Kevin Honold Releases "Two Lovers in the Summer" and Connects with Us to Reveal the Story Behind the Song
- STAFF
- Sep 22
- 12 min read
By: Staff
“Two Lovers in the Summer” is an extraordinary blend of raw emotion, cinematic sound, and unrelenting heart.
Get ready to be swept away by an unforgettable musical journey. Kevin Honold’s new single, “Two Lovers in the Summer,” is an emotionally charged anthem that builds with breathtaking intensity and delivers a performance you won’t soon forget. Known for his rhythmic rock sound that combines heart-wrenching storytelling with cinematic energy, Honold pushes the limits of his craft in this track, leaving listeners mesmerized by both the music and its message.
We spoke with Kevin about the inspiration behind this stunning piece, written during a pivotal period in his life. With its soaring vocals, intricate instrumentation, and powerful duet that catches you completely off guard, “Two Lovers in the Summer” is a musical experience that’s meant to be lived with, not just heard. The song is about love, change, and the passage of time; a reflection on love’s highs and lows, as well as the quiet uncertainty of what lies ahead.
In the interview, Kevin opens up about the personal moments that shaped the song, as well as the creative process that led to its captivating sound. From the surprise of the duet to the deep connection between his own experiences and the music, he shares how this track serves as a mirror to his journey through transformation. With cultural influences, personal growth, and a fearless embrace of vulnerability, Kevin invites listeners into the most intimate corners of his world.
Dive into our full conversation where Kevin reveals the story behind the song, the voices that helped bring it to life, and what’s next for this exciting rising artist.
Keep scrolling to get into it with Kevin Honold.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview:
Hello Kevin Honold, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Wow, "Two Lovers in the Summer" is such an incredible performance. The opening notes and the entire musical arrangement are so full and build beautifully, delivering your message so powerfully. But honestly, it's your commanding and emphatic vocal delivery that truly won us over. The emotion and connection to the music are so palpable. And when the duet revealed itself, we were completely stunned. It’s amazing how the title matches the performance, but in such a surprising and unexpected way. Absolutely fantastic!
Q. After experiencing this, we want to know: How has your personal musical journey brought you to this point? Did your evolution into a professional career happen gradually, or was there a pivotal moment that set everything quickly in motion?
A.Thank you for having me, and I’m glad you enjoyed the song!
My musical journey has unfolded over a number of pivotal moments.
First, let our minds rewind to the late 90s, suburban New Jersey, where in the 4th grade a boy with a dangerous mix of high energy, social anxiety and insatiable curiosity had a chance to choose an instrument to learn through the Summit, New Jersey, public school system. He probably should have chosen the drums as a physical outlet, but thought the saxophone looked pretty freaking cool.
Fast forward to sophomore year of college at the University of Vermont. That boy had continued playing sax through high school. However, in college he no longer had a structured outlet to play music and soon realized he missed its absence. Several of his friends were musicians, including future studio collaborators, Luke Fox (bass) and Trevor Michalak (drums). They inspired him to learn the guitar.
One more jump in time. The year was 2015 in San Francisco, CA. That boy was now a young man who had moved across the country to try to find his way in the world. He had already accrued his fare share of regrets (including his decision to write about himself in the 3rd person 😅), but was doing his best to move forward. But first a challenge: he had suffered a separated right shoulder from a skiing accident, which would ultimately require three surgeries and nearly as many years to recover. During these dark years, our hero couldn’t play guitar. Every vibration would send jolts of pain through the recovering shoulder. AND DAMN DID HE MISS IT. To motivate his recovery, the young man bought himself a beautiful Martin guitar and hung it on the wall as a daily reminder to fight through the pain and heal.
He never looked back. Not long after getting his playing chops back, he got back into songwriting. Then Covid hit, reducing the unrelenting constraint of time. This past June, he released his debut album, “The Forge” (links to streaming platforms available at www.kevinhonold....music) and has now released his first follow-up single, “Two Lovers in the Summer”.
Q. "Two Lovers in the Summer" tells a beautiful and intricate story. What is the song about, and who is the lover you are speaking of?
A. I wrote Two Lovers at the end of the summer of 2023 in Seattle, where I was living at the time. I had gotten engaged to my now wife, Tina, at the beginning of that summer. We started having disagreements about what our shared future would hold, further challenged by our different cultural backgrounds (she was born and raised in India).
I left for a few weeks to visit my family in New Jersey, during which I had my first professional recording session for my album, The Forge. I had spent most of my adult life to this point on the West Coast, and for the first time since leaving I had a deep longing to return home.
