Matt "Guitar" Murphy
& the Nouveaux Honkies

   
They are The Nouveaux Honkies. Originating from the small commercial fishing town of Port Salerno they started in the summer of 2006 playing in a tiny cafe on Saturday nights. The combination of blues, swing and early country they performed swallowed the local crowd and in a short time this quartet has exploded out of the gate recording two albums and leaving a trail of old tonk-style shows from Florida to the Northwest.

Their first self-titled album saw great reviews and was named 'Best Roots Music CD' by the Palm Beach Post. Their second album, 'Where Do I Go' debuted in the Roots Music Report at number 14 on the Roots Americana Chart. Blues Revue magazine compared the sounds to that of The Stones, with hints of Dire Straits, Curtis Mayfield, Hendrix, and Wolf. O'Donnell's vocal style was said to be 'an amalgam of Van Morrison and Willy DeVille'. Violinist Rebecca Dawkins crafts her lead lines over popping rhythms and their unique blend of blues, swing and country becomes the sound that fans describe as a reinvention of the musical wheel. To hear them is wonderful and to see them perform is a thrill. Between their performance schedule of over 200 dates this year the band will release their third album in late 2008 or early 2009 and continue to tour nationwide.

'The Nouveaux Honkies imaginative originals are well-conceived interpretations of blues and R&B classics. They have a matchless sound and perform a blistering show with their futuristic approach to music that nevertheless retains an authentic American style. With fluid guitar work, reverent vocals and a haunting violin, this deep rhythm section is a discovery of the year,' said Dusty Scott, Modern Guitars Magazine, Feb 2, 2008.

Blues Legend Matt "Guitar" Murphy, seen below, will be playing with the Nouveaux Honkies at the Daytona Blues Festival this year.  Murphy has been playing blues alongside other legends like Ms. Etta James, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush and more. He also played the husband to Aretha Franklin's character in the Blues Brothers and has had an incredible career as a blues musician.

We are excited to see him play at the Daytona Blues Festival this year!


 
What do fans think about the Nouveaux Honkies?

'I was floored. I really do like your sound and presentation. (I love the tough elegance of the tattoos and evening dress!) It goes with the tough elegance of your music.' T-Bone Erickson, founding editor of BluesWax, contributor to Blues Review. 'For me, the hottest band there was the Nouveaux Honkies. Were they blues, bop, swing? Don't know but they got me out of my seat.'

- Anonymous fan at the IBC from Lexington, Blindman Blues Forum.

'All I can say is that I caught their set Friday night and my jaw literally hit the floor. I don't know how 'bluesy' they were perceived to be, but their live show was one of the most frenzied, energetic and enjoyable displays of mayhem I've ever seen. I had to give em' a standing 'o', along with most of the audience at Alfred's.'
- Anonymous fan from central Kentucky, Blindman Blues Forum.

Founding members Tim O'Donnell and Rebecca Dawkins met in early 2005. O'Donnell's blues based background was thick with the history of classic blues from T-Walker, Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters to name a few. O'Donnell had taken a hiatus from music for a few years and after the hurricane season that pummeled Florida in 2004 left him scratching his head and wondering where to go he reconnected with his first love of music. Violinist, Rebecca Dawkins, had moved down from Myrtle Beach, SC. and was looking for a gig. Dawkins and O'Donnell started a duo in 2005 and a year later the sound had developed into a band. Dawkins' classical background was in stark contrast to O'Donnell's highly improvisational sound. The combination of the two creates a sound that is The Nouveaux Honkies.

The future of The Nouveaux Honkies is to tour and record. From their local in-town gig on Thursday nights to club dates and festivals, the Honkies consistently leave a trail of 'honkified' public with their tight unique sound and blistering infectious show. The band can't be duplicated and brings a sound reminiscent of a time when rock was on its first date with roll. It is an authentic approach to historic music that doesn't replicate but is highly respectful, obviously thankful, and undeniably original.

 
Instrumentation
Tim O'Donnell - Guitar, Vocals, Lapsteel
Rebecca Dawkins - Violin, Vocals
Mike Burney - Bass Guitar
Phil Ori - Drums

Discography
The Nouveaux Honkies 2007 release 'The Nouveaux Honkies' is available at Bandvillage.com. Their 2008 release 'Where Do I Go' is available at Bandvillage.com, CD Baby and most fine digital retail stores.

Visit their website at TNHBand.com