When Michael Natrin asked Erin Magnin to dust off her fiddle and join him for a couple songs at a local songwriter showcase, the two never imagined they were creating a musical partnership that would continue far into the future. Playfully calling themselves The Honey Badgers, more to make themselves chuckle than to make any sort of a statement, the two discovered a chemistry between their voices that demanded to be heard. Thus, the duo was born.
The Honey Badgers’ folk/Americana sound has been likened to that of The Civil Wars and The Swell Season. They are known for their intense, unique harmonies, their sincere lyrics and melodies, and their undeniable and captivating onstage charm. Weaving their voices together over driving guitar, wistful violin, and punchy harmonica, The Honey Badgers spin stories and songs about finding yourself, finding each other, and finding your way in the world.
The Honey Badgers have been creating music together since the summer of 2011. In their first several years working together they released their debut EP, “Booth Bay”, a thoughtfully crafted second EP, “Soul”, as well as a collection of live recordings entitled “Mad Season”. In the years following the duo’s conception, they played all over their home state of Delaware and the surrounding area, from the Delmarva Folk Festival in Hartly to the World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington. They opened for nationally touring act The Lone Bellow, as well as local Delaware favorite New Sweden.
In 2019 they committed to diving further into their music in many ways. Their first full length album, “Meet Me” was released in March 2019. “Meet Me” is a colorful story that has been unfolding since Michael and Erin met. The songs are new, but the feelings within them are familiar - from the blooming of new love to the comfort of seasoned love, losing yourself and finding yourself, from feeling alone in a fast moving world to finding connection in a room full of strangers. “Meet Me” was mostly conceived in an old self-converted Sprinter van on a 2017 road trip around the USA. In the spring of 2019, The Honey Badgers quit their stable jobs and hit the road again, traveling up and down the East Coast singing songs, telling stories and building community on the road.
As full time musicians and travelers, Michael and Erin look forward now to creating music that has roots growing through every place they go. They are currently promoting their second full-length album, The Earth Turns and So Do We, which was released on June 20, 2024. The record is a mature and varied collection of original songs focused on the repeating cycles of life, death, love, and time itself (listen here).