Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Deliver ‘The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’

On a clear, blue, late-winter afternoon outside of Black Mountain, North Carolina, Amanda Anne Platt was sitting alone on the deck of a coffee shop. Across the state road were dormant railroad tracks and beyond them the Blue Ridge Mountains, too close to see the blue ridge they cut across the sky. Workers were on the roof sawing and nailing shingles. Platt put away her book, pushed aside her long-finished coffee mug, and smiled against the sun.

For someone who sings so many sad songs, Platt is pretty easygoing. Granted, it’s not news that singing sad songs makes people feel better, and there are enough on her new album to give a singer a whole new lease on life. Then again, Platt barely remembers the album is new. The process this time, she notes, “has been so gradual that it doesn’t even feel like it was a mountain to climb, or that there’s any big release. It was a very gentle roll that gathered some momentum and happened.”

The resulting project, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, features songs that Platt and her band, the Honeycutters, released two per month over the past year, gradually amassing enough to satisfy a vision of a double album that she’d had for a while. “I had, a long time ago, decided I wanted to make an album called The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” she says. “I had the concept of one half being more upbeat, full-band treatment, and the other half being quiet, introspective, more solo-type stuff.”

Though the “Deep Blue Sea” portion of the album is not entirely solo, the concept plays nicely together. It is thick on Platt’s unrestrained vocals, intimate melodies, and truth-centered storytelling. The album ruminates on the concept of home in a way that stretches beyond the stuck-at-home-and-made-an-album themes coming from so many songwriters in the Covid era. Part of that is due to the way the recording process evolved.

“When the pandemic hit,” she says, “we started doing some home recordings. Then I went in alone to the studio to do a few demos, to inform the home recordings. That morphed into getting the whole band involved in remote recording, and that morphed into doing the singles. And then that morphed into [thinking] we need to do this every month or we’ll never get this done because we don’t work well without deadlines—or, I don’t work well without deadlines.”

As organic and quarantine-influenced as the recording process was, its themes—loss, family, home, the relationship Platt, as the band’s songwriter, has with all these things—were borne out of a period preceding the pandemic, when a few major life events took place one after another.

“A lot of these songs,” she explains, “were written right when my parents were selling the house that I grew up in, and there was a lot of change and upheaval going on in my life at that point. That was right before the pandemic and right before I had my daughter. There were a few years there where it felt like nothing was sure. Everything I ever thought of as home was like—never mind, that’s gone. [Also] everything I thought I knew about myself, because you know becoming a mother is such a mind-blowing experience. And then the pandemic happens, and now everybody feels that way regardless of how their last few years have been.”

Platt and her husband relocated from Asheville to Black Mountain around that time, making a conscious move away from the town that had been home since she arrived in Western North Carolina in 2004.

Originally from New York, Platt moved South to pursue her music because she had grown up listening to the country music her parents always played. They had both lived for a time in Austin, Texas, and had a soft spot for Southern artists like Lucinda Williams and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Thus, when she gained traction playing shows around the Asheville area, she was shy about publicizing her upbringing in the Northeast, lest anyone write her off as a country-singing poser.

“I felt like being a Yankee was sort of a handicap,” she admits, “and really, those first couple years and on our first album—I listen to that first album and I sound like I’m trying very hard to sound like a country singer. Whereas I feel like over time I’ve become more comfortable with who I am.”

Indeed, over the course of seven full-length albums, Platt’s voice has become more sure-footed. She may say that’s because she’s no longer trying to hide her Yankee origins, but there’s more to it than just that. Her songwriting has become stronger and there’s more authority in the instrumental breaks as well. Part of this is what happens when a singer gets used to the sound of her own voice on tape, when a band has clocked as many miles together—both literally and figuratively—as have the Honeycutters. But whatever it is that has swirled together, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea carries with it some of Platt’s finest work yet.

