The Hunts are coming to campus Tuesday, Oct. 28. A folk-indie band made up of seven brothers and sisters whose ages range from 16-24, The Hunts are just beginning to gain traction on the music scene.
Holly Bohnett, the administrative assistant for the Office of Campus Life said she is excited the Campus Activities Board (CAB) is able to present this free concert to the student body.
“I am thrilled about The Hunts,” Bohnett said. “I love the fun energy that a larger, fuller band brings to the stage, and the fact that they are brothers and sisters makes them all the more endearing. They are truly a talented family.”
The concert is Tuesday at 8 p.m. on the Front Lawn or in the Administration Auditorium in case of bad weather. Band member Jenni Hunt said she and her siblings are thrilled to be head to campus.
“Oh we’re stoked about coming to Harding,” Jenni Hunt said. “Gotta say that universities and colleges are one of the band’s absolute favorite venues to play.”
Hunt said that while on stage, the siblings use a multitude of different instruments.
“At any given show, the stage will be packed full with violins, a viola, cello, mandolin, banjo, acoustic and bass guitars, keys, an accordion, hand drums, percussion, a drum kit, even a uke,” Hunt said. “We can’t get enough stringed instruments in our hands.”
The Hunts are no strangers to performance. Hunt said the siblings have been traveling and performing for crowds for years, even when they were very young. Eventually, they performed so regularly that they decided to go ahead and form an official band.
“Music was a part of our lives even as young kids — we’d pack up all the fiddles and instruments in the van and play at any and every local event in our community,” Hunt said. “It wasn’t like we woke up one day and said ‘Hey, we should start a band,’ it was more like we woke up one day and said ‘Hey, we’ve been doing this music thing for a while, all of us enjoy it, we think we’ve got something here. Let’s work a little harder, play more music that we love, and see where it takes us.'”
The band released its first album in 2012 and garnered more success after the track “Make This Leap” was featured in a Milk Bone commercial. Jenni Hunt said it is surreal to hear one of their songs on TV.
“Never thought our song would be used for a dog treat commercial, but it received lots of air time and it’s a common note that fans make when we ask how they found us,” Hunt said.
Bohnett said CAB Director Logan Light found The Hunts and thought they would be good candidates for a concert.
“Logan was researching bands to bring and mentioned them as a possibility to some students nearby, and they were already fans of The Hunts and eagerly gave their approval,” Bohnett said. “It’s a privilege to get such a talented band on one of our stages at no cost to students.”
Hunt said part of what excites her most about performing is the emotional connection fans make to the music. She also said a second album is on the way, hopefully debuting next spring.
“When I hear stories of fans being uplifted by our music — relating to it, being encouraged by it, when it brings them joy, it feels like all this is worth something good,” Hunt said. “It’s actually not all about us you know? When I hear that the effect of what we’re doing is bringing good in people’s hearts and lives, then I’m really glad and proud to be a part of it.”
