Building Superfan Experiences (Eric Weiner of The Wild Honey Pie)
Eric Weiner, founder of The Wild Honey Pie, shares how his blog evolved into a creative agency connecting artists, fans, and brands through curated experiences. We explore building community, gaining artist trust, and adapting through shifts in the music industry.
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Mike: Hey Eric, how are you?
Eric: Good to be here. Thanks so much for having me.
Mike: So I gotta ask—because you started off with a food blog back in the day—can you talk about how you got into blogging to begin with?
Eric: Yeah. I mean, at the time blogging was what Instagram and TikTok are now. Those platforms didn’t exist yet, and blogging was how millennials shared their passions and expressed themselves. So I used it at the start to share recipes I was coming up with, because I loved to cook and go to restaurants and write reviews. It was meant to be a fun little thing. I was reading Serious Eats, Eater—all these amazing food blogs—and thought, imagine building a brand that strong. Ultimately, the food theme didn’t have the longevity I expected, but food is still a huge part of what we do at The Wild Honey Pie. It started as a platform for self-expression.
Mike: You mentioned brand—so you went to college for business management and marketing. Did you know then that you wanted to start your own venture or go into business?
Eric: Honestly, I thought I was going to sell toilets. My family business is kitchens and baths. My dad had a successful business in Westchester, New York, and worked with Kohler and other brands. I thought I’d apprentice with him and go into the family business. But toward the end of college, my cousin—who was working at MTV—told me, "You should work in music. You’re always telling me what to listen to and have great taste." He helped me get an internship at MTV in London, which changed everything.
Mike: That’s amazing. Kudos to you for seizing that opportunity. Like you said, you could always go back later if you wanted. I think that’s true at any point in life—if you can take a chance on something not guaranteed, it's worth doing. My parents were entrepreneurs too, and I’ve worked on both our family business and my own ventures.
So now you're at MTV Networks, and you mentioned your passion for music helped influence transforming the blog from food to music. I imagine adapting the name "The Wild Honey Pie" to a music identity wasn’t easy, especially since your audience up to that point was focused on recipes and reviews.
Eric: I didn’t have much of an audience when it was a food blog, to be honest. But "Wild Honey Pie" is a Beatles song, so it always had a connection to music. Even early on, I had playlists on the site. Remember, this was during the Blogger days—before Google even bought it. Music had always been a part of The Wild Honey Pie. But it was during my MTV internship in London, immersed in UK music culture, that I caught the bug. I fell in love with the creativity of music blogging. That was the blogosphere era—where music discovery was happening. Labels were scouting blogs. There was no TikTok, no Instagram. Blogs were how people found music.
Mike: I want to go back to what you said earlier about having trouble building an audience as a food blog. What did you do differently when you transitioned to a music blog?
Eric: It really came down to finding writers who were passionate about music and wanted to share their voice. Once I moved back to the States, I started filming live sessions and doing all the things that became part of The Wild Honey Pie. It was also just about hustle—telling everyone I met about it, making stickers, handing them out. It’s very similar to being a musician—putting yourself in the right place to have your creativity seen and heard. I was lucky to work with amazing writers and journalists. And over time, we built not just a publication but a brand—with an aesthetic that was approachable and friendly. In some ways, the polar opposite of Pitchfork.
Mike: Let’s dive into that more. How did you want to differentiate yourself from other music blogs at the time?
Eric: I wanted it to be a very accessible source for new music—mostly indie. Without the holier-than-thou energy some publications had. Not to insult Pitchfork—they had amazing writers—but I wasn’t interested in writing negative reviews. We didn’t have time for that. We focused on the music that inspired us, that was soundtracking our lives.
Mike: I love that. There was space for all kinds of blogs—Pitchfork, The Wild Honey Pie, and everything in between. That diversity added so much to the music ecosystem.
Eric: Yeah, it was a really exciting time with a lot of self-expression.
Mike: What made you move back to the States—and why New York City?
