by The Alchemist
Haunter is a band that has recently caught our attention. They race their roots back to late 2016. Enoma Asowata (guitars/synths) had met producer/songwriter Tyler Smyth (I Prevail, Falling In Reverse, Blessthefall) as so many musicians in the pop world of today do – while pursuing DIY projects during the Warped Tour era. The duo clicked musically, and after several months of talks, Enoma sent Tyler some rough demos of songs he had written. The idea behind all this was to do something different, challenging, and brutally honest. “The idea of music leaving this lasting impression always fascinated me. You can always remember why your favorite song hits close to home or why that song brings you to tears. The name HAUNTER fits us perfectly, because I wanted to write music that lasted and haunted you in a way.” states Asowata
Tour de-force vocalist, tattoo artist, chef, alternative model (the list goes on) Lucy LeNoir was added to the group later in the year, with bassist Mark Schroeder joining soon after. The trio quickly began writing and demoing new material reminiscent of their old groups…and just as quickly scrapped it.
The false start didn’t hinder the band’s momentum (indeed, the opposite), and the addition of Mike Ray (guitar / keys) solidified the group’s musical dynamic. Writing and recording their debut single with Smyth (now a 2X Grammy nominated producer) at his LA studio, the band found that their “sound” stemmed directly from their collective belief that music is akin to love and its ability to connect and heal people through shared experience. It is in those moments at the studio, HAUNTER was born.
HAUNTER pulls sonically from alt-pop and mainstream luminaries like Chvrches, Ellie Goulding, Taylor Swift, Lights, PVRIS, Imagine Dragons, and CXLOE, while showcasing occasional appreciation for the guitar driven Emo/Pop Rock groups like Jimmy Eat World and The Maine.
Their newest song is called, “Risk It All” and it combines a lot of genres to create a sound of their own. We heard portions of grungy rock in the vocals, but it also has a happy Electro Pop feel that makes the song very motivating. Check it out below.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