“When I first moved to North Carolina,” she continues, “I was trying very hard to sound like I was from North Carolina and writing songs about North Carolina. Maybe me writing so much about New York and me thinking so much about that on this album was a bit of a homecoming in a way.”

One of its strongest tracks is titled, simply, “New York.” It’s heavy on sentiment and beautifully captures the conflicting emotions of saying goodbye to her childhood house for the last time.

My whole world grew up from this house
Now we’re turning all the lights out
And I’m standing in the doorway with one eye on the street
Afraid I’ll take the floorboards with me if I move my feet.

To hear Platt tell it, there is something meaningful to the fact that her parents sold her childhood home around the same time she moved to Black Mountain and became a parent herself, leaning into building a new home that will become such a space for her daughter. Hard times ultimately lead to growth, after all, and Platt is at a place in her life where she welcomes the evolution—both personally and musically.

“For a long time,” she says, “I was more reliant on my band. I’m still reliant on them in the way that I love playing with them and I love what they bring to the table, and I always feel stronger when I have them behind me. But over the years I’ve gotten more able to hold my own. I think it makes me more able to sing over them and be in front of them when I’m with them. Part of that was [shifting] to using my own name several years ago. And then just being more comfortable by myself now, too. I used to feel very sheepish playing solo shows and now I don’t mind them.”


Photo Credit: Sandlin Gaither

The BGS Radio Hour – Episode 214

Welcome to the BGS Radio Hour! Since 2017, this weekly radio show and podcast has been a recap of all the great music, new and old, featured on the digital pages of BGS. This week, we bring you a modern classic instrumental bluegrass tune, new music from Tim O’Brien, and much more! Remember to check back every week for a new episode of the BGS Radio Hour.

APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters – “New York”

“New York” a song Amanda Anne Platt wrote about leaving the house that she grew up in, and kind of saying goodbye to that younger version of herself. We recently premiered a video for the track.


Rachel Sumner – “Lose My Love”

Singer-songwriter Rachel Sumner first wrote and recorded “Lose My Love” for the bluegrass group Twisted Pine, but now that she’s branched out as a solo artist she decided to reclaim and reimagine the tune in this new context.

Cameron Knowler – “Done Gone”

“Done Gone” is something like a mission statement for musician Cameron Knowler’s album, Places of Consequence. It’s an example of how he examines fiddle music thoughtfully and renders it meditatively — while paying homage to his hero Norman Blake, too.

Aaron Burdett – “Hard Hand”

We sat down with singer-songwriter Aaron Burdett for a 5+5 — that’s five questions and five songs — about his inspirations, his mission statement, and more.

Brad Reid – “Northumberland Shores”

For Cape Breton fiddler Brad Reid, “Northumberland Shores” has become almost a meditation, bringing a sense of calm and grounding while symbolizing Reid’s Scottish ancestors’ journey to America.

Son Volt – “Living in the USA”

This song didn’t start out as an homage to Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” or Neil Young’s “Rockin in the Free World,” but in retrospect Son Volt see the track as a nod to both — while questioning the mythology of the American dream.

Tim O’Brien – “I Breathe In”

Tim O’Brien’s latest album, He Walked On, explores the many realities and histories of what it means to be American. With his well-known ability to tell a story through song he shares intimate and intriguing tales that reflect on the political turmoil of the past few years through both modern and historical lenses. O’Brien was our Artist of the Month for July of this year, and we spoke to him in a two-part interview.

John Reischman – Salt Spring

Mandolinist John Reischman wrote a modern classic instrumental tune, “Salt Spring,” which is now available for the first time digitally and streaming. The track features a roster of young pickers who grew up playing the song in jams and on stage.

Margo Cilker – “Tehachapi”

Singer-songwriter Margo Cilker didn’t write “Tehachapi” to be an exuberant song, but it certainly became one — both in her live shows and on her upcoming, Sera Cahoone-produced album, Pohorylle.

Pat Byrne – “I Woulda Done It For You”

The quirky, upbeat energy of the latest single from Austin-based Irish singer-songwriter Pat Byrne belies the song’s tragic content, which is all about a breakup and a plea for one more chance.

