Andy Clutterbuck and James Hatcher met while at university and started making music together in 2014. In the same year, they began performing under the name of Honne, which means “true feelings” in Japanese, and released their debut single, “Warm on a Cold Night.”
Five Extended Plays, one mixtape, and three albums later, Andy and James are still together creating good music (once described by The Telegraph as “futuristic soul destined to re-invent babymaking music”) and have cultivated a huge and fiercely dedicated global fan base since the release of their critically-acclaimed debut LP named after their debut single.
Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, to promote their third studio album Let’s Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do? (which releases on Oct. 22) and their participation in the annual G Music Fest on Sept. 25 and 26, the London duo shared one of the reasons behind their longevity as musicians.
“It’s just an arm wrestle,” Andy said in jest.
“Me and James, we’ve know each other for probably 14 years now. We’ve been working on music together and we’re very good friends. There’s always going to be slight clashes but over the years we’ve learned to kind of form into one person. We never bicker too much, we just crack on and do what we have to do,” the singer and music producer stated.
In agreement, James underscored their shared vision as musicians and buddies in the recording studio.
“We both work towards the same thing. When it’s right, we would both agree that it’s right. We try to list different things to get the right results,” James said.
The duo believes that working together is about “making compromises.”
To coincide with the release of their third LP, James and Andy have also compiled three new album tracks for fans to listen to as an EP, setting the tone perfectly for what’s to come. Available everywhere now, What Would You Do? features new songs “Now I’m Alone” ft. Sofía Valdés—co-written alongside recent 3x BRIT Award winner Arlo Parks—and “IDGAF About Pain,” as well as recent single “What Would You Do?” ft. Pink Sweat$.
Written throughout the course of 2020, Let’s Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do? captures Honne in limitless full bloom – as songwriters, producers, and collaborators.
“In the past, we’ve limited ourselves,” the duo explained. “We might get to a section of a song and things are getting really exciting, but we then pull ourselves back and say, ‘Can we really do that?’. Now, we’ve sidestepped the rules and done whatever we wanted to do.”
This sense of freedom permeates the tracklist, which is defined as much by its eye-catching collaborations—Khalid (“Three Strikes”), Griff (“Back On Top”), 88 Rising’s NIKI (“Coming Home”)—as it is by its musicianship, shimmering pop feel, and intelligent song-writing; Sam Smith (“Back On Top”), and MNEK (“Easy On Me”) also co-wrote songs on the album.
Bold and ambitious, Let’s Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do? brings together everything Honne have worked towards in their career so far, while simultaneously pushing them into broad and exciting new spaces.