Q&A Time: Honeycomb's Beatboxing Journey is Taking Center Stage
Journey to the Spotlight
Meet Honeycomb, or as his friends call him, Gable Johnson III—a beatboxing virtuoso with a knack for mesmerizing audiences both online and in person. Over the past twenty years, he’s not just mastered the art of beatboxing but has become a beloved figure in the music scene, blending his incredible musical talent with genuine charisma. Honeycomb's journey from digital stages to collaborating with icons like T-Pain and Lin-Manuel Miranda showcases not only his skill but also his infectious energy and love for music. As we chat with Honeycomb today in the interview below, we’ll get a peek into the life of a musician who turns every performance into a heart-thumping, crowd-pleasing spectacle. Let’s dive into the beats of his world and discover what makes him tick.
RA: Can you walk us through the moment you realized that you wanted to pursue music and artistry as more than just a passion? What sparked that decision?
HC: It’s August 2012 and I’m at a music festival in Stephentown, NY called Bellaterra. I would buy VIP tickets to get meet and greets with the artists because they would share their art and I just wanted to show mine. This group, DIRTYPHONICS, was playing the main stage and I would wait for each artist at the bottom of the stairs so anyone would have to meet me. They finished their set and as soon as they came down the stairs, I was waiting there and I asked if I could show them some beatbox. They said they were “tired and hungry so if you wanted to come to the Artist area and eat with us and show us you can.” So we are in the artist lounge, I beatbox for them, and in my peripherals I see this guy, Chris McGowen, pop up and as I finish he taps me on the shoulder and asks if I want to do that late night in between 2 artists, DJ Dara and Liquid Stranger and of course I say yes. Fast forward to 3 am, it’s a packed tent with over 1,000 people and it’s my opportunity to beatbox, there’s this guy, who’s now my best friend Tonio Sagan, comes up to me and says he’s gunna rap with me. I perform for a bit solo and then he comes up to rap with me, we finish and then he goes “you guys would catch him if he crowd surfed right!?” And then got me to crowd surf after the performance, that’s when I knew this is what I wanted to do.
RA: Renowned for pushing the boundaries of traditional music production by uniquely blending beatboxing with synths and drum machines, how do you delve into your creative process, and what keeps your innovation evolving?
HC: Typically, I’ll take some dabs first to get in the zone and then I’ll always start with the drums. Being a beatboxer, that’s what is always playing in my head, so I like to lay that down first and then I hear all the other stuff after. Typically, I’ll take some dabs first to get in the zone and then I’ll always start with the drums. Being a beatboxer, that’s what is always playing in my head, so I like to lay that down first and then I hear all the other stuff after.
I’ve been looping since I was 12 or 13 and I’m 32 now, so a lot of my beats will start by making loops on my Boss Rc-505 and then I’ll recreate them in Ableton after. The free in-the-moment style of creation really helps my ideas flowing as apposed to doing it track by track in a DAW.
Currently we, and I say we because i wouldn’t be able to do this without help, are building a new looper with Ableton with the help of my buddy Jules Jenssen to expand the capabilities when I’m performing live, syncing live audio and video. If it wasn’t for Jules, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing now with my current set up.
RA: Having expanded your presence into the streaming world, what strategies or philosophies have guided these career transitions and helped navigate new opportunities in the music industry?
HC: I didn’t really plan on become a streamer, it just happened out of necessity during COVID. It’s nice to be able to do what you would normally do alone, like make beats, and have an audience and people to bounce off things. So If it wasn’t for streaming I don’t know where I would be right now, it’s helped me create a whole new set, bridge connections, get some gigs, make friends, talk to people better and motivate me to create more. I love streaming so much!
RA: Your connection with T-Pain over Twitch turned into a touring opportunity. How did this evolution occur, and what impact has it had on your career?
HC: This was actually so random, I had a streak where I would start streaming late night at around 2am EST and go until the early hours. I’m just doing my thing and I see in the chat “T-PAIN IS WATCHING YOU” and I immediately get nervous because I think a “raid” is coming. And if you don’t know what a “raid” on twitch is, it’s when you’re done streaming, you have the ability to bring your whole audience to someone else’s channel. So a few minutes after I see that text in my chat, he raids into my channel and I go into showcase mode, and I bust out a bunch of different genre loops and beatbox a bit, it was much fun! Normally after you raid, you end the stream but T-Pain kept it running and sat and reacted to my performance for about 30 minutes, I screen captured rhat and made a video and released it on my YouTube. I can’t remember how much time passed but I get a DM on Twitter from Pain asking me to come and open on the ROAD TO WISCANSIN tour! It was my first bus tour, and what a crazy time that was, I’m so grateful for all the hangs, shows and to be able to call Pain my friend. Doing the tour has helped me get more visibility on the project, get more offers and raise my fee, such an amazing experience all around.
RA: Preparing for a historic performance at Red Rocks 'In the round' must have been unique. How did you prepare for this show?
HC: Playing in the center of 10,000 people is an indescribable energy. But all of my shows are improvisational so there really is no prep for any, I go into each show and feel the vibe out and go from there. I don’t like to plan out my sets because if they don’t go as planned then it leaves room for disappointment. I may have a little framework in my head of what type of vibes I’m trying to hit but other than that it’s free flowing.
RA: Transitioning to Broadway from electronic music festivals is a significant leap. Can you share how this opportunity came about and your experience with it?
HC: We get to Vegas and I’m thinking I’m just going to be a sub for Kaila like once a week, I look at the first schedule and I’m on 3/4 times! And mind you, I still have never seen the show besides rehearsals. I was definitely really scared to do it but they said “it’s all about reps” and they were right, by the time the show was done I felt like a new person and I had a whole new feeling of being comfortable on stage. Every show we would say “I got your back” to each other and they all truly meant it.
RA: Following your recent significant performances, how has your interaction with live audiences evolved in today's digital-heavy music scene?
HC: When I first started performing it was just all on stage, but now I’ve since snagged some Xvive Wireless Mic adapters and every show I’m going out into the middle of the crowd to come hang with people. You spend majority of your life performing behind a table or like above everyone, it’s so amazing to be able to look directly at people and jam some beatbox and see their reactions up close. And since I’ve gone viral with the Omegle content, I’ve brought some people up from the audience to loop and make tracks with them! Really looking forward to integrating live video sampling into the performance in addition to that!
RA: From discovering your passion to performing on big stages, what advice would you give to aspiring artists looking to make their mark in today's world?
HC: Just do the thing, make the things, ask for stuff and put yourself around other people doing the things you want to be doing. I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t ask to be put on stage or have people along the way to help, and if someone tells you “no you can’t perform here” or “it doesn’t make sense” use that as fuel to the fire to get you there.
RA: What can your fans expect from Honeycomb in the upcoming months? Are there any exciting projects or performances on the horizon?
HC: I just released a single called “I DON’T EVEN CARE” with my buddy Kyle Goldstein rapping on it out now on all platforms, it’s also the first song I’ve made that I can replay live! I’m currently working on my first full length album called “DISPARATE” which features a few different genres throughout and I got some awesome guests on there as well. I’ve gone my entire career pretty much without releasing any music so now is the time to give the people what they want and also release some stuff.
Looking Toward the Future
In the ever-evolving landscape of music and performance, Honeycomb stands as a testament of dream and inspiration, bridging the gap between tradition and creativity. With each beat, he invites audiences on a journey of sonic exploration, transcending boundaries and redefining what it means to create music in the digital age. If you’re interested in hearing more of his work and/or licensing his music. Hit up the Rareform Audio team!
Let’s Collaborate!
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