Shortly after Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980, Robert Plant formed the bluesier rock project called The Honeydrippers, comprised of a long list of musicians, including Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers, Brian Setzer, and Paul Shaffer, among others. Plant pulled the band’s name from the pre-and post-war bluesman Roosevelt Sykes, who was also known as “the honey dripper.”
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Marc LaBelle liked the name so much that when it came to labeling his own band name, he altered Plant’s moniker and made it something a little dustier—and dirtier.
Unsigned and No. 1
Formed in Los Angeles, California in 2017, Dirty Honey made its mark two years before releasing an album with its 2019 debut single “When I’m Gone.” The single shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, making them the first unsigned band to hit this milestone.
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A year later, Dirty Honey sold out its first headlining tour and was opening for The Who, Guns N’ Roses, and KISS, among others.
Rollicking between anthem, bluesier, soulful, and raunchier riffs, along with a natural swagger, Dirty Honey was easily guided by bygone classic rockers with LaBelle pulling for the lyric-writing from the likes of Plant, Mick Jagger, and Steven Tyler. All members started playing instruments before they were 10 years old with guitarist John Notto starting out on a red-and-white Fender Stratocaster and schooled himself on the Beach Boys and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
‘Dirty Honey’
In 2021, Dirty Honey, consisting of LaBelle and Notto, along with bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone, released its self-titled debut.
Right out of the gate, the band worked with producer Nick DiDia, whose catalog includes work with Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, and Stone Temple Pilots; DiDia also produced Dirty Honey’s eponymous EP in 2019.
Dirty Honey debuted at No. 2 on the Hard Rock Albums chart with the help of the single “California Dreamin,’” which peaked at No. 21 on the Mainstream Rock chart. That year, the band supported the album with its California Dreamin’ Tour and supported the Black Crowes on their Shake Your MoneyMaker Tour.
‘Can’t Find the Breaks’
Keeping its momentum, the band kicked off 2022 with a cover of Prince’s 1984 hit “Let’s Go Crazy” on New Year’s Day and later followed up Dirty Honey with Can’t Find the Breaks in 2023 and harder singles “Won’t Take Me Alive,” “Rebel Son,” and the ballad “Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire).”
“Creatively, I just think living a full life is really important for writing, experiencing the complete spectrum of what life has to offer, whether it’s travel, experiencing love and loss and addiction, and just [being] authentic in your writing,” said LaBelle on his mantras for songwriting and the inspiration behind Dirty Honey’s music in 2023. “That’s really all you can do. You can’t control if people are going to like it or not.”
LaBelle added, “We’re always making something for us first, and if we trust that we have good taste, other people will resonate with the music as well. But you can’t really cater to what you think people are going to like. It just never works out.
Photo: Daniel Prakopcyk / Courtesy of Red Light Management