Grayson Jenkins – “Mockingbird”

Grayson Jenkins wrote “Mockingbird” inspired by a noisy, singing songbird and a recent break-up: “When a bird was chirping nonstop by my van while I was trying to sleep. I couldn’t get it to leave, kind of like her memory.”

Tylor & the Train Robbers – “Lemonade”

Everyone has heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Tylor & the Train Robbers turn this phrase on its head, because when you don’t find a way to bring some good out of the bad, you’re just stuck with the same old lemons.


Photos: (L to R) Rachel Sumner by Hannah Cohen; Margo Cilker by Matthew W. Kennelly; John Reischman, courtesy of the artist.

WATCH: Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, “New York”

Artist: Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “New York”
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “I always get ideas for videos when I’m listening to mixes in the car. My 20-month-old daughter really took a shine to this song one day while I was listening and started demanding it every time we got in the car… over and over and over. So I had a lot of time to visualize the story. It’s a song I wrote about leaving the house that I grew up in, and kind of saying goodbye to that younger version of myself. Our friend Gretchen Kauffman did such a great job as little Amanda! We had a really fun time.” — Amanda Anne Platt


Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

The BGS Radio Hour – Episode 190

We are so excited to bring to you the BGS Radio Hour podcast! Since 2017 the BGS Radio Hour has been a weekly recap of the wonderful music, new and old, that we’ve covered here on BGS broadcast over the airwaves in Murfreesboro, TN, southern California, and around the country. Now you can check back in every Monday to kick your week off with the best of BGS in podcast form, via the BGS Radio Hour.

APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY

Mipso — “Hourglass”

Our North Carolina-based friends Mipso bring us another track this week from their fifth, self-titled album. They are just one of so many excellent North Carolina artists we’re featuring throughout November for #NCMusicMonth.

Josh Merritt — “Tonya Jo”

Kentucky-based singer-songwriter Josh Merritt brings us a song about his mother, highlighting maybe not the best time in her life, but focusing on both the ups and the downs — and, at the same time, using it as a coming of age story.

Front Country — “How Can You Sing?”

The formerly Bay Area-based, now Nashville residing Front Country are back with another fantastic release: Impossible World. They took the chance to curate a Mixtape to talk about the inspirations behind this album, their departure from 2017’s Other Love Songs, and how it all came to be.

Dave Alvin — “Man Walks Among Us”

California’s Dave Alvin’s new album of rare and unreleased recordings features this Marty Robbins classic, an ode to the desert and the Southwest.

Darin & Brooke Aldridge — “When You Love Someone”

More music from North Carolina! Darin & Brooke Aldridge, one of the most recognized modern duets in bluegrass, bring us this song from their recent release, Inner Journey. 

Aoife O’Donovan — “Red and White and Blue and Gold”

Aoife O’Donovan was featured on the site this week in celebration of her birthday! We pulled a video from the April Whiskey Sour Happy Hour performance archives, in which she is joined by Eric Jacobsen on cello and Colin Jacobsen on violin.

Shemekia Copeland — “Walk Until I Ride”

November 2020 Artist of the Month (and all around modern blues hero) Shemekia Copeland brings us this track from her new album, Uncivil War.  If you’re following along with us, you’ll see more exclusive content from Copeland all month long!

The Sharp Flatpickers — “Red Haired Boy”

“Florida and beyond!” based bluegrass outfit The Sharp Flatpickers bring us a once-Irish, now bluegrass classic this week, courtesy of Mountain Fever Records.

Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters — “Desert Flowers”

From Asheville, NC, Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters’ 5+5 interview details their pre-show/pre-studio rituals, their dream meal with a musician, and their songwriting techniques.

The Wild Feathers — “My Truth”

“My Truth” comes from Nashville’s The Wild Feathers via Medium Rarities — an album made up of all the songs they love which fell through the cracks in the making of their previous records.

