Bozeman Magazine

The Local Honeys are from some of the oldest mountains in the world. They fish because it’s good eating, they tell stories worth telling, and they play old-time music because that’s just music. They are a Kentucky duo, names Montana and Linda Jean, and they’re here to talk about suffering. These are voices that still call horses home and rain pretty in the hollers, because their roots in American traditional music are authentic. Influences of the old world ballad and natural awe push their music, but their style is distinct and unforgettable. The Local Honeys write music for people who need it. Theirs is the ancient spirit, most at home in the verdure and heartbreaking conceits. At the core of this music, promises renew, and without a filter, rural America survives. But make no mistake, the Local Honeys are here to talk about suffering. For they will help you get through. It’s what they’ve always done. Their debut album, Little Girls Acting Like Men, propelled them on tours through the United States and Europe with Colter Wall. Soon, they found themselves focal points of traditional music festivals, becoming a headline draw throughout the UK almost instantly. Since then their specific sound of Appalachian music has grown, along with a fan base of music enthusiasts and proactive culture. A tour with Tyler Childers in early 2020 was followed up by a fun, yet controversial album The Gospel. With two records at their back, The Local Honeys set a standard for the preservation of old-time, hillbilly music, and the contemporary influences that inspire their songwriting. The Local Honeys have true charisma, and on stage, there’s no doubt they are headline artists. As buzz continues to build for The Local Honeys, despite a pandemic-deadened 2020 tour schedule that included shows at the biggest folk festivals around, they signed with songwriter haven, La Honda Records, home to country & Western heavy hitters Vincent Neil Emerson and Colter Wall. A recent summer show with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts highlighted continued focus and output, including new songs from the two women. If there’s any doubt, there won’t be for long. When they sing their songs, play their banjo, their fiddle, those guitars and boxes, the rhythms in their toes, you will know The Local Honeys are from Kentucky. Their names are Montana and Linda Jean, and they’re here to talk about suffering. They are here to get you through this.