September 2010

In a recent interview with Call & Post , Van Hunt heralds his hometown of Dayton, Ohio for being influential in his start, warrants the woes of the industry and expresses his enthusiasm for returning to the state (on tour) that birthed the man and the music we know as Van Hunt.

Even though I’m from Ohio, I hardly ever meet anyone from Dayton. Tell me something interesting about Dayton other than it’s close to Central State.

There’s something in the southern soil of Ohio that creates an atmosphere and forms its people. I come from a place that is so pretty, yet in some ways is so destructive. You can feel all that in my music. Dayton is pretty, a very clean city. But, like many cities, it’s been suffering from economic downfall. And, I’d say Dayton has been struggling with this for a greater part of the last 30 years. With a struggling economy you tend to see things like job loss and crime rates increase but somehow it’s still maintained its outer veneer.

Is that what made you decide to leave Dayton, or was it strictly for the music?

My mom wanted to get away from Dayton. We moved to Texas when I was 10. I consider myself from Dayton but home is wherever I am. Like most people who are close with their mom, I’m at home wherever she is. I’ve lived in Ohio, Texas, Georgia, California; I’m really liking California at the moment.

Ohio isn’t really thought of as a hotbed for music, but in some instances it is. What was the musical sound like growing up in your household and when did you know you wanted to do music?

The earliest memory I have is my father showing me the second Prince album with him sitting naked on a horse. I immediately flipped the album over to the back and read the things like composed by, written by, performed by Prince. I thought of streamlining that into a career. Learning how to articulate these thoughts to get to where I wanted to be.

Nobody sounds quite like Van Hunt, how do you take such an eclectic mix of musical influences and fuse them into your own sound?

I think it’s inevitable that I will remind someone of some other artist. I’ve heard Curtis Mayfield, Lenny Kravitz, Maxwell, Prince… Prince is the only one I hear in my music of those artists. I hear the quirkiness of Thelonious Monk in my music, Sly Stone, and Richard Pryor in my lyrics. These are etched into the way I think.

What are your thoughts on mainstream music in comparison to what you do?

I don’t see much of a comparison with the music I make and the music in the main stream, even the music they call underground. I don’t hear myself in much of anything. Although these people running around making music today are my peers, I consider myself older because I started a little bit later. I don’t hear myself in much of what’s going on today.

Your last album was released through a major label and now you’re an Indie artist. Independent seems to be the way to go these days but what are the pros and cons of that?

A major label if you break it down was once a minor or independent label. And, whether they admit it or not, they all want to be a major label at some point. Back in the days of like Motown after you recorded your album they’d hand you over to the marketing department who would make you a star. Maybe it didn’t pay the artists as much as they should, but that was a fantastic way to groom someone for success. Now you have people guiding artists and they themselves don’t know what they’re doing. The key is good development and the music reflects it. Now you don’t have anyone developing artists and the music is suffering because of it.

Ironically you had an unreleased album titled “Popular”… You’ve achieved much success while still remaining relatively unknown to the mainstream market. How do you feel about that? Are you satisfied with the recognition you’ve received or does the lack of just notoriety frustrate you?

I’m tickled pink about the fact that there are as many into what I do as there are. I am disappointed because people have a broader palate than what the gatekeepers say they do. And I know because I meet the people at the concerts.

Have you ever battled with making your music and what the label said you should make? Have you ever given in?

I think if you listen to my records you will say that this is a guy who hasn’t compromised. I have had to struggle with record execs, but if I compromise then I am no longer doing what I want to do but what you want me to do and that takes the fun out of it for me. I’ve always hated when people asked me to change. I was a prototype for a new Prince, Ray Charles even, and they had to realize that it would take me about for or five records to develop that fan base.

What can your fans, new and old, expect from a Van Hunt show?

I wish I could tell you. At every show I wish I could sit out in the audience and see what it is. Every show is an attempt at progress. And I’m not trying to present myself as a martyr; I’m not trying to be the MLK of the music business or anything. But, it’s actually a show that I’m surprised by how excited I am to perform. I love the blue collar towns. We play to survive we’re not up there posing. LeBron James may not want to play for you guys, but I want to play for you.

So what’s next for you?

I can’t really say. I want it to be a huge surprise; more like a big hammerhead coming down on the brain of society would be a better way to put it. I’ve been focused on new creations, songs for some time now. I’ve been working really hard on trying to deliver these songs. I’ve grown exponentially since my last released album 4 years ago.

Link

Both albums were solid. I liked the first better than the second. I remember when the third one was about to drop and he was putting snippets up on his myspace page.. I wasn't really digging what i heard, but was looking forward to the release, then all of a sudden he put a messge up on his myspace that he and Blue Note were parting ways. Hopefully he can find another outlet to distribute his music.

Nobody sounds quite like Van Hunt, how do you take such an eclectic mix of musical influences and fuse them into your own sound?

I think it’s inevitable that I will remind someone of some other artist

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Ya know, I respect him for saying that. Had it been somebody else, they would've hogged that statement and act like they developed their style on their own without any outside influence.

Van Hunt is the truth! Good music and great talent. I can't wait for him to make it back to NYC.

AlexdeParis said:

All 3 albums are fantastic. On the Jungle Floor is my favorite, followed by Popular.

He has another one that's out on the web called use in case of emergency. Very good stuff.

therat said:

AlexdeParis said:

All 3 albums are fantastic. On the Jungle Floor is my favorite, followed by Popular.

He has another one that's out on the web called use in case of emergency. Very good stuff.

Yeah, I have it, but it's more of a rarities collection than a proper album.

AlexdeParis said:

All 3 albums are fantastic. On the Jungle Floor is my favorite, followed by Popular.

I really wish he had a new album coming out, like tomorrow!

Nice Q&A, but nothing he hasn't really said before

I will be grateful for the day that he gets those masters back to Popular. Until then I'll continue to wear it out in my itunes library.

Actually that's The Lowest 1 Of My Desires ... mmm ...

UptownCitizen said:

Actually that's The Lowest 1 Of My Desires ... mmm ...

Love love looooooove that song

Love this guys work. Need more of it.

one of my favorite artists!

i need a new album though!