Becky Buller — “More Heart, Less Attack”

10-time IBMA award winner Becky Buller has released a new album, Distance and Time. We sat down with Buller to talk about fiddling, songwriting, and the inspiration behind all of her impressive collaborations.

Ida Mae — “Break the Shadows”

Ida Mae’s “Break the Shadows” was shaped (but not hindered) by the early COVID lockdown, and inspired by Stephen Foster’s famous “Hard Times.”

The Suitcase Junket — “Last Man on the Moon”

Originally sci-fi, now turned to a lost love song, The Suitcase Junket’s “Last Man on the Moon” was released on November 20 on a new album, The End is New.


Photo credit: (L to R) Becky Buller by Jason Myers; Front Country by Michael Weintrob; Aoife O’Donovan by Rich Gilligan.

BGS 5+5: Amanda Anne Platt

Artist name: Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters (answered by Amanda)
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Latest singles: “Desert Flowers” and “There May Come a Day”
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): I was in a band with my brother and my cousin when I was 8 that was called Crusty Chinchilla Rejects Recently Escaped from a Mental Institution…

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I feel really lucky as I sit here and try to work out what my favorite memory of being on stage is… it’s nice that there have been so many. I think one of my favorites from recent memory was the last show of our 2019 tour opening for Amy Ray. It was at Club Café in Pittsburgh and I got to get up on stage for her last song, “I Didn’t Know a Damn Thing,” which is one of my favorites from her album Holler, and then the encore which was Tom Petty’s “Refugee.” I was enormously pregnant and the stage was already crowded so it was a tight squeeze! But I felt so cool just getting to sing along and dance. The energy in the room was fantastic.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

Probably literature and film, the most. When someone can tell a story in a highly relatable, moving way, I am very inspired by that. When I finish a good book or leave the theater after a really well-made film I almost always want to sit down and write a song.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I really enjoy making my band “quack” like the Mighty Ducks, but I would be lying if I said they were as into it as I am. And you can’t do it alone. So, mostly I just cry in the bathroom. Actually I am usually just scrambling to write a set list and eat something moments before we go on stage.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I grew up in the land of all-night diners, and I’ve really been missing that especially now during the pandemic. So I would love to have a post-show burger at a proper diner somewhere… I feel like John Prine would have been a great guy to share a booth at a diner with. I have some questions for him about his songs that I kind of always hoped I’d have a chance to ask him in person.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I might actually do the reverse more… I tend to always use “I” even though I don’t write autobiographically very often. So in that way I guess I turn every character into “me” and I hide myself in that way…?


Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

MIXTAPE: An Organic, Mountain Home Playlist

There’s never been a time when working people haven’t needed to lean on one another — and to look beyond the present day — just to get by, but the present moment often seems especially fraught. Nothing speaks better to each present moment than music, whether it’s making space for respite and healing or providing encouragement and inspiration for the struggle.

Here at Mountain Home Music Company and Organic Records, our artists speak in unique, distinctive voices, yet each of these mostly southern artists have been unafraid to offer up songs that address the universal themes and social challenges of our times— whether they’re looking inward or to the outside world. — Ty Gilpin

(Editor’s Note: Find the entire playlist below)

Aaron Burdett — “Echoes”

“Echoes” is a product of this era, a processing of my own thoughts and feelings. I have questions about my surroundings and myself. It’s about current conditions but also about elements of our humanity that are centuries old. Uncertainty defines much of life in the year 2020 and I believe in recognizing and honoring it. Answers will not arrive until the right questions are asked. — Aaron Burdett

Tellico — “Courage for the Morning”

I was thinking about how people’s actions can inspire others, from the great revolutionary leaders to the everyday efforts of ordinary people. So, if you sing along to this song, you will be saying to yourself “I will walk, I will sing, I will bring a little courage for the morning.” That is something each one of us can take to heart and really think about: What is it that I can do to help another person in this world? — Anya Hinkle, Tellico

