You’d be hard pressed to find a band on the Download Festival Australia 2020 line up as unique as The Hu. This isn’t a reflection of the world-class festival line up, but rather one on The Hu themselves, who are no doubt the most unique act wherever they may roam.
Forming in their native Mongolia, The Hu have fused the sonic alchemy of traditional Mongolian elements such as the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), Tumur Khuur (jaw harp) and guttural throat singing with elements of traditional western heavy music: distorted guitars, double kick, and aggression.
Other bands have risen from the steppes, but, some 100 million-odd YouTube views later, few have done it with such panache. Through their self-described ‘Hunna Rock’ sound, The Hu have opened up new worlds – both literally and spiritually – to the global heavy music audience.
“It’s such an eye-opening experience for us to travel all around the world to share our culture”, the band, (who tackled an interview with Blunt Magazine collectively) explained, “we feel so much connection, love and support everywhere we visited.”
Australia is the next territory to have caught the attention of The Hu, who have spent much of their time since the release of their debut album, The Gereg, showcasing the wares to swelling crowds the world over.
Unlike their western peers, so often caught up focusing on life, loss and the inability to cope, The Hu used their debut to tell intricate legends from their culture as connective tissue to discuss the notion of country, nature, history, love and other broad issues. “Eastern meets western and the past meets present”, The Hu eloquently put it.
“Our message to the world via our music is reminding the importance of showing gratitude”, The Hu explain before elaborating, “…to your parents, loving your homeland, protecting the nature, loving and respecting women, respecting your country, history and ancestors, and finally giving individuals an inner power and belief for their future.”
The most stark example of how compatible Hunna Rock is with western sensibilities is The Hu’s collaborations with both genre and label mates including Papa Roach vocalist Jacoby Shaddix on ‘Wolf Totem’, Danny Case from From Ashes To New on ‘Yuve Yuve Yu’, and most recently, the yet-to-be released collaboration with Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale.
The band’s collaboration flame burns brighter yet, throwing around names like “Slipknot, System of a Down, Dave Grohl, Lamb of God” as other contemporaries they wish to collaborate with, “and the list goes on” says The Hu.
But for the strongest testament of how well The Hu and Hunna Rock gel with western culture is perhaps the addition of their single ‘Black Thunder’ as a key soundtrack moment to the recent Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order video game. That might seem like an odd partnership at first, but to The Hu, it’s a dream come true: “We all have been fans of Star Wars beforehand.”
“We started watching the movies at such young ages and wanted to be Luke Skywalker. We are honoured and humbled to be included in the Star Wars universe.”
From Mongolia, to galaxies far, far away and via Australia no less, The Hu aren’t just lightly tapping at the doors of the heavy music community, they’re kicking them in strutting straight to the bar, demanding a glass of their finest. With one album, The Hu have proven that audiences are starved for original, exciting content and Hunna Rock is dripping in it.
“We are the only band who’s playing the Hunnu rock in the world at the moment.” The band surmise of the current landscape…
“We hope that we will not be the last one to play it.”
The Hu will be performing at Download Festival Australia 2020 as well as their own headline shows. Details below.
THE HU AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Monday, 16th March
The Gov, Adelaide
Tickets: Live Nation
Tuesday, 17th March
The Tivoli, Brisbane
Tickets: Live Nation
Also performing at…
DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA 2020
Friday, 20th March
Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne
Tickets: Download Festival
Saturday, 21st March
The Domain, Sydney
Tickets: Download Festival
