Honey and the Money

When Leila Harrison and Matt Clarke started playing music together six years ago, there wasn’t much of a plan. Matt was finishing theatre school and playing coffee shops, and Leila was busy acting and had never sung publicly; the thought of forming a band together hadn’t even crossed their minds. Oh how things change. Over the ensuing years Honey and the Money took form, as the pop singer-songwriters carefully and relentlessly carved out a sound and voice for themselves that is contemporary and forward thinking while staying emotionally loaded. They have spent the past two years writing and recording their first full length record, “The Elephant in the Room.” It is an ambitious and stunning debut. With moments that rock to moments that make you shake your ass to moments that break your heart, “The Elephant in the Room” is everything you want in a record. Produced by Jared Kuemper (Tegan and Sara, Sheryl Crow) it is pop music at its finest. Not in the cheap, material sense that pop music is often thought of these days, but filled with hooks and stories, musically and lyrically compelling. Shows, shows and more shows is what followed the release of the duo’s first recording, “Songs From the Seventh Floor EP,” when they were known as Madisen. Playing to crowds across Canada, the duo was also invited to support their friend, Australian award winning singer songwriter, Ben Lee on a string of his US tour dates. Add to that commercial radio play, television appearances and critical acclaim, and you’ve got a pretty successful independent release. With “The Elephant in the Room” finally complete, the next step is to get the songs onto the stage and into people’s consciousness. “We can’t wait to play these songs live,” explains Matt. “Putting them in front of a crowd and connecting with our audience is what gives us the most excitement.” These Calgary born, Vancouver based musicians are gaining some serious momentum. And with the weight of “The Elephant in the Room” behind them, they are going to be hard to stop. “We really feel this record is for the world,” says Leila. “Whoever wants it is welcome to it - we look forward to hand delivering it wherever we can.”