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The Honey Brothers like to tell people they formed one dog year ago at ukulele fantasy camp, then took to the streets of New York City, serenading street people and pretzel vendors with their whimsical new-wave folk tunes. This anecdote might tell you something about the spirit in which The Honey Brothers were conceived, way back in 2001 in the wake of 9/11. “The band began as a way to find joy in life,” says Ari Gold, who, with his college friends Andrew Vladeck and DS Posner, formed the group’s original nucleus.

“It was a time when people sought comfort and healing with their friends,” recalls Andrew, “and we rekindled our spirits with ukuleles. We’d get together and make dinner, drink booze, and learn old folk songs. Then we’d wander outside and sing for people on street corners.”

That familial, communal vibe was cemented even further when Adrian Grenier joined shortly after the band’s first public gig in 2002, followed by Ari’s twin brother Ethan Gold in September 2005. “We have solidified as real brothers,” Adrian says. “At first it was sort of a symbolic thing, but now I think our DNA has merged on a molecular level.” Indeed it is the band’s DNA, the distinct personalities of all five members, and what they bring to the table, that makes this group the exuberant band of brothers that they are.

“What I’ve noticed with our new songs is a feeling of searching for community,” Ari says. “I think the band coming together when we did, and the way we did, made us want to make music that helps us all live in the present. Music can have longing, humor, and joy. I think our music is trying to find the utopia of love in a world that might be going to shit.”

But, Adrian says, “people find our show really uplifting. It’s not shoegaze. You’ll have a smile on your face by the end.”