Balsam Range — “Richest Man”

Who has not thought about being the Richest Man? But what defines being rich? To have a life without regrets is easier said than done. The sacrifices made for gain can seldom be undone. The things lost and those won will only show with time. — Buddy Melton, Balsam Range

Thomm Jutz — “What’ll They Think Up Last”

When you enter John Hadley’s Fiddle Back Shack you are immediately in the moment and in a different world. I can’t think of any other house like his. Hadley is one of the most stunningly great creative minds I know — so is Peter Cooper. We gathered at Hadley’s funky Madison, Tennessee home one Sunday morning, talking over coffee. Hadley said something like “I wonder what they’ll think up last…” yeah, me too. — Thomm Jutz

The Gina Furtado Project — “The Things I Saw”

All throughout my childhood, I went to the river when I needed comfort of any kind. No matter what happened in my life, good or bad, the river was always the same. The plants and critters and smells and sounds became like old friends; always welcoming and beautiful in every way. I imagined a secret society whose mission was to fight hatred with love.

I’ve taken that little vision into my adult life, and enjoy trying to spot members of this secret society (and trying to be one myself!) They can be flowers, animals, sunsets, people you pass on the street — any person or thing that refuses to let darkness and negativity take over, and instead chooses to exude pure and unstoppable love. — Gina Furtado

Love Canon — “Things Can Only Get Better”

Love Canon has made a career from expertly covering classic ’70s and ’80s pop songs with acoustic instruments. In this Howard Jones hit, they found an anthem for trying times. — Ty Gilpin

Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters — “Brand New Start”

Asheville-based, Americana-leaning outfit the Honeycutters have built an increasingly storied career through their sensitive, skilled musicianship and the distinctive songwriting and voice of Amanda Platt. “Brand New Start” is about a scenario we could all use right about now. — Ty Gilpin

Balsam Range — “Trains I Missed”

Do we recognize when opportunities missed are really fate taking us in a better direction? How many times have you found yourself missing one train and taking another to right where you’re supposed to be? — Ty Gilpin

Zoe & Cloyd — “Where Do You Stand”

“Where Do You Stand” is a commentary on the state of our national discourse. Often, it’s the farthest ends of the political spectrum that make the news and it seems like inflammatory rhetoric is the only thing that gets heard these days. I’d like for us to remember that we’re all connected and are more alike than we are different, no matter who tries to convince us otherwise. For us to move forward, we have to find common ground on which to build a path toward a sustainable future. — John Cloyd Miller, Zoe & Cloyd

Jeremy Garrett — “Circles;” “What Would We Find?”

“Circles” is a song I feel like many people can relate to. Sometimes you feel like you’re going in circles, but there is always light on the other side if you can just keep going and perhaps change your vantage point.

For “What Would We Find?” we were riding out through the Black Hills and it struck me how it looked as though, if you could take all the timber away and expose just the rocks and barren land, what would you find? It seemed as though there were hidden layers of possible treasures in the rocks under the timber — perhaps like relationships can be sometimes. I only had the idea and a basic melody, and had the opportunity to write with one of my heroes, Darrell Scott.  — Jeremy Garrett

Front Country — “Good Side”

Almost a capella from a group that has never shied from issues of social justice. Hailing from the west coast but now residing in Nashville, Front Country has consistently campaigned for marginalized members of our community. This powerful message is both personal and universal. — Ty Gilpin

Zoe & Cloyd — “Neighbor”

“Neighbor” is a song meant to inspire us to act with empathy, and to remember our shared humanity. It’s important to recognize our similarities rather than fear our differences. — Natalya Zoe Weinstein, Zoe & Cloyd

Aaron Burdett — “Rockefeller”

“Rockefeller” is, on the surface, just a fun song about wishing for more than you have and being envious of others. Dig a little deeper though, and the song brings in hints of income and economic inequality. But then the chorus is all about making do and being content with what you do have. So it’s a song with a few layers to jump back and forth between. — Aaron Burdett

The Gina Furtado Project — “Try”

The societal pressure to be a certain way can be overwhelming. ‘Try’ just came to me one day when I felt particularly defeated. We win some, we lose some; we do admirable things and less than admirable things. That is what it is to be a human, and as long as you know you try, it’s not a big deal either way. — Gina Furtado


SPONSORED CONTENT: Occasionally, BGS brings you content curated by featured partners and sponsors.

