Tech faculty members and alumnus will perform at Earth Day celebration
The band Honeybrook, comprised of several members of the Tennessee Tech University’s faculty and a Tech alumnus will perform at Dogwood Park on April 23, at 4:30 p.m. as part of an Earth Day celebration. They also recently released a new album, but what may come as a surprise to some is that none of those individuals are associated with the university’s School of Music.
Faculty members Hayden Mattingly, an environmental studies professor; Michael Harrison, an earth sciences professor; Benjamin Clark, an academic advisor for the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing; and Tech alumnus Andrew Griswold, a GIS analyst for the state of Tennessee, recently released the album titled “The Next Moonlight.”
The new album is original music by Mattingly except for one song, St. Severins, written by Mattingly’s sister, Mary Ben Bonham. It features 10 songs with Mattingly on vocals and guitars, Clark on bass guitar, Harrison on drums, and producer Griswold on keys, backing vocals and guitars.
The band has been playing together for over 15 years, and recently chose the name Honeybrook after not having a band name for years.
The band started recording this album on a whim, as something to do in February of 2021 during the pandemic, and it took more than a year to complete, according to Harrison.
“Hayden, Ben, and I recorded drum and guitar parts at Hayden’s house in Cookeville. Each of us were masked and in different rooms but we were still able to see each other,” Harrison said. “Later, Hayden and Drew got together at Drew’s house in Mt. Juliet to record guitar, keys and vocals while Ben recorded bass tracks at his house near Sparta. Final mixing was done by Drew at his place.”
Cookeville photographers Kelli Lewis Sutherland and Kris Ballinger did the photography for “The Next Moonlight” album cover.
Griswold described their genre of music as Americana and Mattingly agrees.
“From my perspective, we don't readily fit into any one specific genre. There are elements of alternative rock, roots rock, blues, soul, funk, reggae, folk rock, etc.,” Mattingly said.
The band plays a few select events throughout the year, as the members all do have day jobs. They can be found playing the St. Thomas Aquinas Fall Festival in Cookeville, at the Harbor Island Yacht Club Independence Day Celebration on Old Hickory Lake, at special events at Tennessee State Parks, or various other venues. The band says that word of mouth is how people hear about them.
For Mattingly and his sister Bonham, who is an associate professor of architecture and interior design at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, the love of music was learned from their father who was a musician and songwriter. He released an album several years ago of his father's original songs as a tribute.
Griswold learned his love of music from his late mother who was a singer, and his father who “plays a little bit of guitar and piano.” Griswold plays keyboard and guitar, but originally wanted to play the drums when he was younger. His parents changed his mind.
Harrison said his family had “played music casually, as a hobby really. Nothing serious.” While he had a drum kit growing up, it was not a complete set, as was his parent’s choice, according to Harrison. He played on his first full drum kit while in college in Pennsylvania. That was also when he first learned of drum pads and was able to practice in the dorm room.
Clark has no historical family connection to music but his brothers both “play a little, but no gigging or recording or anything.”
“We each have different and varied musical influences that give our music a unique character,” Harrison said.
Their love of music brought the four individuals together and they “genuinely really like each other,” according to Harrison.
“Really, we're just in it for fun, and we just enjoy playing together. I guess that's why we've done it for 15 years,” Griswold said.
Mattingly believes that having a creative outlet that can be shared with friends and the wider community brings joy and happiness to life.
“Original music is alive and well -- and music represents one of the universal connectors among people,” Mattingly said.
Their album can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer or directly from the artist at https://haydenmattingly.hearnow.com.
They plan to record another album soon, according to the band members.