums, guitar and microphones that connect these rock’n’roll souls.
The band officially formed just four weeks ago. She said she remembered that because it was right after her mom’s baby shower that she went to the first show.
“Ata hit me up on a Monday, and told me that we had a show on Friday,” Smith said. “This was before we even had our first practice.”
“We didn’t even have any songs written,” Prestridge said.
The first show was at the Commune, which is the house of another local group, Dogwood Lung. The group has been hosting shows at their residence for several years, and it has become a home base for many local musicians looking to break into the underground scene. The band reminisced on their first show together.
“I couldn’t even sing into the mic,” Prestridge
Billor said the songwriting abilities across the board foster compatibility.
Smith said he had experience playing with other people before.
“It’s always a little uncomfortable when you tell them you want them to do something different,” Smith said. “But with these guys it’s easy. We are comfortable together.”
Each of the band members has been playing for several years, but they have all only remained solo in their music endeavors.
Lupica attended an art school and began playing music when she was in the sixth grade. She said she knew from a young age that she wanted to be a performer and that the energy and the life she could bring to other people through her music is what encourages her.
Billor played piano and tenor saxophone when he was younger, and he recently picked up the guitar.
“I started jamming with people, and now we are here,” he said, referring to the band project that fell into his lap a few weeks ago. “It was amazing, and it’s always something I have fallen back on.”
Prestridge laughed as she told the group that she did not actually know how to read music. She said her parents tried to get her to play the piano when she was younger, but she thought it was too girly. She wanted to play the electric guitar.
Smith picked up the guitar from his brother after his father passed away and said that it was a place of comfort and of escape for him.
“In these last four weeks, I feel like I have grown so much as a musician,” Smith said. “It’s great playing with people you love and people you vibe with.”
The group spoke of their dynamic and the chemistry within the group. They all laughed when they described the formation of their band, as they had not really hung out until a few weeks ago.
It all started at Shady Glenn. The group would run across each other and say hi or mention playing together sometime, but none of the members knew that this would come to fruition as quickly as it did.
The band played at Avondale on Saturday night with Dogwood Lung, Solar Fleur
“We had been listening to all of those bands in Auburn for a while, and it was great to finally get the chance to play with them,” Smith said.
After a night of jamming with Billor during a homework break, the group formed.
Smith said the indie scene sticks together and people take turns throwing house shows in Auburn.
Billor echoed him and pointed out there are shows coming up nearly every weekend, and he is excited to see what direction the local music scene takes.
“There are so many great people here and so much creativity,” Lupica said.
Pizza holds a special place in the band’s heart, as Billor works at Little Italy downtown.
“We always have the scent of pizza in our noses, so it’s always with us,” Billor said.
One of their songs is dedicated to the fact that the food brings them together. The band always matches when they play together, from striped shirts to yellow pants to space suits to denim overalls.
Smith said when there is a show, everyone finds out about it, and the house
“We definitely appreciate the support for the local music in Auburn,” Smith said.
They have nine songs at the moment and are excited to create more together.
“We are all headed in different directions, but we are all still connected,” Smith said.
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