Baltimore natives and a funky six-piece collective, The Henchmen are laying down tight grooves, catchy hooks and pride themselves on their intense live performances. Comprised of Kevin Hock (Vocals, Organ, Guitar), Megan Leigh (Vocals), Jim Matusky (Bass), Jimmy Nicholas (Lead Guitar) Nick Heflin (Drums) and Adam Green (Saxophone), The Henchmen’s new single "Bloody Good" raced to the milestone of 4,000 streams on Spotify in just under 10 days. The additions of Megan Leigh on backing vocals and Adam Green on Saxophone are the icing on the cake of the hard grooving hook parade.
“Bloody Good” by The Henchmen is exactly the groovy tune the music industry needed. A rock anthem laced with emotion, heart and soul, “Bloody Good” talks about an irresistible love. “I shouldn’t have loved you… But it feels so Bloody Good” expertly proves the overall theme. Stepping out of the grunge and grit of their passed singles, “Bloody Good” is a smooth and clean sound. The female back-up vocals that Megan provides add the perfect emotions to an already incredible song. The dueling components of the male and females energy going back and forth make the message of the track much more powerful. The catchy jam “Bloody Good” had me toe-tapping along throughout. I enjoyed every bit of the track and I think you will too!
Check out “Bloody Good” here and read more below in our exclusive interview.
Welcome to BuzzMusic! How did The Henchmen come to fruition?
Kevin: Thanks for having us, BM. Most of us had been in different bands around Baltimore for years. There's a blossoming underrated music scene here. This time around our main agenda was for the band experience to be one huge party, while releasing new music every year. So many independent bands coast by on one release for years. That's not interesting to me.
What is the meaning behind the lyrics in “Bloody Good”? What was the writing process like for this song?
Kevin: That would be the UK meaning of "Bloody", mate. Haha. Lyrically, the song is about knowing you're going down a questionable romantic path, but being unwillingly drawn to it none the less. Love and attraction can be intoxicating in that way. It seems to defy all reason at times. I'm a super lucky man in regards to my love life, so I drew largely on past experiences and imagination to flesh out the content. As far as the music, Matusky gift wrapped a beautiful groove and brought it to practice.
Matusky: Yeah, you're welcome. This was Jimmy's first time writing with us, and we really loved what he brought to the table. We were already looking for a cleaner, room vibe on this one. His tone and bluesy demeanor fit in nicely.
Kevin: Definitely. This was also Megan Leigh's first time in the studio with us, and I love how her vocals contrast mine. She was a total pro in there. Adam Green on Saxophone was the cherry on top. Dude wails on that thing.
Who are some of your musical influences and how do they inspire your sound?
Kevin: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's Motown era duet records are my current favorites. They are both classic from front to back. Pure joy sonically given through music. It certainly inspired me to try and be more soulful, and to give Megan as many parts as she wanted. We also love St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Electric Light Orchestra, Lake Street Dive.
Can you describe your stage presence for someone who has never seen you live before?
Megan: It's always a party.
Matusky: We always bring every ounce of energy we can muster for these people. This is the moment I live for. I can't wait to be up there.
Kevin: I feel the same way. I've always loved adding a taste of drama to things as well. This is theater to me. If we can do that without taking our stage personas too seriously, that's on goal. I still want to be a guy being himself and having a blast up there.
What’s next for The Henchmen?
Kevin: New music! New music! New music! We are inspired by the early response to Bloody Good. We're planning to release several more singles this year. New tunes are coming, as well as a "Saxy Accordion" remix that we've all been dying to do.
Keep up with The Henchmen!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheHenchmenMusic Instagram: www.instagram.com/thehenchmenmd