Living proof that the label-driven music industry is changing, heavy blues rockers Dirty Honey have become the first unsigned act to reach No. 1 on Bilboard’s Mainstream Rock songs chart. The Los Angeles band’s single “When I’m Gone” moved to the top spot after spending 21 weeks rising up the tally.
Dirty Honey is a retro-tinged act delivering a modern take on bluesy ’70s hard rock. We caught the band opening for Slash back in late July, where frontman Marc Labelle gave us a distinctly “Bon Scott meets Steven Tyler” vibe. And while “When I’m Gone” reached No. 1 without a label, it’s worth mentioning that the track gained major exposure as the official theme song for the WWE Extreme Rules 2019 pay-per-view event.
Despite its chart-topping feat, Dirty Honey’s “When I’m Gone” should not be confused with the 3 Doors Down song of the same name, which spent weeks atop the charts back in 2002.
Given the success the new single and sudden star power of like-minded acts such as Greta Van Fleet, it seems unlikely that Dirty Honey will be free agents for too much longer.
In the meantime, Dirty Honey are currently opening for Alter Bridge and Skillet, and they’ll head out on a headlining tour of their own after a high-profile support slot on the final two 2019 dates of Guns N’ Roses’ “Not In This Lifetime Tour” in Las Vegas. You can get tickets here.
The band’s self-titled debut EP is available at Spotify, Apple Music, and online retail outlets.
