Float Back to You is the new single and title track of the new album from Holy Hive. Holy Hive are a Brooklyn-based folk/soul trio formed by folk singer/guitarist Paul Spring, sought-after soul drummer Homer Steinweiss, and bassist Joe Harrison.
This should really be on your radar, part of the reason we share these audio-visual rays of sunshine here on Folk Radio is to brighten up your day and that’s just what this does. The title track is just part of the icing on this cake as the album includes ten originals, a cover of “Be Thou By My Side” (originally by 60’s UK pop group Honeybus), plus a re-working of Irish folk tune “Red is the Rose.” It features guest musicians throughout, such as harpist Mary Lattimore, Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) on sax and keys, Shannon Wise (The Shacks) on backing vocals, Dave Guy (The Roots) on trumpet, Nick Movshon on bass, and Spring’s wife Sophia Heymans on piano.
Anyhow, before delving into the names behind Holy Hive, feast your eyes and ears on their new video which was animated by Sophia Heymans and shot and edited by Paul Spring. The concept is based on ‘The Sixth Extinction’ by Elizabeth Kolbert.
A professional drummer for the last two decades, Homer Steinweiss got his start as a founding member of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and toured extensively with the acclaimed soul outfit before settling into a more studio-oriented approach to drumming. He has also provided the backbeat to hit records by Amy Winehouse, St. Vincent, Bruno Mars, and The Jonas Brothers, to name a few. Spring has self-released seven albums of singer-songwriter material including a commercially well-received children’s record, Home Of Song.
Originally meeting in 2005 on a Minnesota farm (through their respective girlfriends, a pair of cousins) Steinweiss and Spring soon began a long-distance friendship between New York and Minnesota which, over time, developed into a folk music recording project. After the addition of Harrison, a multi-instrumentalist who has played with Frank Dukes and Charles Bradley, the trio began recording as Holy Hive.
The album was produced by Steinweiss at Diamond Mind Studios in Queens, NY (which he co-owns).