Hunter Brothers to mark Canada Day in Killarney

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This article was published 23/06/2022 (1350 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Killarney will be ringing in Canada’s birthday with a special outdoor performance by Canadian country music icons the Hunter Brothers.

Ty Hunter, 29, and his brothers J.J., Dusty, Luke and Brock grew up immersed in the sounds of music, singing gospel songs with their family.

“There were videos of my mom on stage pregnant with me,” Ty Hunter said. “Our grandparents on my dad’s side, my grandpa was self-taught on six different instruments.”

Growing up, it was a balance of music in the summer, hockey in the winter and farming in the spring and fall for the family.

“I used to dream of singing on stages ever since I was a little kid. I would be singing on the back of grain trucks and just pretend like I was performing on big stages,” Hunter said.

The Hunter Brothers underwent a shift through multiple genres before landing a record deal in 2015 with Open Road Recordings.

“Country music seems to be where it hit home the most for the Hunter Brothers as a whole,” he said.

In their hometown of Shaunavon, Sask., they grew up with one radio station that played country. They were raised listening to the genre, he said, and their day-to-day experiences of living on their family farm were reflected in the songs they heard on the radio.

“If people are singing around a back road or this truck, those experiences are very, very real for us,” Hunter said. “All of those roots are there.”

Hunter described the band’s music as dynamic harmony-driven, up-tempo country centred on real-life experiences.

“We’re all blood brothers, and so that sibling harmony seems to be something that we identify with,” Hunter said. “It can speak to people aged three to 83 and everywhere in between.”

Singing together as a family has been an awesome experience, but is not without its challenges. The brothers each bring unique perspectives to the table, he said — but at the end of the day, they remain united in their music and family life.

“It’s like a hockey lineup. You have three forwards and two defencemen, and you have to figure out how you operate on the ice together,” Hunter said.

The brothers spend an incredible amount of time together farming and playing music, Hunter said. Moments of inspiration can strike at any time, but the farm is often an oasis of creativity.

“I don’t know if it’s just because you’re stuck in a cab for hours on end and some of those real experiences hit you in the right way or you get a melody line,” Hunter said. “It’s definitely a place where you’ll pick things up or get new levels of inspiration.”

The musicians also draw on the ever-changing experience of life and how their perspectives change as they grow older and have children of their own.

The group of siblings has worked hard for around two decades making inroads in the music industry. The Hunter Brothers are united as a family and have carried with them the message they are stronger together since they were young children.

They look out for each other in an ever-changing industry with a variety of challenges, he said, adding he is grateful to have his brothers to lean on and count on in times of adversity.

“The public moments are just the tip of the iceberg. The iceberg underneath is quite widespread because it’s 20 years of hard work that’s been invested up to that moment.”

Tours are balanced with farming and the brothers’ needs to ensure they are home for seeding and harvesting.

Growing up in the country adds to the experience of performing in towns like Killarney, Hunter said.

It is rewarding to be able to communicate in a language that makes sense to fans and audiences, he said. He feels like fans can relate to the lyrics on a personal level.

“Music has this insane ability to bring people together, and when people feel that you’re speaking a narrative or speaking a language that makes sense and it’s coupled with music, it just creates this instant bond.”

It has been challenging over the last two years because the COVID-19 pandemic has limited opportunities to connect with live audiences. Concerts are critical for artists, as they serve as a time for reflection on how to move forward in the industry while staying connected with fans.

The Hunter Brothers relied on social media to stay engaged and connected with fans, Hunter said, but live music is a welcome return.

As a family, they were briefly separated at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, but they were able to stay connected and shifted into focusing on farm work.

Getting back on stage was exhilarating, Hunter said, because it offered an opportunity to reconnect with fans over a love of music.

The brothers began their 2022 summer tour with a visit to Steinbach on June 18. The new tour comes after a handful of concerts in 2021.

They will be celebrating Canada Day in Killarney on July 1.

The concert is presented by the Killarney Community Events Committee and will take place at the Agricultural Fair Grounds in the town.

“We are so excited to come to Killarney. We have a very up-tempo show and so there is a lot of energy on stage. I can guarantee that,” Hunter said.

“There’s always a few moments on stage that are unexpected between us but also for the crowd and so we have some surprises.”

The Hunter Brothers will be playing hits and look forward to connecting with the Killarney audience.

Hunter hopes fans walk away feeling positive about life and feeling united through the power of music.

The brothers want people to feel like they had the best night out ever.

They recently released the new single “Peace, Love & Country Music” and have lots of new music that will be released progressively over the year.

For tickets to the Hunter Brothers’ Canada Day outdoor live concert presented by the Killarney Community Events Committee, visit eventbrite.ca/.

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