Female-fronted hard rock outfit Honey Trap recently unveiled their new single/music video, “Outlaws,” blending elements of Southern metal and tangs of post-grunge revealed through a combination of edgy vocals, melodic guitar, fat bassline, and hard-hitting percussion.
The video for “Outlaws” offers an exhilarating departure from the traditional music video format, presenting a cinematic experience that captivates from start to finish. Set against the backdrop of a futuristic dystopian desert wasteland, the visuals unfold like a high-octane short film, the elements of the Wild West prominent in every shot.
Throughout the video, the band members, Jessica Rendon and Vasilios Bouras, appear as central characters in the story, their intense expressions and dynamic movements adding depth to the unfolding drama – a train heist replete with horses, guns, and motorcycles.
Tattoo.com spoke with guitarist Vasilios Bouras to find out more about the inspiration for “Outlaws” and Bouras’ guitars and pedals.
How would you describe your music?
Like our namesake Honey Trap, we strive to create alluring and captivating music that draws listeners in. A beautiful melodic sound with a dark and heavy edge.
Can you share the inspiration behind “Outlaws,” and the creative process involved in bringing it to life?
My singer had seen the trailer for the movie ‘The Bike Riders’ and it was based on the bike gang called the Outlaws. She knew that the lyrics for such a topic as an outlaw would be perfect. I had a riff I was working on and when I showed her, we both knew that it would be the ideal combination
After that the storyline to the video essentially wrote itself. We wanted to have a Wild West theme, so everyone started spit balling ideas. I wanted to film it in the desert and ride a motorcycle, the singer wanted to be on a horse, and our drummer actually brought up the train idea. Sounded impossible at first but it was such a cool concept that we just had to make it happen.
Who directed the video and where was it shot?
The video was directed by Tom Flynn. He is fantastic! Truly a master of his craft and we’re honored he took this on as a project. We know we were asking a lot. In fact, the day of the shoot he got about two hours of sleep because he was wrapping up a project with the band As I Lay Dying in Los Angeles and then he had to fly to Vegas to work with us.
As for the location, we filmed it in a little town called Ely that’s four hours north of Vegas. It was the only place we found that has a desert and a 200-year-old steam engine train.
What do you want people to take away from the song and the video?
Like any great movie or book, we want to do the same with our music and provide an escape for people with a sort of visual and auditory ecstasy. When people are listening to our music or watching our videos, we want them to get lost in the story and with the way it’s delivered.
How did you get started in music? What’s the backstory there?
My uncle had a guitar and when I was very young, I was always fascinated by it. That carried through to my teen years and I joined my school’s guitar class. Funny thing is on day one before I could even play the chord, I got together with some friends, and we started a band. So, I’ve actually been doing the band thing longer than I could play an instrument.
What can you share about your writing process?
Usually, I’ll start writing a riff and then I’ll bring it to the group to work. My singer will write her own lyrics and then the rhythm section will add their parts. The tricky part is the structure and that’s something that we will try different variations until we get something that sticks.
What kind of guitar do you play? Which amps and pedals are you using?
Back in 2008 I got myself a Gibson SG and that has been my baby ever since. I travel everywhere with that guitar. Think it’s been to more states and countries than most people have. Currently I use Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Combo Amp for clubs and bar size venues and have a Mesa Boogie Roadster half stack for the larger shows. As for pedals I have too many to list here, but I’ll mention one of my current favorites. I use a Crybaby Mini Bass Wah. I know that sounds crazy, but I always found guitar Wahs to make everything too high pitched. I tried a bass Wah once and I found that low frequency to be perfect for my sound.
What is your definition of tone and has your tone changed over time?
To me tone is what gives the instrument character. As a guitarist it’s also a never-ending quest to achieve the perfect tone. As we gain experience and become influenced by other musicians we continue to shape our sound.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Maybe touring or who you’ve played with, something that’s really stood out.
We recently had the opportunity to share the stage with Plush! Not only was the show a blast and we met some amazing people but the positive response we received after the show was unbelievable. Let’s just say we were responding to fan mail for weeks to come.
Which do you enjoy the most: writing, recording, practicing, or playing live?
At the end of the day playing live is why we do what we do. Nothing beats that feeling of looking out at a cheering crowd or connecting with your fans after a show.
Knowing what you know now, if you could go back and start your music career all over, what would you do differently?
Oh, to be young again…. Would do so many things differently. Most importantly I would focus on what’s important and not let distractions get in the way. Growing up while playing in rock bands there’s plenty of those. You’ll get sidetracked with bad relationships, partying, alcohol and before you know it you’ve wasted years while you should have been focusing on creating music and perfecting your craft.
What’s next for you?
Honey Trap is continuing their Northeast Tour and planning on adding a few more dates. Going into 2025, we want to work on getting on the international festival circuit and try to venture out to Europe and South America as our fan base outside the US is starting to grow.
