Huntsmen: Ears Wide Open

“All of our records have an underlying theme, the first two fit almost conceptually. So, we wanted to take some of those themes of loss and despair that we’re known for. But we also had some of our own sickness, personal injury and loss that came out in the record.” This is how Marc Stranger-Najjar addresses the thoughts on what The Dry Land, the brand new album from HUNTSMEN is about. 

With a name derived from the Earthsea series, The Dry Land being where the boatman takes people when they die. A realm of shadows and dust. As a concept it fits perfectly with the stylings of the Chicago band. However, there is more going on both with the record and the band.

For those familiar with HUNTSMEN’s previous work, the new album continues an eclectic genre blend. They defy a clear-cut label. Featuring blends of Americana, folk, goth, and heavy blackened sounds. “It’s an authentic representation of who we are as musicians,” Marc explains. Going on to say with a laugh “I keep people distracted really well with my musical tastes.” However, the genre ideas come from all angles with all the members delivering elements from their own pasts. “We get bored really easy, but it’s a place of authenticity.”

As the band have progressed, their numbers have grown, Aimee Bueno-Knipe who provided quest vocals on debut American Scrap and was again invited back for Mandala Of Fear in 2020. Marc details how Aimee then became a full-time member of the band. “It was a natural progression, when we finished Mandala Of Fear it made sense to have Aimee as a full-time member. Now The Dry Land is the first recording with her as a full-time member and all the creative input that entails.”

Having additional members to further the collaborative writing process has certainly only served to strengthen the output of HUNTSMEN. “She wrote a lot of the lyrics to This, Our Gospel and with Rain, the first song I wrote in its entirety which was nerve wracking [Laughs], she was encouraging and supportive. A great delivery not only as performing but also lyricism.”

As one would expect, with so many members all bringing their own unique thoughts and takes as well as active songwriting contribution, things can be a bit chaotic. While this does not come across in the finished recordings, with each track on The Dry Land fitting together perfectly and offering cohesion thought it’s genre defying textures. Marc opines that rehearsals can be a bit of mixing pot. “It’s often times chaotic. We all have different moods and ideas to bring to the table. There are different expectations. It hasn’t been too difficult to harness as we all get along quite well. It takes one of use to say, lets regroup and focus on a specific section. We’re getting back to listening to each other.”

Taking inspiration from the improvisational project featuring previous member of the band on DAVID BOWIE’s Blackstar as well as renowned drummer Nate Smith. The inspiration comes from their bassist who said “ears wide open, listening to everyone else, I’ve shared this with the band and we’re trying to run with it. Picking up on each other’s cues and not being pigeonholed.” This idea accentuates the feeling of authenticity that comes through in their music.

When listening to The Dry Land, one of the striking features alongside the multiple themes infused, is the production. Harmonies ring out crystal clear, the heavy sections carry a weight that would challenge the death and black metal fans. It commands attention throughout. “We are definitely very particular. But the cool thing is we start with a generalised theme.” When it comes to discussing The Rain, Marc details that the theme came from an outside source. “I was actually listening to the original Dawn Of The Dead soundtrack, there a track on there that I found kind of cool and I started to work with it using a delay on my bass.” 

Going on to explain how this formulated the song in his mind, “I imagined how the lyrics would form and then took it to the band they were saying it was cool and then we developed a balanced mix from there to unify it. On this record we worked with Pete Grossmann, who is fantastic, we put our trust in him and because of that he drew out the sound we were looking for. Then the final mixing was us just being picky [laughs].”

For a band that are clearly very focussed on their music and have a creative intensity. There is still time for downtime for HUNTSMEN. Even if that does involve children, house moves and work projects, Marc explains they still find time for hobbies. “I like to talk about sports or movies and anything, Aimee is into metal work even fixing up Ray’s [Bueno-Knipe, drums] cymbals. Ray is also an insane painter.  While the band is intense, we try to make it as non-intense as possible to allow for everyone’s lives.”

In terms of taking the new material on road, Marc explains, “we’ve got a few shows coming up and an album release show. We’re open to touring but we’re not able to get on the road for 30 days in a row, but definitely a week or two weeks at a time in the Fall for sure.” Offering a final considered thought on HUNTSMEN, “we’re quite visible on social media, but it’s important to remember that this is a passion project and is a time stamp for how we feel at the time. To make music and performances that we’re excited about, in an age of constant consumption of all media, it’s important to remember that this is not an accurate reflection. We just want to focus on each other and share this with an audience. Whether to two people or two thousand people, it’s really special. Any opportunity to play we would love to have a connection and have a great show.”

The Dry Land is out now via Prosthetic Records. 

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