On September 26, 2026, Auburn, Alabama's The Band Honey played Greenville for the first time, taking the stage at Poe Mill, one of the city's newest venues. They didn't know many people in town, but the crowd showed up for them, and the band left already talking about making Greenville home.
After the show, Brightbell Music's Tanner Hall sat down with frontman and guitarist Wilson Gore and bassist Liam Spokes. They talked about their first night at Poe Mill, outgrowing the Auburn scene that launched them, a fall tour across the Southeast, and why they've decided it's time to act like the professionals they are.
You guys just played Poe Mill for the first time, and some of the guys from the opener mentioned this place is kind of taking the place of Swanson's. Give me an overall take. How do you think it went, and what was the atmosphere of the crowd like?
Wilson Gore - Walking in was unbelievable. I saw the studio first and I was like, "This is crazy." This place is unbelievable. I know it's fairly new. We met the guys running sound and lights, and they're amazing, so the vibe instantly walking in was amazing. Super, super cool. We don't have much pull in Greenville. We've never been here. But the crowd was unbelievable. They were so invested and genuinely paid attention to our music, which I always appreciate. That's something rare nowadays. And even if it's not a lot of people, it's great. That's how I felt about tonight.
Liam Spokes - There's a lot going on out on the road, going to places you've never been before. Coming into a spot like this, not only was everything prepared and professional, but it's also such a cool space. I think people here really do appreciate art and music and want to be here for that. As an artist and a musician, that's not only really fun to play for, but super encouraging. Even the photographer couple, shout out to them, they're awesome. They were just here practicing their art. They've got other jobs at other times, and they're still out here. It's just a really cool environment for somewhere we've never been before. It was definitely a new experience, and an incredibly fulfilling and encouraging one.
I know it's a little cliché, but would you want to come back to Greenville?
Wilson Gore - Oh, 100%. A million percent.
Liam Spokes - Yeah. We actually had a conversation about this the other day. This is probably the number one city we're looking to move to after May. We're graduating, and we're really thinking about it. We don't know for sure yet. The show tonight definitely gave it some momentum, that's for sure. And knowing there's already a built-in music community and scene here is super encouraging.
As a follow-up to that, you talked about the built-in community here in Greenville. What's the community and music scene like in Auburn, and how do you think you'd fit into the Greenville music scene if you move here after graduation?
Wilson Gore - I'm always gonna have an appreciation for Auburn, because that's where it started. But I think our type of music specifically would fit a lot better somewhere like Greenville or Charleston, more on the East Coast. We have a big fan base in Auburn that loves our music and has been to a lot of our shows. Those are the loyal people there. But I think it's just time for us to move on to a different chapter and try something new.
Liam Spokes - I'd second that. Auburn was the start, and there are a bunch of people there who gave us opportunities and support. We just had a show at this awesome place in Opelika called The Sound Wall that sold out, and we had so much support there. But for our growth as a band and as artists, going somewhere new together that we've never been before is going to be important, and really helpful as we keep doing this.
What's next for you guys on this stretch of shows, or in general? One of you mentioned you'll be playing Loose Change out at Clemson pretty soon.
Liam Spokes - Next week we're in Mobile playing the Brickyard. Really cool spot with a lot of history, and a really solid crowd, too. A lot of fun people, so I really enjoy that. Then we've got a North Carolina run in November, and then we're swinging up to Clemson, doing some Athens shows and a couple in Columbus, Georgia. After that, we're keeping our heads down to get to December. We've got some good things coming up in the spring that we're going to announce in a little bit. But we're loving it. It's a privilege to be able to come to these places and meet people who are here for it and love music. I've been surprised everywhere I've gone by the support and kindness people show for what we're doing.
Wilson Gore - We had a long conversation the other day, and I think the biggest thing was, like you said, keeping our heads down. Let's get through this tour and make it the best we can. But he said something that has stuck with me a lot: "We need to act professional, 'cause we are professionals." I never thought about it that way. But the people, like tonight in Greenville, make us feel professional. Whether it's a 5,000-person crowd or 22 people who've never seen us before, they're supporting us whether they know us or not. That's been really, really cool on this tour, and it's happened in a lot of different places. This place is amazing, man. It's awesome.
