Drug Hunt is a bizarro quartet of natural seditionists fearlessly blending elements of psychedelia with the morphic palettes of garage, post-punk, noise, and the occasional foray into prog and metal. Their unique sound has earned them cinematic analogies such as “Tarantinoesque” and performative juxtapositions like “biker bar Pink Floyd,” heralding them as one of the top bands to see live in San Diego.
Drug Hunt released their self-titled EP on the indie label Blind Owl Records in 2019 and toured extensively on the West Coast before the COVID-19 shutdown. Their latest endeavor, “Feast,” out July 20 on Bad Vibes Good Friends, is an emergence from the turmoils of their stifled trajectory. It is a testament to their evolution as artists and stands as their most varied yet focused work to date. This sinuous, genre-bending rock epic delves deep into the psyche of hedonism, dogma, politics, power, reinvention, and the earnest search for the type of human/artist they’ve elected to become.
At the heart of Drug Hunt’s sound lies the partnership of childhood friends Rory Morison and Jason Meyers. The boys started playing music together at age 17 and on and off throughout their voyages in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Mexico until they returned to their borderland haunt to begin what is now known as Drug Hunt.
Drug Hunt’s “Kingdom” is a testament to their subtle fusion work. The ghostly vocals juxtapose the subtle sun-drenched guitar work in a grandiose manner. The band finds beauty in the unsettling, as demonstrated by the rugged, potent vocal tones and the cult-like direction of the music video. The head-spinning arrangement features scorching guitar work coming at you at a blistering speed as the vocal performance slows things down to create otherworldly textures. At times, “Kingdom” can sound contradictory, and that’s precisely how Drug Hunt wants it. They can keep the listener guessing while creating sturdy rhythms that boost your heart rate. Seamlessly, the band uses a multitude of subgenres to make something refreshing and enticing. Drug Hunt’s lyrics create shadowy figures that dance to the neck-breaking drum patterns on “Kingdom.”
Reflecting on their musical odyssey, Morison reminisces, “Drug Hunt has undergone countless transformations, with a revolving door of friends and musicians shaping our sound and vision. It’s been a journey filled with influences, memories, and conflicts, but through it all, there’s always been a sense of urgency—a desire to push boundaries and challenge the status quo. I believe that this is the strongest and most unified lineup to date, with Nick Sinutko on keys, Adam Baumhardt on Bass, and Declan Halloran on Drums. It’s also the most focused we’ve ever been in the studio. We tracked the record with only one to two takes of each song and recorded overdubs in my home studio. ”
