Sweet as “Carolina Honey”: Marcus King’s Soul-Soaked Ode to His Wife

The Marcus King Band is back with another heartfelt, time-warping triumph. Their new single “Carolina Honey,” out now via American Records/Republic Records, offers a rich taste of what fans can expect from the next chapter of King’s musical evolution, one that’s deeply personal, sonically adventurous, and brimming with soul.

At the heart of “Carolina Honey” lies a love story as cinematic as King’s songwriting. The South Carolina native draws from a deeply vulnerable chapter of his life, inviting listeners to time travel with him to a smoky, soul-soaked night in Raleigh, North Carolina, the night he met the woman who would become his wife.

“‘Carolina Honey’ is all about how I met my wife and what a significant impact that chance meeting had on my life that one night after a show in Raleigh, NC,” says King. “I woke up still hurting from the night before - still feeling I didn’t have much to live for. I’d given up on any thought that I could ever be ‘happy.’ All that changed when Little Bird walked into my life.

King paints the scene with vivid emotion, recalling how Briley came backstage after the show, sang Linda Ronstadt, and sparked something in him he hadn’t felt in a long time, hope. “For the first time I saw someone in front of me that gave me hope,” he says. “Someone I wanted to be my best self for. Someone I wanted to grow old with. Someone that made me want to grow old at all.”

“Carolina Honey” is a masterclass in retro soul revival. King, whose voice has long been praised as one of the most powerful and expressive in modern music, sounds like he was born to deliver this kind of heartfelt groove. The track channels the golden age of 70s funk and soul, complete with Muscle Shoals-style instrumentation and a rhythm section that sways like Southern humidity. Close your eyes and it plays out like a film reel: warm, nostalgic, and undeniably romantic.

This isn’t just another love song. It’s a love letter to the power of connection, the redemptive strength of music, and the magic that can spark when you least expect it.

With “Carolina Honey,” Marcus King proves once again that he’s more than just a gifted guitar slinger and frontman. He’s a storyteller, a soul-seeker, and a once-in-a-generation voice carving out a lane entirely his own. And if this is just a taste of what’s to come, fans better buckle up, King’s new era is shaping up to be his most inspired yet.