Page 28 - Black Velvet Issue 101

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od knows we’re survivors’, sing The Hunna in ‘We Could Be’, and they
‘G most definitely are that. After a seemingly meteoric rise to fame with
the release of albums ‘100’ and ‘Dare’, the Hertfordshire band hit a fork in the
road. 2018 saw quite possibly the toughest year of their career as they split with
their label and management and were forced to reschedule a tour – quite feasibly
every band’s worst nightmare. But the rescheduled dates took place in April of
this year, and with shows selling out and new songs winning rapturous applause,
the band now see the light at the end of the tunnel, with their plan to be the
biggest band in the world back in their sights once again.
he four guys that make up The in life, not just their career. “We’ve all been way back and were going through our list of
THunna: Ryan Potter (vocals), Daniel through a lot of personal situations where all the new songs that we’d been working on
Dorney (guitar), Junate Angin (bass) and we’ve had to be strong and survive. And just for the new album and just ideas that we
Jack Metcalfe (drums), initially felt very in- bringing that into the band and our career love, and then at the end of it, he was just
timidated to reschedule their UK and Euro- just helped us push what we wanted, which like, ‘Is that you?’ and we were like, ‘Yeah,’
pean tour. When you’ve sold x amount of is to be the biggest band in the world. Doing and he said all that stuff that was really pos-
tickets and fans are looking forward to spe- what we do now, it’s all because of the strug- itive. So, for us to hear from a complete
cific dates, the last thing a band wants to do gles that we went through and all the stuff stranger that’s never met us and didn’t know
is disappoint them with some bad news in that we’ve survived and just pushed we were in a band and what we did, to say
pushing them back. Daniel says, “For the through. And just recently, going through all those things is a good indication that we’re
greater good we kind of knew that we had to, the label stuff, and all the management stuff, doing something right and that, yeah, it’s not
for their sake and ours, so yeah, it was very there’s a lot that we’ve had to do and thank- just us that loves our music, it can be Uber
intimidating but we’ve got each other and the fully we’ve come out the other side, and drivers in America or wherever! It can be
fans. We knew they’d understand and they’d we’re strong survivors.” anyone in the world. Especially after every-
have our back and it’s been very compli- Now the band are just being their own thing that’s happened again, it’s such a good
cated but we’re getting through it. Once real selves – as they always have done. feeling to hear from somebody else that
we’ve done this tour it’ll be back to normal “We’re kind of just doing us,” says Daniel. we’ve done the right thing and we know what
and it’s gonna be fucking bliss.” “We’ve always kind of just been us, espe- we need to do to push forward.”
Despite a handful of worries and stress cially musically, and image-wise. Nobody re- The band have 30 or more songs that
about pre-booked hotels and transport, fans ally tells us what to wear or what to write or they’ve been working on, although haven’t
were understanding and received either tick- how to sound, that’s completely down to us been able to record them due to the legal sit-
ets for the new dates, or refunds. And this really, and I think the next , there’s no inten- uation that they’ve been in. But Daniel says,
understanding helped the band as they tack- tion of being anything but what we’re into. “The demos are great and we’re feeling re-
led the tough time that they faced. Jack says, So we’re just kind of writing lots of music at ally confident about them. And the reception
“This week alone shows us how much their the moment and we’ve been doing lots of dif- online from hearing them live has been in-
support helps get us through all the tough ferent methods of writing and the material’s credible. It’s kind of a cool thing actually, an
times, but also proved to us that nothing’s really, really good and we’re really excited old school way of coming to a show to hear
changed in what we’re doing and that they about it.” new material, which has kind of worked in
love what we’re doing. Show-wise, it’s been The two new songs that the band chose our favour, luckily - ‘cause we’d love to re-
incredible. It’s been the craziest UK tour to debut live were ‘I Get High To Forget’ and lease it if we could, but we can’t… not yet,
we’ve done to date, in a sense of the re- ‘DGAF’. “We recorded it with Carl Barat and anyway.”
sponse, the turnout and the love, yeah. So Olly Burden from Prodigy,” says Daniel in re- On the subject of their next full-length
for us, the support does mean everything, gards to ‘I Get High To Forget’. ‘DGAF’ they album, Jack tells Black Velvet, “We want to
‘cause if that support wasn’t there this wrote in LA. Daniel says, “‘DGAF’ for ‘don’t release it ASAP, because certain songs are
wouldn’t have happened, we good to go. But at the same
wouldn’t have got through the or us to hear from a complete stranger that’s time, it is a bit of a ‘How long is
tough time, and we wouldn’t be “F never met us and didn’t know we were in a a piece of string?’ But we’re
rescheduling the tour and we’re confident that it should be fairly
selling out shows again, so… band and what we did, to say those things is a good indi- soon that things get completely
it’s worked out.” cation that we’re doing something right and that, yeah, sorted.”
Sometimes you have to go it’s not just us that loves our music, it can be Uber driv- The four-piece hope that a
through tough times to realize ers in America or wherever! It can be anyone in the new release will come later this
how strong you are. The band year, as well as more touring to-
also feel that the hard times world. Especially after everything that’s happened again, wards the end of the year. We
they’ve been through has made it’s such a good feeling to hear from somebody else that can’t wait for both.
them stronger as a unit. we’ve done the right thing and we know what we need to
“I think us and the crew as do to push forward.” - Ryan Potter ince becoming The
well,” says Ryan, “because all SHunna, the band have
the crew on the tour right now, released two full-length studio
we had with us before and we’ve taken them give a fuck’; we got taught that by our albums. ‘100’, their debut album, was re-
with us, so it wasn’t just us that was affected friends in America, Night Riots, big up. And leased in August 2016, reaching number 13
by what was going on, it was everyone that’s a really fast, upbeat, fun number. It’s in the UK album charts, while ‘Dare’ followed
around us. It’s definitely made us all stronger really a throwaway kind of track, ain’t it? It’s it up in July 2018. The sophomore release
and now this tour again shows the strength really, really fun.” peaked in the UK album charts at number 12.
of the fans as well.” ’Dare’ spawned five singles - beginning with
he band were over in LA in March ‘Summer’ in September 2017, followed by
yan, Daniel, Junate and Jack had a Twhen they took an Uber ride. While the title track in December 2017, and then
Rgreat time on their UK and European listening to some new songs that they had ‘Flickin’ Your Hair’, ‘Y.D.W.I.W.M’ and ‘NY to
tour, with the audience reacting very posi- been working on, the Uber driver remarked, LA’ all in 2018. The album was produced by
tively to the new songs and everything run- ‘That’s 5 stars right there. Keep doing what Duncan Mills who has previously produced
ning smoothly. The band kicked off their set you’re doing’. This was an important mo- the likes of Malcolm McLaren, The Vaccines,
with ‘We Could Be’ where Ryan sings ‘God ment for the band. Ryan explains, “It was im- Jamie Cullum and Jake Bugg.
knows we’re survivors’. On this topic, Junate portant because he didn’t know who it was. Looking back on the making of ‘Dare’,
says that the four of them have survived a lot We’d just had a session and we were on our Daniel says, “The recording process alone
THE HUNNA