The Local Honeys: Keeping Traditional Kentucky Music Alive
The Local Honeys are a duo consisting of Linda Jean Stokley and Montana Hobbs who create music deriving from the Appalachian tradition in Kentucky. They have mastered the art of storytelling and specifically for the experiences of those in eastern Kentucky. Their music covers topics relevant to these communities like addiction and the state of post coal mining towns. What is really impressive about their creative process in music is that they are able to draw on tradition while bringing in their own original sound.
Rick Rubin in his book “The Creative Act” discusses how an “artist’s job is never truly finished” meaning that they are constantly living in their work. Creativity is not something someone does, but rather the way someone is. This means as a creative you are always noticing the little things that could become a story. This aspect of creativity is found in the music of The Local Honeys because their music is so immersed in their life and culture. Many of the songs they sing are about everyday realities that other people may not even notice as something significant enough to be worthy of a song. This is what makes their music so impactful, they notice the little things and they sing songs for the average person. Additionally, both Stokley and Hobbs grew up around traditional old time Kentucky music. This is a kind of music that is a part of everyday life and is accessible to anyone.
https://youtu.be/C8vFsOq0LVM?si=Z-8ww7mpadYFxCgj
This is a link to a video sponsored by Patagonia of The Local Honeys talking about the coal industry in eastern Kentucky and the impact it has on the communities in the region along with some of the larger issues that people face as a result. This is a good example of how they use their role as creatives to tell a larger story and make an impact.
Hi Maddie, great post about the Local Honeys. I had never heard of them before, but I'll definitely be checking out their music now. You made an interesting point about their music and its relationship to Rubin's book. It is very cool how they turn old traditions into something new with their own sound. I'm also reading Rubin's book and I think that the band is a great example of his ideas about creatives going out and filtering their experiences into their works. It seems like The Local Honeys do this especially, as they take the issues from their homes and make them seen through their work, like in the video you shared.
ReplyDeleteHi! I loved your post, and thought it connects really well to some of the content we covered in class last week. I remember during the lecture we talked about how there are two types of creativity - one where you take tradition and reinvent it to be applicable to today, and another where you push past tradition to create something entirely new all together. From what you described, it sounds like the Local Honeys almost do a little bit of both - honoring traditional Kentucky folk music and also making it their own. I can't wait to give them a listen!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post. When you say "creativity is not what someone does, but what someone is", don't actions define a person? Or rather I think that how else do we determine someone to be creative other than by what they have done. Can someone become creative at something that maybe they weren't particularly born into or grown up with? I enjoyed learning about the Local Honeys. It is very interesting to hear their commitment to tradition of keeping their traditional music alive. Where sometimes we hear of people doing away with tradition because they see it as outdated or not keeping up with the world, it is refreshing to hear a group of people like the Local Honeys who still appreciate their history.
ReplyDeleteCan't lie, I feel like listening to a different type of music now. And I don't say that lightly. Hearing stories like these definitely shows me how soulful music can be, and how much goes into every single piece. Appreciating history is one extremely important component of that. Now the question is, would they be able to do the same, in terms of spreading their story and music, to other people who would otherwise never listen to their music. Amazing how much a story can contextualize your work, isn't it?
ReplyDelete