Rock and roll should be dangerous. It should be played live and loud on real instruments. Bass. Drums. Guitars. Maybe keyboards. Maybe. It should be played without the assistance of backing tracks or production. There should be no computer enhancements to the lead singer’s voice. And that singer should have style, swagger and the ability to shake the rafters. Rock and roll should be sweaty, gritty—and, yes, somewhat dirty.
Marc LaBelle knows that. As the lead singer of Dirty Honey, he lives it. Alongside drummer Corey Coverstone, bassist Justin Smolian and lead guitarist John Notto, LaBelle plays what he calls “new-fashioned rock and roll.” Think Aerosmith meets Led Zeppelin, but played by some twentysomething dudes. The band and the music they create is real-deal rock and fucking roll. I caught up with Marc LaBelle to discuss how the band got their name, the motivation of meet-and-greet girls and making music in the time of COVID-19.
HUSTLER: Where are you right now?
MARK LABELLE: Trapped in Los Angeles. I don’t feel like life is that much different. Except it is Sunday morning every day, and it’s the same—like in Groundhog Day, the movie. It’s just fucking weird.
How are you filling the time?
I am playing a lot of guitar. That’s number one. I’m trying to work out as much as I can, stay on top of that, even though all the gyms and fitness centers are closed in the city. Then at night, like everybody else, I’m sitting there watching Netflix or HBO or something to kill some time till this all goes away.
