Lucky Honey Hits A Nostalgic Sweet Spot with Debut Single “One You Call”

On their debut single, “One You Call,” Lucky Honey melds the infectious sounds of ’80s synth-pop with the edgy vibes of 2000s alt-rock, resulting in a versatile sound dripping with nostalgic charm while delivering a fresh and original twist.

The song is a wonderfully simplistic yet overwhelmingly powerful and upbeat love song promising that when someone you love is down and possibly at their worst, you are the person they trust to help them escape.

The members of Lucky Honey, JJ Johnson (vocals, guitar) Jake Langstaff (bass, vocals), Luke Matijczyk (keys, vocals), and Dan Walker (drums) came together not only from the desire to start a band but through what started as a simple act of kindness during the pandemic.

Johnson states:

“I met Jake pre-pandemic and we wanted to start a band, but then COVID halted that. We jammed together and did what we could during lockdown, including picking the name Lucky Honey and starting our social channels even before we had a full band.

“One day I offered to give away a guitar for free on Instagram to someone in Southwestern Ontario, asking people to nominate someone who might put the guitar to good use and it just blew up. It didn’t matter if the person was a 53-year-old guy wanting to learn guitar for the first time or a kid wanting to take up a new hobby since they couldn’t go out to play sports with their friends. I just wanted to do something positive during those dark times.”

Lucky Honey “One You Call” single artwork

JJ explains further:

“We got such an incredible response, including messages from people from a local Facebook page who wanted to donate money so we could buy more guitars to gift to people. In the end, we gave away 20 guitars, which I dropped off from Hamilton to Toronto and everywhere in between. Local media picked up on the giveaways, including 102.1 The Edge in Toronto. Before we knew it, Lucky Honey had a social media following before recording any music or even playing live.”

Fast forward to when JJ met Dan by chance, who remembered him from the guitar giveaway. Just like that, JJ, Jake, and Dan started jamming and talked about adding a fourth member who could play guitar, and keyboards, and sing backup vocals. Dan knew someone who could do all of that and the next thing we knew Luke had joined the band.

In January 2024, the band made their live debut with a sold-out show at Hamilton’s Mill’s Hardware. The unexpected support from those who remembered the guitar giveaway turned their first show into a packed house, standing shoulder to shoulder, embodying the essence of Lucky Honey’s journey—a harmonious blend of music, kindness, and the power of human connection. JJ Johnson’s altruistic gesture of giving away guitars during the pandemic not only brought joy to individuals across southwestern Ontario but also laid the foundation for a band fueled by positivity and goodwill.