Band emphasizes importance of uniqueness, authenticity in music industry

In an exclusive interview with lead singer Jason Yager of Hunny, a small five-piece band from Los Angeles, Yager discusses the importance of being oneself in the music world while growing a fan base.

Q: What genre of music do you label Hunny under?

A: This question is always tough. I don’t think we’ve ever been able to truly even answer it. It’s hard to say because I don’t think we fit perfectly into any mold. I like when people call us post-punk. I don’t like when people call us alternative. Neither of those is right or wrong. We’re somewhere between a rock band and pop band, heavily influenced by post-punk and new wave– whatever you want to call that.

Q: Being a smaller band, what do you think is the key to getting people to listen to your music?

A: We wouldn’t still be small if we knew the answer to this. I think just touring and putting stuff out is really all you can do. Make the best music you can, be genuine about it and don’t try to trick anyone into liking you, and just go out into the world and play it.

Q: How do the other bands you guys associate yourselves with play a role in exposure and gaining a following?

A: This could be part of the answer for the last question actually. A huge reason why anyone knows who we are now is from touring with our friends. We’re lucky enough to have buds that did it first and were/are in the position to help us out. When we go on a tour with Bad Suns, we come home with a boat load of new fans; it’s awesome. Though we have a running list of bands we like in all different genres we’d love to tour with, it’s equally as important to play in front of crowds you normally wouldn’t to try to broaden your fan base as it is to playing to people you’re already sure will like you. We’d love to go on tour with Taylor Swift and see what happens as much as we’d like to tour with METZ or something for the same reason.

Q: As a band, are you guys thinking of ways to be different in the “indie” scene as its popularity grows in the music industry?

A: In short, not really. If you think too much about being different from all the other stuff, you’re already on the wrong track. The problem with most bands these days in the “‘alternative’ scene” is that they all try way too hard. They all want to be cool, and they’re all putting on a front. If your “aesthetic” or “look” or “vibe” of your band is just being yourselves, then you’re already different. We just do what we want and don’t think too much about it. Authenticity to us is so much more important than anything else. What you see is what you get with Hunny.

To learn more about Hunny, check out the group’s social media accounts– Twitter: @hunnytheband; Instagram: @hunnytheband