Honeyrider -- the name an appropriation of Ursula Andress' bikini-clad beachcombing character from the 1962 James Bond motion picture Dr No -- is essentially the power pop alias of multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter Gary Strickland. In 1996, Strickland recorded a one-off single under the name for a Candy Floss single, "Drugstore Shoot-Out," which featured a guest appearance by Lisah from San Diego-based indie/emo rockers Red Dye #5 on vocals. Strickland continued to use the name, recording several Honeyrider singles for the legendary Damaged Goods label. Some of these were collected, along with new material, and released as All Systems Go!, the group's first full-length, in 1998. That same year, Strickland left the San Diego area for a job at a record distribution company in Germany. He took time off to record songs in England and ended up staying there, moving to the northern part of the country. Strickland eventually returned to the U.S. (returning to England periodically to record new songs) and began splitting his time between California and the Tampa Bay area. Damaged Goods issued Honeyrider's follow-up, Splashdown, in 2000, with Robin Hill (drums), Petrinka Drasovic (rhythm guitar), and producer/engineer Paul Sampson on bass. In 2002, Strickland signed with Dionysus Records' Orange Sky imprint, which will release the long-awaited third Honeyrider album. ~ Bryan Thomas