When I got back to Seattle, Tina and I nearly broke up. But then we kept talking. Slowly, she and I repaired our relationship and found our way forward. I really love her and am grateful we figured things out. I wrote this song to help process everything I was experiencing during this time.
Q. We were so excited when we heard her join! Please share more about who the other vocalist is, and how they contributed to bringing that story to life in the track?
A. The other vocalist is Moe McGowan, who has been my collaborator since I started recording. I was introduced to Moe through my recording engineer and co-producer Pat Noon of Eight Sixteen Recording (www.eightsixteen...com/), who had worked with Moe over a number of years in the New Jersey music scene. I’m a sucker for a good harmony, especially the male/female vocal dynamics. I love how Moe’s voice blends with and softens my own, and she’s got an incredible talent for finding the perfect harmony.
I didn’t want Two Lovers to just represent my side of the story in Tina and my relationship. When fights happen, the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. To represent both sides, I had Moe join on the second verse, making the song a duet through to the end.
Q. You’ve spoken about cultural differences between you and Tina. How have your different backgrounds influenced the dynamic of your relationship, and how does that show up in your music, particularly in this song?
A. There are a lot of things I truly respect about Indian culture. There’s a strong collective and social identity that prevails, especially within families. Contrast this with American culture, which is very individualistic. There are pros and cons to both approaches, and as we’ve worked to merge our lives, I try to be conscious of not holding onto values for the sake of familiarity alone. I think the American culture could be improved by looking out more for one another.
Tina has a tremendous heart. When we nearly broke up, her heart and the feelings she shared with me really cut through the hurt I was feeling. And made me realize it was worth it to “take our time for one more dance.”
My best songwriting comes when I’m trying to process intense emotions. Tina’s heart and the love she has for me repeatedly triggers this, whether it’s the feel good love (stay tuned for future song releases) or the tough love and challenges we need to figure out together.
Q. India has such a rich and profound cultural history. How did your trip there impact the way you approach music, and did anything from that experience weave its way into your songwriting?
A. I’ve visited India now three times. Between the culture, the sights, the smells, the food, and of course, the music, it is a very different world then the US. It’s eye opening and at times can be uncomfortable.
Learning and understanding happen best when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. The immediate impact on my music is to embrace the discomfort. Two Lovers has a distinctly different vibe than the songs from my debut album, The Forge. I want to keep challenging myself and evolve. I don’t want to keep recreating the same thing.
Long term, we’ll see where our multicultural journey takes my music. Indian music follows its own set of rules and often uses different instruments. As the sounds and rhythms of India continue to mix in my subconscious, I’m sure new and interesting ideas will emerge. And as time and money allow, I hope to experiment more with the Indian instruments, such as the sitar, bansuri, and tabla.
Q. You mentioned that this song was written during a transitional period in your life. Can you walk us through how you channeled your own emotions and experiences into this track?
A. I spent most of my adult life living on the West Coast, starting in San Francisco and then moving to Seattle with my now ex-wife who was from there. After getting divorced, I had the sense that I wanted to move back to New Jersey at some point, where I was born and raised, to be closer to my family.
I shared this with Tina early on when we started dating. I didn’t yet know when this would be, but it was important to be clear about my intentions. When I visited my family that summer, I saw my parents getting older, nieces and nephews growing up, and old friends that I missed. It hit me hard that I couldn’t wait much longer. “And at this time, I just gotta find my way back home. And I need to go.”
When I got back to Seattle and Tina and I nearly broke up, I told her what I was feeling. We didn’t need to rush the move, so that we could focus on repairing things first between us, but that I couldn’t wait much longer. A little over a year later, after healing and committing our futures together, we relocated to Jersey City.
Q. You describe the song as being about love, storms, and the passage of seasons. Is there a particular storm, literal or metaphorical, that stands out in the creation of this song?
A. The storm of life. And the struggles of finding someone you connect with to share this journey with.
Some of the lyrics from Two Lovers, “a storm of rolling thunder, I can hear the rainfall” intentionally reference my song Butterflies & Hurricanes from The Forge, “storm of rolling thunder from the wings of a butterfly”, and its ask/challenge during the chorus “And so if you feel it, let me know, cause I don’t want to feel this way alone.”
To navigate the storm of life, you have to be clear about your intentions and go for what you want. This time, it ended up working out for the Two Lovers in question.
Q. You talk about embracing fearlessness in your current self, but were there any moments of doubt that surfaced during the process of making this record? If so, how did you navigate those moments of uncertainty?
A. I don’t currently have a full-time band (planning to change this next year), so each song is approached as a studio project, with support from my friends Luke Fox (bass) and Trevor Michalak (drums), co-producer Pat Noon, and my ensemble of professional musicians.
