Hunter Brothers
Hunter Brothers is a Canadian country music group from Shaunavon, Saskatchewan[1][2] composed of brothers Luke, J.J., Ty, Brock and Dusty Hunter.[3][4] They signed with Open Road Recordings and released their debut single, "El Dorado", in February 2016.[5][6] It debuted on the Billboard Canada Country chart in March 2016.[7] The band earned their first Top 10 single at Canadian country radio with their hit "Born and Raised".[8] In 2019, their single "Lost" became their first #1 hit.[9]
Hunter Brothers | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Labels | Open Road Recordings |
| Members | Luke Hunter J.J. Hunter Ty Hunter Brock Hunter Dusty Hunter |
| Website | www |
Personal life
The Hunter Brothers are a Canadian country band consisting of 5 brothers from Shaunavon, Saskatchewan: Luke, J.J., Ty, Brock, and Dusty. Their parents are Lorne and Norma Hunter,[10] and their uncle Jim Hunter is a Canadian Olympic skier.[11]
These brothers grew up farming in the Canadian prairies. They spent their summers singing in churches across the country. In the Winter, they were heavily involved in the hockey community. Some of the brothers even played for some major league teams.
When the 5 brothers are at home working on the farm, they often pass the time in the field by re-writing well known songs with words that are relevant to farming culture, performing them over their CB radios. They often share these songs online through their various social media platforms.
Hockey Careers
Four of the five brothers played junior ice hockey and three played in the professional minor leagues. J.J., Dustin, and Luke each played forward, while Brock and Ty were defencemen. Ty played rep hockey before suffering a broken femur.[10] The remaining four brothers all sustained injuries of various kinds and returned home to continue farming with their parents on their family's 20,000 acre farm.[11]
J.J. Hunter played three seasons in Western Hockey League with the Kelowna Rockets and Prince Albert Raiders; he attended six NHL training camps (1999 Detroit Red Wings, 2001-2006 Edmonton Oilers) and was under contract with the Edmonton Oilers for 5 seasons playing NHL pre-season games and five years in their farm system. Altogether, he played 6 years of pro-hockey including parts of six seasons in the American Hockey League with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Toronto Roadrunners, Edmonton Road Runners, Toronto Marlies and Manitoba Moose; and parts of four season in the ECHL with the Toledo Storm and Columbus Cottonmouths.[12]
Dustin Hunter played junior hockey with the Melville Millionaires in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, then one professional season split between the Oklahoma City Blazers and San Angelo Saints in the Central Hockey League before his career was abruptly ended due to a severe eye injury.[13]
Luke Hunter played five seasons in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos, and one season each with the Wichita Thunder in the CHL, and the University of Calgary Dinos men's ice hockey team in the CIS.[14] His career also came to a halt due to an eye injury.
Brock Hunter played junior hockey in the AJHL with the Drumheller Dragons, and the Fort McMurray Oil Barons before finishing up his career with the Kindersley Klippers in the SJHL.[15]
All the brothers joined forces together when they returned home to play for the same hometown hockey team, the Shaunavon Badgers in the WMHL.
Music career
Early years
Music has always brought these 5 brothers together. When they were younger, they spent their time mirroring music videos from other artists, and learning to become performers. What emerged was an organic pop-country sound. The Hunter Brothers quickly become known for their harmonies[16] and stage presence.
2016-2018: Getaway
In 2016, the brothers started recording a collection of songs with their label Open Road Recordings. On February 5, 2016 they released their debut single “El Dorado” to country radio[17] which helped put this new band on the map within the Canadian country music industry. "El Dorado" was co-produced by Brad Rempel of Canadian country band High Valley[17] along with Seth Mosley and Mike "X" O'Connor
“El Dorado” debuted on the Billboard Canada Country charts in March 2016, and reach number 24 on the chart.[18]
In the Spring of 2017, the Hunter Brothers released their debut album Getaway. This album included two singles that earned them their first two songs that entered the top 10 on the Billboard charts: “Born and Raised”, and “Those Were the Nights”.