Eric: It was the end of my final semester of college, and I moved back to where I grew up. I found my first apartment on the Lower East Side—close to Mercury Lounge—so I was at shows almost every night. I got a job at MTV as a music coordinator, selecting music for shows. But my passion was building The Wild Honey Pie. I found a business partner in Lauren McKinney who helped shape our editorial. New York at the time was electric—before Williamsburg was gentrified with an Apple Store. It was a hotbed for live music. I started throwing showcases at venues like Glasslands and Cameo Gallery and really immersed myself in the scene. I felt imposter syndrome at times, but the artists’ excitement and the overall energy kept me going.
Mike: Why the imposter syndrome?
Eric: I didn’t have journalism experience, and I questioned my qualifications. But I quickly realized the only way to learn is by doing. Building The Wild Honey Pie became my master’s program.
Mike: I totally relate. I started my label with a sample contract from a book and figured it out as I went. Trial by fire. But clearly, artists trusted you—enough to be part of your blog and events.
Eric: Yeah. The events were DIY at first—South by Southwest, CMJ, Northside Festival. But we got better with each one. The events helped us build community—bringing superfans and artists together. And we had great brand partners like Eventbrite, Kohler, Squarespace, Sonos. They trusted our taste in music, design, and food. That support let us focus on quality, not just ticket sales.
Mike: Around then, you also got more into video. You mentioned video assistant work in college. Was that a passion?
Eric: Absolutely. I took video classes in high school and made a short film about my grandpa that aired on local TV. In college, I worked for the football team on video. After graduating, I bought flip cams and started filming Buzz Sessions. We filmed with Cage the Elephant, alt-J, Lucius, and more. Over time, that grew into a full production agency. We’ve done official videos for Jason Mraz, Eric Clapton, Queens of the Stone Age, and now we also produce brand content—short films, commercials, and animated videos. We even hire artists to score them. It all ties back to those early Buzz Sessions.
Mike: That’s amazing—taking what you were already doing and evolving it into a whole business.
Eric: Exactly. Live sessions are still one of the best ways to discover music. AudioTree, OurVinyl—those companies are still doing great work. But there are fewer people doing them now because of how expensive it is. Brands or labels need to help support them.
Mike: You’ve worked with so many artists over the years. What, from your perspective, leads to longevity?
Eric: Building a brand—visually and emotionally. How you dress, album art, merch, how you treat fans—all of it. Creating emotional resonance. Artists like Lucius are great examples. Strong visuals and music videos still matter, even if they’re not as central as they were during MTV’s peak. Spotify launching a video service would be game-changing. But above all, it’s about community—connecting with fans in ways that turn them into lifelong supporters.
Mike: I agree. Do you have any horror stories?
Eric: Things have definitely gone wrong over the years, but I mostly remember grinding through and learning from it. Like our first ski trip—it was -5 degrees in Vermont. That was brutal. But we made it work.
Mike: So where’s The Wild Honey Pie today?
Eric: It’s all about community. Helping artists convert casual listeners into lifelong fans. We run experiential events—dinner parties, resort takeovers, pizza parties—and create content that helps fans fall in love with artists. We’ve added a sports vertical, and we're always looking for new ways to create meaningful connections. We’re building something that supports artists, brands, and fans alike. And most importantly, it’s still rooted in love—for music, for food, and for helping people find their people.
Mike: That’s incredible. Okay, fun stuff to end—what was your first concert?
Eric: Brand New at Hammerstein Ballroom. First time seeing a mosh pit—I was terrified. Later I saw The Who at MSG with my parents.
Mike: Go-to artist or song right now?
Eric: An artist named yeemz—her song "People Pleaser" is my favorite this year. She only has a few tracks out, but she’s amazing.
Mike: Final advice for creatives?
Eric: Trust your gut. Once you see success from doing what feels right to you, it gets easier to follow that instinct. Take in feedback, but stay rooted in your vision.
Mike: Couldn’t agree more. Eric, thank you so much. This was amazing.
Eric: Thanks for having me.