I put in a significant amount of preparation before getting to the studio, which includes recording scratch tracks from my home setup (guitar, vocals, saxophone) and an outline/notes on the arrangement. I want to have an idea where the song will go to be efficient and effective with my studio time. However, I don’t want to be overprescriptive to the point that I tune out good ideas shared by my collaborators.
For this song, Trevor and I were having a lot of trouble figuring out the drums. Ideas just weren’t sticking. I give the credit here to Pat, who brought in the idea to step back from a full drum kit and have this song be a more shaker / tambourine driven groove, which ended up meshing perfectly with the pulsing rhythm from my guitar (played on my spanish classical) and finished with a four-to-the-floor kick to keep the energy moving forward.
The counterforce of doubt is trust. By having the right people with me and keeping an open ear to their ideas, I’ve been able to ensure the best ideas find their way into my music. Along with the positive energy captured during our collaboration.
Q. You've made it clear that your music is meant to be “lived with” rather than just heard. What kind of emotional journey do you want your listeners to take when they hear “Two Lovers in the Summer”?
A. It took me a long time in life to learn how to open up. To not bottle up my emotions. To be vulnerable. These days, I find there is more strength in sharing the true human experience, and not hiding behind a wall of hurt.
So much of the craziness we’re seeing in the world right now likely originated from some form of pain that was never properly processed. Beneath the pain almost always lies a deeper human emotion (sadness, grief, loss, etc.). That unprocessed pain then results in hitting back or self-destructing. And the cycle continues.
When people listen to Two Lovers, I hope it helps them reflect upon their journey and connect with those deeper human emotions.
Q. What was the most surprising discovery you made about yourself while writing this song? Was there something in your past or your relationship that you hadn’t fully processed before this moment?
A. Keep your heart open to the possibilities. And be aware that “spicy” Indian food takes it to the next level 🫠
Q. You’ve said you’re not chasing trends, but chasing truth. How do you stay grounded in your truth when the music industry can sometimes push you in different directions?
A. I am entirely independent and aim to keep it this way. I’ve been investing a percentage of my corporate salary into producing my music, which allows me the freedom to bring my vision to life without being beholden to someone else’s purse strings. My goal is to build a portfolio career across both music and business, leveraging my capabilities in both arenas to drive positive impact in the world.
Q. Are most of your songs drawn from your own life and experiences, or do you sometimes explore completely fictional worlds? What’s your relationship to the stories and characters in your music, are you typically one of the “cast members” within the theme?
A. The songs written to date are almost entirely from lived experiences across my journey. Between generational trauma and my own lived pain, I had a lot to process, with music as my outlet.
As I move into the next phase of my journey with the strong sense of self I’ve found, I plan to explore more collaborative songwriting and potentially fictional characters and worlds. I’m a big fan of scifi/fantasy (I read Game of Thrones before HBO made it cool…and then ruined it). I want to keep challenging myself and evolving my sound, and I see these as two opportunities to achieve that.
Q. What are your top 2 local dream venues to perform at, and what are your top 2 world-renowned venues? If you could take the stage there, what would be the first song you’d perform?
A. I’m a Jersey Boy, born and raised. Madison Square Garden would be at the top of my local venue list for the iconic factor. And the idea of playing to an entire stadium sounds unreal, so let’s add Metlife Stadium as number two.
Two of the most amazing venues I’ve ever been to are The Gorge, in Washington State and Redrocks in Colorado. I’m a big outdoors enthusiast, and the combination of natural beauty plus music gets me all tingly inside.
My favorite song to open with is the first song I released, Me, off my debut album The Forge. “Oh can’t you see, it’s me, standing here before ya. I’m different from the last time that I seen ya. Oh can’t you see, it’s me, I grew up right before ya. I learned to let it go, and just be me.”
Q. Outside of music, who or what has had the biggest influence on your personal growth or artistic perspective?
A.Nature. When I escape from the human world and open my senses to the sights and sounds all around me, I feel a deep interconnectedness with the universe. There is something bigger than the self at work.
Q. What do you want people to remember most about you after hearing your music and reading this interview?
A.”Damn, he seems like a good guy! And his music is 💯.” 😁
Q. Kevin, we can’t thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! So, what’s next? Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We’d love for the readers to hear the news directly from you!
A.Get excited for new music! I have a few songs fully mastered and ready to release, another batch after this nearly done tracking, and several more in the recording prep phase. I’m planning to release these as singles across the next ~18 months before packaging and releasing them as my second studio album.
I’m planning to put together a full time band in the coming year to bring my studio vision to live performance.
You can connect with me on Instagram or TikTok @kevinhonoldmusic to stay up to date on new releases.
Thank you again for having me!
Kevin Honold, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
