Photo by Deborah Wilson

Since their inception 14 years ago, Bay-area favorites The California Honeydrops have brought a vibrant, unabashed sound to both their studio recordings and live shows.

The group–led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski and comprised of Ben Malament (drums, washboard, percussion), Johnny Bones (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Lorenzo Loera (keys, melodica) and Beau Beaullieu (bass, percussion)–have many influences from Delta blues to Californian flavored R&B and their musical fluidity has granted them spots on stages with icons including B.B. King, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and Buddy Guy.

Regardless of the nature of the performance, be it high-profile support or a packed intimate venue, the group’s purpose remains the same: make the walls sweat, and the people unite through song and dance. So one can only imagine their desire to hit the ground running now that sweat isn’t so scary. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, The California Honeydrops accomplished their goal often; it can be heard on their live albums Remember When: Vol 3 and Honeydrops Live 2019. Now to the delight of fans and after a successful headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatere, The California Honeydrops are set up for a true return to form. They’ll set out on The Lil Bit Of Lovin’ tour on Sept. 9 through Nov. 13, hitting both coasts and have a new album, Soft Spot, which will release during their travels on Oct. 7 on the horizon.

Today we premiere The California Honeydrops’ latest single, “I Miss You Baby Pt 1,” a soulful groovin’ tune that could easily slip into the finest of leisure suits. After a smooth piano intro and guided by brass, Wierzynski breaks into heartfelt longing lyrics that are as relatable as they are welcomed. Not only does the track inspire the listener to slow down, but it also serves as a perfect example of the group’s inclination to blur the line between the stage and the person dancing in the first row.

“Over covid I would just play little guitar riffs in the house all day and get happy just groovin’ away, dancing by myself to music playing in my head.  And being otherwise bored I’d been looking through old journals and found words to a breakup song I wrote way back.  I have no idea what the melody had originally been written to the words but I just fitted them into the new thing I was groovin’ on,” Lech Wierzynski told Relix. “The little ’80s style horn line came to me while I was folding my laundry with the riff still in my head.  Later on, I went to a party and started jamming my lil riff and singing the words and it went off.  Everybody was instantly singing along like they already knew it and it made me think I should run with this so I did.  We went 70’s all the way with this in the studio.”

Listen to “I Miss You Baby Pt 1” below.