Honey Bun has a presence that fills the room. The first 45 minutes of our interview time are spent comparing the qualities of London nightlife and that of New York, where she’s based, and her excitement to learn about new cultures is captivating. With every word she utters, it becomes clear just how entrenched she is in the Big Apple’s DJ scene and how equipped she is to make her mark. Whether it’s through creating her own musical universe with her radio show and club night Buntopia or entertaining the masses on a Soul Connection night, Honey Bun has become a force to be reckoned with, navigating modern music and culture while creating safe spaces for Black and LGBTQIA people.
Born in New York and raised in Texas, Honey Bun merged her interest in the alternative music of the 2010s with studying Afrofuturism at NYU to become a student of dance music, tracing every nuance of genres like House and Techno as she dipped her toe into DJing. After a baptism of fire playing her first Boiler Room set, she has gone on to craft vivid worlds for her communities. Her Buntopia brand – an “intergalactic strip club” as she describes it – is represented by a monthly radio show on The Lot Radio and regular parties throughout New York as well as her Soul Connection parties with best friend and fellow DJ Lovie, a hub pushing dance music for a Black femme audience. As well as being a resident at one of New York’s hottest nightspots, Nowadays.
Having just started DJing half a decade ago, she is using the lessons of her musical ancestors to forge a successful career and is ready to ascend. We spoke to Honey Bun about her DJ career, creating her own musical galaxy with Buntopia and the importance of black people’s history and impact across dance music.
“Discovering House and Techno was so impactful; their sound and movement…I became dedicated to learning and carrying their legacies.”
Tell us a bit about how your journey with music has unravelled.
Honey Bun: My mom worked in the music industry as an executive in sales for black urban music when I was a kid. So I had always been around the music industry traveling with her, going to events. Our garage was essentially a record store because she would get so many promos. I was living in this small town in Texas and pretty isolated from the rest of the world. So I was just heavy on the internet, heavy on Tumblr and music blogs and I got into more leftfield music like Santigold. She really set me on this different trajectory of listening to music. But I still wasn’t really into dance music because, being in Texas, we don’t really have much of that culture.
But then I went to NYU in New York and this was around the time that Boiler Room was hitting its peak. Kaytranda’s set had just dropped and we were in the midst of all those really great classic ones. I think that was my intro into what modern DJing was. Then I studied in Europe and started going to clubs and fell in love with the whole ritual of going to a club, being out till sunrise. Eventually I just put the two together: my love for music and my love for club culture.
When did DJing enter the picture for you?
I came back to New York and I was convinced that I wanted to learn how to DJ. My ex-boyfriend gave me his controller and I began practicing on Virtual DJ and Serato. I started playing with this crew called Sista Spin which was a group of Black women who were at Columbia at the same time I was at NYU. That led to my first Boiler Room set which was really random and I was not prepared to do it; it was my second time playing on CDJs! But I just prepared and it went great. I spent a lot of time during the pandemic thinking about world building and my intentions with DJing and what was possible as a community builder. Then I got a slot on The Lot Radio and I started my show Buntopia.
Was there a special moment that drew you to DJing?
I always loved listening to the radio DJs and the energy that comes from their live club mixes. Knowing that there’s someone who’s controlling it all and trying to keep the energy up.
I soon learned of House and Techno and was immediately enamored with the sound, the way it made me and others move and dance. I dedicated myself to learning as quickly as possible how to incorporate these genres into my sets, how to mix it well and respectfully carry the legacy.
Buntopia has taken a life of its own in your time at The Lot Radio. How did you come up with the concept?
The concept started more when I was at another radio station called Half Moon in Brooklyn. It was just after I had graduated where I studied Afrofuturism and started to learn more about Techno and other marginalized Black music. I was always trying to find a creative outlet to express my studies, play the music I was collecting and combine my other interests in aesthetics and interior design. I found all these photos of nightclubs from the 1990s and early 2000s that were super cool and futuristic, what we had imagined clubs would look like when we were kids.
Being from Texas, I began to reflect on what our version of dance music culture was since we didn’t have as much of the House and Techno influence like that of the midwest and east coast. I was thinking about strip clubs and nightclubs where a woman’s body is the center of entertainment and the music is meant to just move her, typically for the male gaze. I wanted to play with this concept, subvert it in some ways and developed the concept of BUNTOPIA as an intergalactic strip club on my own pink planet far away.
