Like Kings of Leon? Love a bit of Zeppelin? You’re in luck, because Savage Honey could be your new favourite band.
The Torquay-born alt-rock band released their debut album, Darling, earlier this month, and it’s a proper old-school, pure rock ‘n’ roll record.
Savage Honey are songwriter and vocalist Dom Paver, vocalist and bassist Jacob Hunniford, drummer Joshua Young, and keyboardist Jay Rose-ham.
According to the band, Darling is a coming-of-age record, at once reflective and celebratory.
“It’s a comment on the wild ups and downs in life,” they say, adding that “the album takes you on a journey that is unique to our sound.”
Expect the rollicking tracks on Darling to sound even better up close, with Savage Honey previously earning slots at Party in the Paddock, Here Comes the Sun, and more festivals, not to mention sharing stages with live circuit favourites such as Pacific Avenue and The Terrys.
To celebrate the release of Darling, we caught up with Jake and Dom as part of our Up-And-Coming Australian Artists series to find out more about the band.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Savage Honey’s Darling is out now.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How much did music influence you in your early life?
Jake: I was born in Northern Ireland and most of my core memories from early childhood revolve around music. I vividly remember singing Irish folk songs with my Dad and his friends at pubs (sometimes on top of the bar). Culturally, music is very significant where I come from. It’s a way of unifying and empowering (a necessity during hard times).
What artists influenced you growing up?
Dom: Funnily enough I grew up super classical as I used to sing in the Sydney children’s choir for Opera Australia, however in my teen years I was (and still am) predominantly influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Doors, and other influential artists of the ’60s and ’70s!
What are some career highlights so far?
Jake: We’ve been fortunate enough to play some amazing festivals (that we could only have dreamed of playing when we were kids), such as Party in the Paddock, Beyond the Valley, Here Comes the Sun. We don’t take these privileges for granted. As well as that, we’ve had support slots with The Terrys, Pacific Avenue, and Glass Beams. It was a huge thrill and super inspiring to be on the road with bands of this calibre.
View this post on Instagram
Tell us about your latest release.
Dom: Each song holds a place of significance in how we have evolved since the beginning. The recording process took us down to a beautiful house in the [Great] Otway National Park, where we spent a week chasing waterfalls, surfing, cooking food, drinking beers, and most importantly recording the bedtracks of the album.
Our producer, Aaron Dobos of Sing Sing Studios, then had us coming back and forth to Melbourne for the following year to finish the 13 songs. This album crosses genres and delves into the likes of alt-rock, heartfelt ballads, indie-pop, and surf-rock. Although these genres of music stand independently, we tie the songs together with an underlying tone and style we feel is unique to our band.
What themes are you exploring on this release?
Dom: Each song on Darling touches on its own theme, ranging from heartbreak, love and jealousy to overconfidence, family illness, and ultimately the power of music and the incredible industry as a whole.
What kind of personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?
Jake: A person I admire in the industry once told me “don’t be a dick and you’ll go far”… I think that’s great advice. Additionally, it’s important to be professional and to be able to switch on your strategic brain (especially as an independent band). Lastly, humility goes a long way.
Credit: Supplied
How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
Dom: Think the anthemic melodies of Oasis with the grit and style of Kings of Leon while maintaining an influence of slower country and Irish ballads. We would class ourselves as alt-rock and pride ourselves on delivering memorable melodies and heartfelt rock and roll that has you singing along to each song!
Are you looking forward to your overseas shows?
Dom: So far we haven’t booked an international tour, but as soon as we are able to we can’t wait to hit up the States, the UK, and Europe! As an independent artist, getting the funds and following together is essential but we’re well on our way. First stop, east coast tour of Australia this year!
What are your goals for 2026 and beyond?
Dom: Music is our absolute passion and we’re hoping to bring what we have to offer to as many people as possible!
This year we are touring the east coast, aiming to sell out the Torquay Hotel (our hometown pub), record an EP, and get the funds together to support potential international tours! We would also love to grow our fanbase, join a label, and of course continue to write music constantly… let’s go!!
