April 22, 2024

Interview with Guitarist Derry Grehan of Honeymoon Suite

By Mick Michaels

Cosmick View: Hello, Derry! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.

CV: What keeps a band like Honeymoon Suite together for 41 years, and has the group still reaching for the stars more than four decades after its forming? What’s the secret?
Derry: We still love what we do. We’ve got original members. We’re all still good friends, healthy, and still in teenage brains.

CV: In an ever changing musical landscape, how versatile does a band need to be to stay in the game all these and continue to play at the highest levels?

Derry: We have our own sound and style of music. We don’t change to fit the latest trend. We are a great live band because we still care a lot. At the end of the day, it’s the songs. They have to be great and everything follows from that.

CV: Do the fans play a major role in Honeymoon Suite's decision to maintain a regular tour scheduling?
Derry: Yes, of course. We wouldn’t be here without the fans. It’s been that way since day one.

CV: After 16 years and following the 2020 single, "Find What You're Looking For," which charted on the Billboard Top 30 in Canada, "Alive" is the band's first full-length album release. How do you see this album capturing where the band is musically right now?
Derry: “Alive” is a real turning point for us. It’s a fantastic album that captures the essence of what Honeymoon Suite is without sounding dated. It’s fresh sounding with modern production, but staying true to the hard melodic style that we’ve always had.

CV: Where does "Alive" sit with the back catalog of Honeymoon Suite hits comparably speaking in your opinion.

Derry: It sits in perfectly somewhere between “The Big Prize” and “Racing After Midnight”. Great songs with big choruses and hard edge guitars. Johnnie Dee’s vocals as good as anything he sang in the mid 80’s.

CV: In a predominantly digital world, many artists feel that making full- length albums is a waste of time and resources. Do you share this sentiment even on the heels of the new album’s release?
Derry: That’s true if there’s only one or two good songs on an album. But with vinyl coming back so strong, full albums are cool again as long as they hold up from start to finish. I’ve listened to “Alive” top to bottom many times since the release, and I love every song. I haven’t done that in a long time, and that should tell you something because I’m pretty picky.

CV: Do you feel music fans have become too opinionated or even overly critical of their favorite artists, leaving artists with no room to spread their wings and try other things.
Derry: Well there’s no accounting for people’s tastes. We can’t worry about that. We satisfy ourselves first by writing the best songs we can and, if people like it, that’s great.

CV: What's one thing all these years in a Rock band has taught you about life?Derry: I wouldn’t recommend a career in music to anyone. I’ve been through the best and worst times, but I never thought of giving up. There’s nothing else I ever wanted to do. There is no Plan B.

CV: In addition to the new album and tour dates, what more can fans expect to see coming from Honeymoon Suite in 2024 and beyond?
Derry: We’re going to have a bigger, better show than ever this year… all the best songs from every album, and one or two from “Alive.” which fit in so well in the set.

CV: Thanks again Derry for taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.

Check out Honeymoon Suite at:

Official: www.honeymoonsuiteband.com

www.instagram.com/honeymoonsuiteband

.facebook.com/hmslive

The Cosmick View

Where the stars always shine bright
www.thecosmickview.com
www.facebook.com/TheCosmickView

www.thecosmickvoice.com
www.anchor.fm/the-cosmick-voice

My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.