YORKTON — In November the Hunter Brothers from Shaunavon released a new EP ‘All Kinds of Country’, a six-track collection capturing “the band at a defining moment, honouring the heart of their roots while expanding their sound with fresh influences, collaborations, and a renewed sense of creative purpose,” according to a band release.
In part to promote the new EP the Canadian country band consisting of five brothers: Luke, J.J., Ty, Brock, and Dusty, they are in the midst of their Homegrown Nights Tour, which will make a stop at the Anne Portnuff Theatre in Yorkton Nov. 23.
The six songs on the EP “speak to a bit of a progression for us,” J.J. Hunter told Yorkton This Week.
Hunter said an evolution of sorts is almost natural as a band matures, and the five brothers have been at it for a while now.
It was in 2016, the brothers started recording a collection of songs with their label Open Road Recordings. In February of that year they released their debut single ‘El Dorado’.
In the spring of 2017, the Hunter Brothers released their debut album Getaway. This album included two singles that earned them their first two songs that entered the top 10 on the Billboard charts: ‘Born and Raised’, and ‘Those Were the Nights’.
After the release of ‘El Dorado’, the Hunter Brothers were nominated for four Saskatchewan Country Music Association Awards, and won for both Group of the Year, and Emerging Artist categories.
“There’s a lot of things I love about the first music we put out. A lot of things we are very proud of,” said Hunter.
Ditto on a Christmas album recorded right on the farm at Shaunavon.
But, the Hunter Brothers have changed at least in their own minds through the ensuing years.
“Progression – I think that’s the key as an artist,” said Hunter, adding change is not always easy. “. . . I think evolving as an artist is a tough thing at times.”
Hunter said there is an expectation from fans which can sometimes hold musicians back from change, but he added they are progressing adding “I don’t think it’s complete yet.”
Perhaps progression is inevitable in the sense while they are family they are also unique individuals.
“We’ve done life together for a long time,” he said, but added they still have different interests, musical influences and such, which makes for some interesting times when it comes to making decisions.
Consensus is not always possible, but fortunately with five votes there are never ties.
J.J. Hunter said “we often joke” youngest brother Ty is well-named as he is the deciding vote.
Of course they try to find the common ground – even in song writing and selection – but sometimes that is not the best way to go.
“We try to find that happy middle ground,” said J.J. Hunter, adding that process can result “in leaving certain things on the table.”
That is why when it comes to writing it’s rarely all five in a room trying to work on a song. Instead Hunter said they go off alone and create, bringing something well defined back to the group for fleshing out.
Of course the debate/arguments over what gets recorded still happen.
“We have a hard drive full of songs that have never seen the light of day past family and the record label,” he said, adding that means some songs an individual brother will love dearly ultimately gets left behind.
It’s an effort where the brothers wrestle with the pros and cons of a song, and sometimes looking to the management team to come in and help make the final song decisions.
In the end though, through it all, Hunter said as a collective they understand music is part of who they are, and always will be, and they just love sharing that passion with fans.
