The California Honeydrops

Emerging as a contemporary blues ensemble that balances nostalgic tendencies with modern sensibilities, the California Honeydrops established a presence within the global blues scene throughout the 2010s. Their initial release, Soul Tub!, came out in 2008 and focused on direct revivals of traditional blues styles, encompassing energetic New Orleans R&B alongside relaxed West Coast approaches. Over the course of the decade, the group integrated these varied influences, reaching a peak with the expansive double album Call It Home, Vols. 1-2 in 2018.

Lech Wierzynski, who serves as singer and trumpeter and hails from Warsaw, Poland, established the California Honeydrops alongside drummer Ben Malament during the late 2000s in Oakland. Before this venture, Wierzynski gained experience as a session musician alongside artists including Dan Hicks and Maria Muldaur, skills that proved valuable within the ensemble. After incorporating pianist Chris Burns and multi-instrumentalist Nansamba Ssensalo, they issued their first album, Soul Tub!, in 2008.

Following the departures of Burns and Ssensalo, the band's membership shifted with some regularity while the California Honeydrops persisted in performing and producing material through their Tubtone Records imprint during the 2010s. The album Spreadin' Honey appeared in 2010, succeeded by Honeydrops Live in 2012. Another studio effort, Like You Mean It, followed in 2013, and A River's Invitation came out in 2015. The double album Call It Home, Vols. 1-2 was released by the group in 2018.