I Love You, Honeybear Demos, etc. by Father John Misty

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I Love You, Honeybear Demos, etc. by Father John Misty was released on the 14th of February, 2025.

Album Art by Father John Misty (Joshua Tillman)

Highlights: Chateau First Time, Smiling Astride Me and Went To The Store

The boisterous, yet doleful persona of Father John Misty has floated through the alternative folk and rock scene for well over a decade— although Joshua Tillman has gathered an extraordinarily dedicated fanbase under the stage name Father John Misty, they never would have suspected a surprise full length collection of demos and outtakes from his beloved 2015 record I Love You, Honeybear, especially after he released his sixth studio album only three months prior. I Love You, Honeybear, however, is one of the singer’s most famed projects, and although these are just rough cuts and demos, the grit and rawness of these new takes on old favourites adds a new layer of emotion that is hard to ignore.

Each track from the album has been renamed to what can only be assumed to be their original titles. I Luv U Honeybear is a take on the title track and the singer’s hollowed, gripping voice allows each lyric to sound more pronounced and thus, more distressful than ever. Chateau First Time almost sounds entirely different from Chateau Lobby 4 (In C for Two Virgins), mostly due to the same echo as heard in the track before, but also due to its slower tempo. There are slight lyric changes, and although it may just be a few lines, the feel of the entire tune is flipped upside down. While the studio version is bubbly and shows off the ridiculousness, yet enchanting appeal of young love, especially considering the cheery implementation of a mariachi band, the demo displays a desperate longingness through his eerie, overwrought vibrato. Smiling Astride Me, Strange Encounter, “Past Is a Nightmare I’m Trying to Wake Up From” (which has an alternative title on the 2015 release), Bored in The USA and Went To The Store are similar in this way. If anything, Went To The Store is now clearly the antithesis of Chateau First Time— the singer is more sombre and the lack of instrumentals and now heavy focus on vocal performance blatantly shows a more realistic side to what Father John Misty views as true romance. As he clears his throat before the final verse, it brings listeners back to the surface. As much as Father John Misty comes across as a caricature of Joshua Tillman, moments like these blur the lines between exaggeration and real life.

With all demo releases of fan favourites, side-by-side comparisons of the old and new are bound to be explored. These demos, however, could be considered brand new songs. True Affection is a great example of this— the demo has a retro game style production whereas the final release is much more modern. The sound’s connotation provides a youthful tone which lines up to the theme of Chateau First Time. It seems as though these demos add more context to the studio recordings and now feels like a necessary supplement for full understanding.

There are some new moments on this record as well— a cover of Cass McCombs’ Nobody’s Nixon, a cover of Nirvana’s Heart-Shaped Box and I Loved You Honeybee are now on streaming services for folks to enjoy.

Overall, this anniversary cut of I Love You, Honeybear is jarring, but endearing. Father John Misty’s catalogue is filled with deeply unsettling, introspective moments, but these new versions have the ability to change die-hard fanatics’ opinions about the release from a decade ago. What was once seen as a charismatic collection of enjoyable dark humour regarding romance has transformed into an intense look into the most troubling existential thoughts of Father John Misty. Long-time supporters will certainly look to this release with a new appreciation, but it is not necessarily palatable to all new listeners. Regardless, Father John Misty is the type of artist to not be concerned with appealing to the masses— he creates poetry that has the ability to connect with others who share a similar outlook on life, and this surprise proves just that.