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Not in it for Money Honey

Local rockers Money Honey just returned from a once in a lifetime opportunity.They recorded an album with music producer Dale Penner, a name those in the music industry would recognize instantly.

Penner has worked with Canadian rock acts like Matthew Good, Econoline Crush, Holly McNarland and the chart-topping Nickelback.

"He’s actually the guy who apparently shaped their sound, their radio rock sound," said Money Honey’s drummer Konrad Commisso.

Penner is a big name in the Canadian music industry and to have his name backed on Money Honey’s CD is a big deal, said Commisso.

"We hope that’s going to get us noticed and I think it will," he said.

The group of five left for Winnipeg on Jan. 19 and spent their time in the city putting in 12-hour days in Penner’s studio.

"It was really just work pretty much," said guitar player Mike Kondakow. After a couple of days practicing, Penner threw in his ideas to help shape their tunes a bit more.

Having a producer who’s not attached to the music like the band also helped push the guys to tighten their songwriting.

"What Dale did when we went down there is he’d say, ‘you have to make this bridge better, this chorus better,’" said lead vocalist Matt Fratpietro. "He wouldn’t really say anything else about it. So that night we’d be sitting there and we’d be really mad. Then you would sit down and you’d be forced to write something and it would always be better than what you had."

Money Honey formed three years ago when Commisso, Fratpietro, Kondakow and bassist Scott Burke came together from two former bands. The four also knew each other from high school. A year ago, they added guitarist David Grant to the mix.

How they ended up in Winnipeg recording with Penner all started with a songwriting competition in Thunder Bay.

"Matt entered two songs in that and he actually finished second and third out of the 40 songs," said Grant. ""One of the prizes for that was time in a studio to record some songs."

The band recorded two songs and put them on their MySpace. Their booking agent then turned their tunes over to a man named Mike Wood, a booking agent out of Ottawa who works with American Idol and is also on the Grammy nomination committee.

"Mike Wood heard our stuff, liked it and talked to his buddy named Dale Penner," said Grant.

Money Honey’s CD is due out sometime early this summer. They’ll also be heading out on tour later this year.

But becoming the next Nickelback isn’t something they necessarily want.

"I think we all just really enjoy playing music and if we can make a living going out and playing shows every night touring, that kind of thing, that would be making it for us," said Burke.

Listen to MoneyHoney on CILU's "Feelin Young" Radio Show! Click on the track to start.