Durham, NC-based progressive folk duo Violet Bell– Lizzy Ross and Omar Ruiz-Lopez—will self-release their full-length debut album, Honey In My Heart, October 11. In support of the album, they will embark on a 18-date tour throughout the Southeast, which will kick off on release date at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC. A full list of dates is below.
Shot at the DrumSong Sanctuary in Orange County, North Carolina, with the assistance of Shannon Kelly and editor Sydney Buchan, today they premiere the official video for the album’s first single, “Howl” – (watch/share).
Of the song Ross offers, “Growing up, we watched our moms quietly sacrifice many dreams to raise us and to fit the cultural mold of ‘womanhood.’ We can only imagine what it was like for our grandmothers. We have the freedoms we do today because of them, but what would they have chosen if they were born in our time? “Howl” is a song for anyone who’s been told who they have to be and how to live their lives based on the body they were born into. Yes, it’s about our mothers, but more so it’s about humans being allowed to be who they are regardless of gender, orientation, color, and dis/ability.”
Recorded at Fidelitorium in Kernersville, NC, with co-producer Jason Richmond (Avett Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Don Flemons, Bombadil), the album was cut live in single takes, without vocal tuning, isolation or click tracks. Featuring 11 original compositions, the album explores all the emotions comprising the worthwhile chaos of the human experience.
From “Summer Skin,” a playful poke at bro-country and a reminder to wear sunscreen, to “Howl,” which brings focus to modern motherhood to “Swimming Towards Sharks” that takes rape culture by the horns, the album’s “a mashup of classical, soul, bluegrass, jazz, old-time and blues that floats effortlessly” (Greensboro News & Record).
Formed in 2016, the duo have performed over 300 shows resulting in a strong onstage chemistry that is “fiery, intimate and intuitive” (Pine Cone Radio). They released their debut EP, Dream the Wheel, in 2017.
Prior to forming Violet Bell, Ross fronted The Lizzy Ross Band from 2009-2016. Ruiz-Lopez, a multi-instrumentalist who studied violin, viola and cello, moved to North Carolina after hearing bluegrass for the first time while in college. “It changed my life, made me want to get more into roots, traditional styles of music as opposed to just classical,” Ruiz-Lopez recently told the Greensboro News & Record.
VIOLET BELL TOUR DATES
August 8 – Clayton Center – Clayton, NC
September 14 – Apex Peakfest – Apex, NC
October 5 – Charles & Myrtle’s Coffee House – Chattanooga, TN
October 11 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
October 17 – Abraham Baldwin University – Bainbridge, GA
October 24 – Prohibition Kitchen – St. Augustine, FL
October 25 – Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts – Winter Park, FL
October 26 – ACMA – Ft Myers, FL
October 30 – Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café – Tampa, FL
November 1 – Jacksonville Children’s Chorus – Jacksonville, FL
November 7 – Jam Inc., In Your Ear Music and Recording – Richmond, VA
November 8 – Cary Town Concerts – Cary, NC
November 15 – Folk All Y’all – Memphis, TN
November 16 – Chatt Hills Music – Chattachoochee Hills, GA
November 19 – Spot on Kirk – Roanoke, VA
November 21 – The Living Room – Ardmore, PA
December 6-7 – Diana Wortham Theater Black Box – Asheville, NC
Honey In My Heart Track Listing
- Honey In My Heart
- Elephant Heart
- Summer Skin
- Swimming Towards Sharks
- Smoke In The Night
- Howl
- Ugly Part
- Let Me Forget
- Juliana
- Mountain Song
- Path You’ve Never Seen
The album is now available for pre-order.