The String – Music City Postcard: Asheville, NC

Episode 121 of The String is a field trip to Asheville, NC, which Rolling Stone last year touted as one of the best music scenes in the country.


LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTS 

Those of us who visit Western North Carolina regularly already knew that fact, and this week’s show surveys the talent and the institutions making the region important in roots music and beyond. Features: Amanda Anne Platt of the Honeycutters, Echo Mountain Studio, WNCW radio, Crossroads Music, Sarah Siskind, Morgan Geer and more.


Photo credit: @CarShowShooter on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

MIXTAPE: Amanda Anne Platt’s Asheville Assembly

This is a playlist of 12 songs by Asheville artists that have entertained and inspired me in my own little corner of this town. To choose only 12 was a challenge, to say the least, since the music scene keeps growing and it seems that every day there are new songwriters and musicians adding their talents to the pool. I felt a little under-qualified as I started to narrow it down. By no means comprehensive, erring a little on the old school side, this is what I came up with. — Amanda Anne Platt (of the Honeycutters)

Malcolm Holcombe — “Who Carried You”

What better place to start an Asheville list than with Malcolm Holcombe? He’s an incredible songwriter, a captivating performer, and a local legend. This is one of my favorite songs, ever. And if you haven’t had a chance to check out The RCA sessions yet, do it!

Taylor Martin — “Travel Far, Travel Wide”

Taylor Martin may sound like a made up name for a songwriter, but he’s the real deal. This is one of my favorite Taylor songs, from his 2014 release Heartache or Bust.

Moses Atwood — “Garden of Eden”

Moses hasn’t put an album out in a while, but the two he has are still in heavy rotation at our house. I would have put four or five of his tunes on here, if I had more space.

Miriam Allen — “Contrabandista”

She’s got a beautiful voice, is a badass guitar player and songwriter, and she built her own house. I aspire to be a fraction as cool as Miriam Allen.

Floating Action — “To Connect”

This was the first Floating Action song I ever heard, when I found myself stoned and sitting on the old couch at the Grey Eagle for a free show. It still might be my favorite.

Aaron Woody Wood — “Coal Black Hair”

No list of Asheville songs would be complete without a murder ballad. I first heard of Woody Wood as a member of the Blue Rags, and then with his rock band Hollywood Red, but some of my favorite performances of his are solo acoustic.

Jen and the Juice — “The Damnsong” 

I remember someone saying to me, when I was new in town, that I had to meet “Jenny Juice.” “She just writes songs that make you smile,” they said. And she does. Jen also has done many things over the years to unite the music scene here, including starting the Brown Bag Songwriting contest.

Town Mountain – “Long Time Coming” 

Followers of the Bluegrass Situation won’t be strangers to Town Mountain. This is my favorite cut off of their most recent release, Southern Crescent.

Grits & Soul — “Hundred Year Farm”

Though they have technically relocated to Mt Sterling, Kentucky, Grits & Soul will always be an Asheville band in my heart. This album has a lot of great tunes, but this is the one that’s been worn out on my copy. It’s a tear jerker.

Red June — “I Saw You in August”

This is a tune written by my friend Will Straughan, though this album has great songs from all three writers. I love their harmonies.

Laura Blackley & the Wildflowers — “Favorite”

This song should be on a list of the greatest slow dance songs of all time.

Tyler Ramsey — “No One Goes Out”

As a child of the ’90s, I’m a fan of ending a mix with a slow, retrospective song. Love this whole album from Tyler Ramsey.


Photo credit: Eliza Schweizbach