Are We Hunting is the moniker of Northern California-based songwriter Ryan Ayala. While his intensely personal songwriting can be described as melancholic, the sound is both cinematic and anthemic. Perhaps the most alluring aspect of Are We Hunting is the rare ability to craft narrative-driven music still rooted in hooks and melody.
Are We Hunting has drawn influence from a handful of big names in the industry, such as Bob Dylan, Modest Mouse, Lou Reed, and Tom Waits. He’s been able to take pieces of everything and create a familiar sound while remaining fresh and exciting.
What makes acoustic folk such an exciting genre is the lack of rules to break and the endless possibilities to make those rules something refreshing. Ayala’s “Cover from the Thieves” takes these genre tropes and flips them into the purest form of poetry in motion. The moving single takes on many forms, starting as a rustic ballad and transitioning into a grunge anthem, but it’s the artist’s approach to songwriting makes this single so unique. Even as the arrangement evolves, the unconditional love in Ayala’s voice strings it all together, giving “Cover from the Thieves” the palpable energy that sticks with the listener. Ayala captured the same feeling that sticks to the side of your ribs when you see someone you love dearly, that warm sense of comfort that makes you want never to let go. By putting vulnerability at the forefront of “Cover from the Thieves,” Ayala’s futuristic vision of modern music can come to fruition. The artist’s new single is an intimate outing that introduces Are We Hunting as an unpredictable vehicle for a veteran songwriter.
“The song is about my wife Erin. She is my cover from the thieves. Thieves of joy and boyishness. Being loved, loving her— she’s my cover from the thieves,” explains Ayala.
