Rising Stars: Meet Stephanie Amber and Adam Darling of Honey and Blue

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Amber and Adam Darling. 

Hi Stephanie and Adam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
We met in Los Angeles about 10 years ago working at the same cocktail bar. Adam was the first friend I made on my very first shift. Within the first hour of us meeting, he told me he was a songwriter and gave me his CD. I almost wrote him off as just another, albeit incredibly handsome, songwriter trying to make it in LA, but he was so kind and genuine that I went straight home to listen to his music. I was blown away! At that point in my life, I was performing every few weeks at The House Of Blues as a vocalist but had never shown anyone my original music before. We decided to meet up and see if we had any musical chemistry, and the rest was history! 

Since then, we have moved to Columbus and have had so many INCREDIBLE opportunities! Most recently we released our full-length album ‘Bloom’, which features 10 new songs, one of which is produced by and featuring world-renowned musician Charlie Hunter, who has worked with the likes of D’Angelo, John Mayer, Mos Def, Norah Jones, and countless others. 

Honey and Blue have been featured on ABC 6 Good Morning Columbus, Broad, and High (PBS), and our Tiny Desk performance of ‘Picture Perfect’ was featured on NPR.org. I (vocalist Stephanie Amber) have been featured at The Harmony Project’s 10th Anniversary celebration at the Nationwide Arena, leading a choir of over 600 with over 10,000 people in attendance, as well as being a featured vocalist for the popular online sensation Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ). 

Honey and Blue have independently toured, and we have had the pleasure of opening for Fatai (Finalist for The Voice), Aloe Blacc, and Bettye LaVette. We have performed at countless festivals such as; Jazz and Ribs Festival, Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, Ann Arbor Summer Festival: Top Of The Park, Columbus Arts Festival – opening for Postmodern Jukebox, Stonewall Pride Festival – opening for Martha Wash, and many more. Honey and Blue was also chosen as music ambassadors of Ohio and were hand-picked to travel to Chicago for the ASAE annual conference to perform for over 2,000 people as a representation of the Ohio music scene. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Relocating across the country to really dive into becoming full-time and fully independent artists has come with its challenges. To be honest, being an independent artist, in general, comes with quite a few obstacles. Neither of us knew that in order to be successful artists we would have to become your own social media managers, booking agents, video editors, merchandise creators, and business managers, all while writing our own original songs, recording them on our dime, and performing as regularly as possible. We have to wear so many hats at all times, and we know that this is not necessarily unique to us. It is, however, very empowering to have our hands on every aspect of creation and promotion, and we feel grateful to have as much work as we do, even if it comes with all of the challenges. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
First and foremost, we are songwriters. We have the unique position of having two completely different perspectives and walks of life. We are in a loving relationship that allows us to tap into vulnerability and honesty in ways that we couldn’t have imagined. Every song that we have written has come from a very real experience. It’s either something that we have directly experienced or a loved one has experienced. We believe that is something that makes us unique. On stage, we are not putting on a persona; we are who we are, and the songs that we write are honest, and we put our hearts out for all to see. We also love playing with multiple genres. We always wanted our catalogue of music to move freely between the different styles that we love. It’s hopefully always going to be a surprise as to what we will be coming up with next. There is something for everyone with Honey and Blue. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Our advice for anyone just starting their musical journey is simple and straightforward:

1. Be IN LOVE with what you are creating. This industry can be tough. If you spend time chasing trends, or seeking approval, more often than not, it will be unfulfilling and feel like a job.

2. Be patient! This one is a particularly hard one to hear (for us as well), and you will hear it a lot. Things don’t always happen as quickly as you want them to. That doesn’t mean that you are not doing great things; that just means life takes time to sort out all the great things in store for you. 

3. Be kind to yourself. Every season of life will bring new challenges and joys. Self-doubt will come in waves, and you need to cheer yourself on the same way you would your best friend. If you’re a human being creating honest art, there will be natural ebbs and flows of emotions, and you can’t make the mistake of thinking you need to be a productive robot all the time. Some of the best songs and art have come from creators being relaxed and open, and present.

We think everyone should read ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield! 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.honeyandblue.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyandblue/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoneyandBlue/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/honeyandblue
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ZfyKOE6FNHEcvxaQXKPWh?si=MoI8UXXpSLaX6JZatuUhFQ

Image Credits
Zak O’day
Samantha Gonzalez
Gina Carter
Mia Barnes