No Song Without You

A sun-drenched love letter written in the middle of a storm, no song without you sees HONNE at their most delicate, most intimate, and arguably, most free.

Released on 3 July 2020, the 14-track mixtape marked a deliberate detour for the London duo — Andy Clutterbuck and James Hatcher — embracing acoustic textures, softened edges, and warm lo-fi psychedelia. Clutterbuck described it as a “side-step” in interviews, and that’s exactly how it feels: a barefoot wander through sun-faded memories, laced with Beach Boys harmonies and handwritten sincerity.

From the scratch of pen on paper that opens dear P to the parting wisdom of smile more smile more smile more, the record feels like an open diary — filled with bittersweet reflections, dazed hope, and moments of emotional clarity. The title track is a standout: jazzy, feather-light, and profoundly moving in its simplicity. Elsewhere, free love beams with joy, by my side builds to a cinematic swell, and gone gone gone wraps heartbreak in warmth and familiarity. Even the interludes (iloveyoumorethanicansay, can’t bear to be without you, our love will never die) serve as palate cleansers — like breathers between daydreams.

But it’s not all soft focus. s o c i a l d i s t a n c i n g lands with a pandemic-era snarl, while one way to tokyo pulls the emotional thread taut, layering autotuned longing over its bittersweet beat. Through it all, the production is restrained but rich, letting the lyrics — often earnest to the point of charming awkwardness — take centre stage.

no song without you isn’t just HONNE’s most cohesive project to date — it’s their most human. A record about love, distance, longing, and quiet joy, made for solitary mornings and warm, wistful nights.