RTP: What genre(s) does your music fit into?
BH: It really depends on the situation. At the root, people just call me folk punk and I can’t escape it, but a lot of the influneces that make my sound come from country, amercian folk, traditional blues, and top 40 radio. But sometimes I also make horrible lo fi, noise rock shit. It really depends on my mood.
RTP: What inspires you to make music?
BH: …kind of a funny story. When I was a young kid I watch fuse tv and see bands like fall out boy, green day, and mcr and put on eye liner and dance around in my bedroom and dream about being a rock star. At that point I had absolutely no musical skill on any level. I ended up not doing anything about that urge for years and I didn’t pick up a guitar till I was 16. I think its mainly cathartic though. I make music because it gives me the ability to express how I feel in a way that a paintbrush cannot. I helps me create an emotional bridge between me and the listener. ITs just beautiful man. Breathing for the soul. I’d die if I didn’t have it.
RTP: Who are your influences?
BH: Theres different sections of my influences. My biggest influence band wise, are fleetwood mac, The wonder years, and The Used, but my biggest influences songwriter wise, are Cranford Nix, Connor Oberst, Cyberbully mom club, and a few others. But the main influence comes from the people around me like my friends and family. I see what they do in real life and it inspires me to keep moving.
RTP: In the first song on your EP “Fair Weather Friend” you mention that you don’t drink. Are you straight-edge?
BH: I do not drink. One long chapter of my life that I have not been able to escape is my battle with alcohol and drugs. I spent a really long time dealing with street violence, abuse, and mental health issues and the only way I was able to cope with any of that was drowning myself in vodka or blowing lines off of my coffee table. My life spiraled completely out of control and I lost the respect of everyone in my life until I got sober in 2012. I like to say that i’m in recovery rather than straight edge. I’m a sober alcoholic, a drug addict, a rob your mom and kick you in the face drug addict, not a hardcore kid who jumps kids at shows for having a beer. Fuck, I’d drink if I could but I spoiled it. It just ain’t for me anymore.
Listen to Brian’s new EP:
https://brianhuntress.bandcamp.com/album/fair-weather-friend
photo by Julia Levine