It might have been cold outside, but Honey and Blue turned up heat on the Midland Theatre stage last night for a sold out crowd at the third in a series of “Stage Door” performances.

The duo of Stephanie Amber and Adam Darling, hailing from Columbus, Ohio, made the short trip east to Newark on Thursday to wow a sold out crowd at the Midland. The venue’s “Stage Door Cabaret” series features an intimate opportunity for artists and fans to share the stage together for an evening of music that always treats those familiar with the performer, and those hearing them for the first time, to something truly unique.

I had the opportunity after sound check to chat with Stephanie and Adam in the star dressing room of the Midland Theatre about their music, how they got started, and their favorite performance experiences.

“We met in L.A. working at the Cabo Cantina” Adam shared with a fond smile, he a bouncer, and she a new waitress at the restaurant. The two hit it off quickly and began talking music. “He gave me a tape of his work” Stephanie recalls, joking how that seemed very L.A. at the time. After listening however, she was duly impressed and the two got together to play and write some music. Adam relates how Stephanie was “like the other half of my brain musically” and things just clicked.

After their first show they landed on the name Honey and Blue when a friend commented on Stephanie’s voice “sounding like honey ice cream.” With Adam’s bluesy sound, Honey and Blue was born and the moniker stuck.

When asked about music style, Adam shared that their “first recording was very Americana.” Over time though their sound has developed into more of an “Indie Soul,” or at least that’s our “elevator pitch” if asked, Adam says. Stephanie calls their music “a mixed tape of Pop, R&B, Soul, and Roots” drawing from influences like Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Sting, and the “women of Disco.”

The couple shares that their latest release, Bloom, is a very cohesive recording exemplifying a style all their own. A highlight for them on the record is the track “One Last Dance,” produced by the great Charlie Hunter who has worked with the likes of John Mayer and Norah Jones. “We went to his place in North Carolina” to work on the song, Adam recalls, again smiling. “[Hunter] has done so many amazing things with so many artists and the stories he tells are fascinating.”

The two were certainly in their element last night. Although they have played as a duo and with a full band in venues large and small, they shared that their favorite moments performing have been in front of crowds where “people are really listening, and we can tell stories.” After last evening’s show, I suspect they are adding the Midland Theatre to their list of favorites as well.

You can find out more about Honey and Blue on their website including their upcoming schedule, which includes full band dates with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra and as special guests at the third Go Big, Go Broadway series at Natalie’s in Grandview in mid-February.