Feature

Southern rock has a new super group in the form of Devon Allman’s Honeytribe. Over the past couple of years, this assemblage of St. Louis’ most talented musicians has traversed the globe with their matchless organic rock while pleasantly catching the ears of both critics and music lovers.

With their debut release “Torch” (Livewire Recordings) as proof, Honeytribe creates an ethereal experience with each cut. Gregg Allman has to be proud of what his son has created, for Honeytribe has captured the down-home sound that made the Allman Brothers Band legendary and molded it into their own hybridized version of rock-and- roll.

One would think Gregg Allman’s kid would have had an unusual childhood, but Devon claims it was quite typical.

“I didn’t grow up backstage or on tour buses,” Allman explains. “I had a really normal upbringing. My mom (Shelley Allman-Jefts) had remarried. I played soccer; I listened to KISS. I was a pretty typical kid growing up in the ‘80s, which I think is good. In retrospect, I really got to find music on my own without any outside influences.”

Even though Allman rarely saw his father, he couldn’t deny the powerful musical legacy to which he belonged. Before Allman had made it out of kindergarten, he had already developed a record collection and a deep love for music. During these formative years, Allman had no real ambition to follow in the footsteps of his father, but eventually it was inescapable.

“By the time I was 13, I was playing guitar,” Allman says. “There was never a thought of continuing the family business. That’s more a byproduct of my own hopes and dreams.”

It wasn’t long after he picked up the guitar that his stepfather was relocated to Mobile. Devon attended Murphy High School as a sophomore and spent his Sunday afternoons testing the wits of Murphy’s principal (who lived right across the street) with his friends in their nameless garage band.

Eventually, his travels brought him to St. Louis, Mo., where he formed Honeytribe in 1999, but personal matters forced him to put the band on hold.

“My personal business was me really wanting to be a part of my son’s life,” says Allman. “He was brought into the world in 2000. I really wanted to stay home and build a foundation with him that I never had with my dad. I wanted him to be at an age where I could reason with him, so he could know what was going on. I didn’t want to leave for a month at a time, going on tour and leaving a two-or-three-year old. So, by the time he was five-and-a-half, he was starting to get a grip on what dad does.”

With that realization, Allman was ready to turn his attention back to the band.

“I started messing around with some new musical styles and taking a far too cerebral approach to music. I woke up one morning, and I was like, ‘I gotta do this, and I gotta do this now.’” Allman didn’t complete this task on his own. He recruited some of the best talent the area could offer with Mark Oyarzabal on drums, George Potsos on bass and Jack Kirkner on organ/piano.

“We’ve all played in the St. Louis music scene for a number of years,”Allman explains. “Long story short, Mark and I have been playing together for 14-and-a-half years. We were introduced by a mutual friend, who was also Mark’s cousin. We really established a really good thing in some early bands. I think the rest of it is a very organic kinda flow. With George and Jack, they are definitely amazing at their instruments. I think maybe there was a greater force out there kinda aligning the pieces of this band to come together. It’s truly a fun outfit that’s very in sync with each other.”

While Honeytribe was still in its infancy, Allman found that he was earning some fans in Europe courtesy of The Vargas Blues Band. After recording several vocal tracks with Vargas for “Love Union Peace,” Allman found himself with Vargas on a European tour with a video on MTV Europe.

“That whole experience just landed in my lap by happenstance of being in the right place at the right time,” says Allman. “Namely, that situation was me being in the studio where Vargas had been recording. It was a snowball effect. I sang a song on the record; it became two songs, then three songs. One of the songs got chosen as single. We shot a video, and once it hit, the people wanted to hear me sing the song. So, we went on tour. It was crazy! The people over there are so receptive, and they are really big fans of blues-inspired music.”

When Allman got back to America, Honeytribe finished up their tracks for “Torch.” When it hit the streets, many of the right people started taking notice. Honeytribe filled up their calendar with gigs and hit the road in support of this release. As they traveled from venue to venue, the sponsorships and endorsements began to roll in from Gibson, D’Addario and Precision. In addition, the critics fell in love with “Torch” alongside the public. Honeytribe had created a sound worthy of the Allman legacy.

“I don’t sit around and think about it, but I’m definitely thankful of all my blessings,” Allman explains modestly. “I wake up daily and feel blessed that I get to play guitar every day and not have to work in a steel factory or deliver pizzas. I never really sit there and go over it. We’ve been on the road for 21 months, and it kinda becomes a blur. When you put it in perspective like that, it’s really neat. Twenty-one months ago we were in my basement fleshing out the songs that became the record ‘Torch.’ Here we are 21 months later, and we’re an international band.”

Honeytribe will be heading down to Miami in October to begin work on their next album at Criteria Recording Studios. As of now, the release date is set for March of 2008. Until then, Honeytribe will stay dedicated to the road and do what they do best.

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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