It’s a club where when you enter, you’re stripping away all of your preconceptions and hesitations about yourself, your impostor syndrome and you can enter as an open-minded, open-bodied person, whatever that means for you. That all feeds into The Lot Radio where I’m the resident DJ of this club and I’m just playing a mix of whatever might be playing that night. Whether it’s a chilled out night or it’s turnt up, I play it all. Or, It’s like you’re driving to the club and this is what you would hear on the way there. Buntopia is a bit of a work in progress, but ultimately it’s about having fun and feeling free.
You’ve spoken in the past about feeling angry that the influence of Black people on genres across dance music is being erased. What do you think needs to happen to reverse this trend?
I think we need to have more ownership of clubs and spaces. In dance music especially, white people, white men, own every single corner of it. They’re the managers, they’re the club owners, they’re the landlords. We need to own more physical spaces and run and operate them. When I was last in London, we played at Colour Factory, which I know is Black owned, which was great. Here in New York, I sometimes play at Cafe Erzulie which is Black owned. There’s a new spot called Damballa, which I’m playing at this month.
If we don’t own the spaces, the club owners need to give us full reign to program the nights. A lot of clubs in New York are doing this. I think that’s why there’s been this renaissance of amazing club nights by Black DJs. That’s why there’s a lot of attention here right now because, especially in the Brooklyn scene in a post-Black Lives Matter time, we’ve made it very clear – the DJs and the producers – that this history is not to be confused. This is Black people’s music. We’ve got to continue shouting about that.
You’ve gotten love from DJ Mag and Resident Advisor, but how do you navigate your popularity? How does it feel to be somewhat well known?
I’m having to really reckon with the fact that people are interested in what I’m doing. But the whole point is the music. So I’m always trying to redirect the attention there. The good press has been helpful. It gets more people at my sets and through the door and I’m not really shy about that.
Your Soul Connection club nights are also building a great reputation around New York. How did that come about?
When everybody in Sista Spin went their separate ways, I was still looking for a similar kind of community. One day I was on The Lot Radio and I saw Lovie playing and I was really drawn to her mix and the music she was playing. So, I just messaged her and was like, ‘Hey girl, let’s hang out.’
I learned she was a really great graphic designer and that we had a similar drive. I thought our tastes would go well together. We threw the first party and learned a lot. After about a year trying different things we eventually grew to the point where we could book so many incredible Black femme DJs in New York that play dance music. We made it a mission to create an inviting, warm, comfortable space for people to come to our party. Then hopefully have a similar experience that we did when we were first learning about dance music.
Throughout your career so far, what have been the most enriching parts of building the communities you’re a part of?
This past Valentine’s Day we put on a Soul Connection party. I got a lot of great feedback from friends and dancers. People I hadn’t even met before. That was really affirming. This past weekend when I went to see my friend play, I had such a great time on this dancefloor.
Being a DJ who plays pretty much every weekend in New York, I don’t have a lot of time to go listen and dance to music myself. So I was there for six hours and it reminded me of what I hope people are feeling when they’re at my DJ sets. It’s also exercise when you’re dancing, especially if you actually put your back into it and let yourself be free. So I think it’s just great knowing that I’m providing exercise and a space of education and expression. Did I just use three words starting with E? I think so! My alliteration’s on point, exercise, education, expression. Please quote that!
Switching gears a bit, how do you find new music?
I love Bandcamp and I follow a ton of producers. There’s no shame in following people. I feel like there’s this sort of stigma around following too many people on Instagram. This is my tool. I use this to connect with people, I don’t care if I’m following 4000 people. I want to follow 10,000 people! So yeah, definitely that. Then obviously going out, hearing new people through word of mouth, going to record stores. Bandcamp kind of operates as what a record shop would have been for DJs in the past for us now. Then streaming platforms, blogs. I definitely try to check up on dance music blogs, new releases. Listening to other DJ’s mixes, seeing what they are into. Just the basics!
What are some of your go-to tracks that you play during a set or radio show?
