Kevin Bronson on June 10th, 2020

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L.A. quartet Honyock premiere their new single “The Quarry” in today’s episode of QUARANTUNES — it’s about missing out on things, so thanks for nothing, COVID-19. The band, which has been collaborating online during the lockdown, look forward to their new EP, coming July.

THE LATEST FROM HONYOCK

L.A. quartet Honyock are the kind of band who’d probably know Weezer’s “Blue Album” note for note. Or spend down time crate-digging for overlooked ’70s guitar gods. Or spend hours arguing over which Wilco album was the best (c’mon, “Summerteeth,” right?). Honyock — brothers Mason and Spencer Hoffman, and along with Tyler Wolter and Christian Midthun — know their guitars, and how their crisp jangle can evoke dog-eared photographs from the past or bright vignettes from the present.

Today, Honyock premieres “The Quarry,” the first single from their new “#13 EP,” arriving July 10 via Park the Van Records (Yeasayer, Cayucas, Broncho, Nik Freitas, Dustin Lovelis, BOYO, et al). The EP is the follow-up to the Sacramento-bred band’s 2018 album “El Castillo,” made with David Vandervelde in Elliott Smith’s old digs, New Monkey Studio in Van Nuys. Honyock’s new self-produced EP was made with Riley Geare (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Caroline Rose) engineeering.

Inspired by one winter Spencer Hoffman spent working a humdrum factory job, the new single elbows its way out a stupor with twining guitars backed by disembodied voices. “‘The Quarry’ tackles the feeling of missing out on something you thought you prepared for …,” he says. “There is also a feeling of liberation in missing out on something you thought you wanted; it allows you to do something else. The chorus lyric ‘We all got time on us’ could have two meanings. In the first verse, ‘time’ might be an oppressive force, like a prison sentence. But in combination with the raucous, campy tone of the music it could also be liberation in realizing we all still have time.”

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MANAGE THE ‘STAY AT HOME’ EDICT?

Mason Hoffman: The days have kind of blurred together. There is an underlying tension through everything but I am trying to focus on creative projects while I have the luxury of time.

Spencer Hoffman: Yeah, we all have been taking everything very seriously in terms of the virus, which means we haven’t seen each other and have instead collaborated over the internet. The best thing to do is shed something new, learn something you never had the time for.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN THIS IS OVER?

Tyler Wolter: Really looking forward to playing music in the same room with the band, breakfasts at diners and games of Dungeons and Dragons with my family.

Spencer Hoffman: I just really hope that our independent venues get the help they need until everyone can safely gather. The biggest bummer has been not knowing where or when we can play again.

ANYTHING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PLAYLIST?

Music can be a helpful means of escape in a time like this. It frees your mind to put certain feelings to rest. These tunes are helping each of us cope with 2020.