Honeybear, the Band Honeybear is a retro soul, blues & roots quartet, taking you on an old school road trip through the dusty back roads of American music. While Honeybear is a relatively new band formed in 2023, the 4 band members are old friends and have been playing together in other formations for well over 20 years, crossing paths on tours across Canada, down the West Coast, and beyond. As individual performers, they've played at most major Folk and Jazz/Blues festivals in Canada. When the pandemic struck and live music was at a standstill, the 4 friends found themselves jamming outdoors in parks, with amps and PA's hooked up to jerry rigged motorcycle batteries, just to bask in the joy that is playing live music with like minded souls. Necessity is the mother of invention, etc. The rest is history. Their debut EP and follow up singles released in 2024 have received well over 1.5 Million streams on Spotify, and the band is looking forward to releasing their first full length FACTOR funded album in spring 2025. Marcus Trummer "A young blood with an old soul, Marcus Trummer marries modern sensibilities with tradition in his distinctive style that encompasses blues, soul, and rock. Dubbed “a precocious guitarist whose vocals possess a wise-beyond-his-years weariness” by the Calgary Herald, the Calgary-born artist is already earning recognition. In 2022, Trummer snagged a nomination for "New Artist of the Year" at the Maple Blues Awards in Toronto. The following year he traveled to Colorado to perform as a finalist in the 2023 Telluride Blues Challenge, which he would go on to win. Marcus Trummer’s music draws inspiration from the timeless sounds of the 60s and 70s. With his warm and emotive vocals, Trummer pays respect to classic soul singers like Bill Withers and Al Green. His expressive guitar work channels the impassioned approach of players like B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix. Packed with raw emotion and honesty, Trummer’s songwriting is not to be overlooked. His thoughtful lyrics examine universal subjects of love and coming of age, unpacking experiences that resonate with all listeners. Mercy Walker: “Mercy Walker, a local musician born and raised in the heart of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, takes listeners on a journey through some of life's trials and joys with her heartfelt country-folk melodies. From a young age, Mercy found solace and inspiration in the enduring narratives and story weaving of classic country music. This inspired her to start learning songs by some of her favorites such as John Prine, Emmylou Harris and Loretta Lynn. Eventually she became closely connected to the bluegrass and country music scene in her city, where you can often find her singing in a jam or songwriters circle. Beyond her personal musical pursuits, Mercy is the Senior Choir Director at The Saint James Music Academy, a program that offers free music education to children and youth in the DTES, where she started out as just a student before becoming a teacher. Mercy is currently working towards recording her first EP.”