I have this Jersey Club edit of Yaeji’s ‘raingurl’ by DJ Rell where he brings in her saying “make it rain.” Then he brings in Crime Mob’s “rock your hips, come and get this honey bun,” which is where I got my DJ name. So I always play that because, obviously! I love playing any tracks that have some sort of vocal sample that says something about honey. Just because I think it’s great imagery for the set. Keeping it sticky and sweet, deep and fun. I try to keep words in my head of how I want the set to be. Then the music fills them in for me.
Have you ever played Mariah Carey’s ‘Honey’ in your set?
Yes. Listen, you don’t even want to know how many remixes and edits I have of that!
Is there still room for you to explore that spontaneous side of yourself in your sets?
When I first started learning, I watched a ton of youtube tutorials and DJ interviews that emphasized practice and preparation. That’s super important when you are first starting out but eventually you have to leave room for spontaneity and improvisation. You have to put in those 10,000 hours to get to that comfortable point and I’m still finding the balance between preparation and leaving room for whatever the night may bring.
One of my last radio shows, I was frustrated because I didn’t have as much time to prepare the playlist but I relaxed, and it turned out to be one of my best shows yet. Mindset and trust in yourself is the key, I’m starting to take meditation more seriously because mental health impacts it all. So many decisions and emotions are racing through your mind when you play, being in a good place mentally is the first step in preparing and playing a set.
How do you get yourself ready to spin a mix or at an event?
Well, I freak out and drink a ton of water. Now that I’m many more years into this, I’m just more prepared because I just have so much music. Worst case I have 5,000 songs on my USB and 10 of them will work for an hour! When I’m prepping for my sets, you have to really sort of astro-project to the party hours ahead when you’re digging.
So, it’s really fun to use my imagination, be in my room and think about what’s going to work for the party. When I arrive, I assess the situation and adjust, all of this comes with time, practice, imagination and creativity. So, I start the day nervous, slowly relax and then just accept and pivot to the whims of the party. My first Nowadays residency night is coming up and for that, I am very nervous, but really just super excited. Excitement and nerves get real mixed up together as a DJ.
“I’ve always been interested in supporting women and centering their art, creativity and influence in anything I do.”
What are some of the proudest moments of your journey so far?
I played at the Boiler Room Festival in 2023 which was at this wild venue in New York called the Brooklyn Mirage which is just massive. They have these big ass screens and it’s just such a production and they gave me the weirdest slot situation where I played 30-45 minute sets in between the live acts and bigger DJs. So I played four or five of these intermittent sets, but people didn’t really know the difference. In fact, it kind of made it look like I was the DJ of the night because everybody saw me.
But I was able to make it very intimate at the same time because I’m used to playing intimate spaces so that was really cool. I was surprised that I was actually so relaxed playing in such a big space to so many people, but there was something quite relaxing about knowing that there were that many people and they were just locked in. I’m really proud of how Soul Connection has grown and the direction it’s going in. My Nowadays residency is great too, that was really unexpected. I was like, are y’all sure?! Truly out of leftfield but I’m really proud of it.
What have you got planned for the rest of 2025?
Last year was my first year DJing full time so I was just hustling. I was playing everyday. You could catch me in any kind of situation every night. This year I’m being a little bit more strategic and now that I have my residency, my two parties, my radio show, I’m able to orient myself around them more. I’m looking forward to more of our Soul Connection parties and they’re going to be in different venues that we haven’t done yet. Continuing to grow Buntopia and develop more of an artful and architectural side to it. I’m going to be doing some traveling; me and Lovie are going to go to Europe in August and play some parties there. I definitely want to travel and tour more and play in other cities in America. Play in Atlanta more. That’s the plan.
What meaning does Women’s History Month hold for you?
Naturally I’ve always been interested in supporting women and centering their art, creativity and influence in anything I do. I feel like I pretty much carry the idea of Women’s History Month every day and what I do publicly. I look forward to spreading that love and reminding people about the importance of this time. In America especially right now it’s pretty bleak for women. I want to spend more time building my library of femme and female producers and music from women. So, I think I might challenge myself to do that a bit more. I do it normally, but I think I need to reup a bit and develop more of that in my library. I’m always thinking about women, so it’s every day for me!