Their single "Born and Raised" from their Getaway album was selected as the official anthem for the 2018 IIHF World Junior Hockey Tournament.[19] “Born and Raised” also won Saskatchewan Music Award for Single of the Year.
After the release of “El Dorado”, the Hunter Brothers were nominated for four Saskatchewan Country Music Association Awards, and won for both Group of the Year, and Emerging Artist categories.[20]
2019-present: State of Mind and Been a Minute
In January 2019, they released their sophomore album State of Mind. The record showcases the brothers’ talent and growth. The first single from the record “Lost” has been certified Gold[21] in Canada and became their first #1 single at Canadian Country Radio. “Lost” was also awarded Single of the Year at the 2019 Saskatchewan Music Awards.[22] The album also included the singles, “Northern Lights” and “Silver Lining”.
In 2019, their album State of Mind was the number one selling country album in Canada for four consecutive weeks and has had over 10 million streams worldwide.[23] Earlier in 2019, the Hunter Brothers joined country superstars Paul Brandt, Jess Moskaluke and High Valley for The Journey Tour on 26 dates across Canada. They debuted at CMA Fest in Nashville, and also landed three CCMA Award nominations.
The band was nominated for 2 JUNO Awards in 2020 for Country Album of the Year for their sophomore album State of Mind and Breakthrough Group of the Year.
On June 30, 2021, they released their third studio album Been a Minute, which included the singles "Hard Dirt" and "Been a Minute".[24]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [25] | |||||||||
| Getaway[26] |
| — | |||||||
| State of Mind |
| 62 | |||||||
| Been a Minute[24] |
| — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | |||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Certifications | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country [7] | CAN [27] | ||||||||
| 2016 | "El Dorado" | 25 | — | Getaway | |||||
| "Long Way to Love You" | 40 | — | |||||||
| 2017 | "Getaway" | 31 | — | ||||||
| "Born and Raised" | 9 | — | |||||||
| 2018 | "Those Were the Nights" | 9 | — | ||||||
| "Lost" | 1 | 100 | State of Mind | ||||||
| 2019 | "Northern Lights" | 17 | — | ||||||
| "Silver Lining" | 11 | — | |||||||
| 2020 | "Hard Dirt"[29] | 17 | — | Been a Minute | |||||
| 2021 | "Been a Minute" | 12 | — | ||||||
| "Diamonds" | 40 | — | |||||||
| 2022 | "Peace, Love & Country Music" | 41 | — | TBA | |||||
| "What Colour You Drive" | 40 | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | |||||||||
Other charted songs
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country [7] | |||
| 2017 | "Joy to the World" | 46 | Non-album single |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Getaway" | The Edde Brothers |
| "Born and Raised" | Gavin Michael Booth | |
| 2018 | "Those Were the Nights" | |
| "Lost" | Ben Knechtel | |
| 2019 | "Northern Lights" | The Edde Brothers |
| "Silver Lining" | ||
| 2020 | "Hard Dirt" | Sean K. Smith |
| 2021 | "Been a Minute" | Charley Randazzo |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Canadian Country Music Association | Interactive Artist of the Year | Nominated | [30] |
| Saskatchewan Country Music Association | Group of the Year | Won | [20] | |
| Emerging Artist Award | Won | |||
| Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Single of the Year - "El Dorado" | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Canadian Country Music Association | Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated | [31] |
| Rising Star Award | Nominated | |||
| Interactive Artist of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Saskatchewan Country Music Association | Single of the Year - "Born and Raised" | Nominated | [32] | |
| SaskMusic | Single of the Year | Won | [33] | |
| 2019 | Canadian Country Music Association | Album of the Year - State of Mind | Nominated | [34] |
| Fans' Choice Award | Nominated | |||
| Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Saskatchewan Country Music Association | Group of the Year | Won | [35] | |
| Single of the Year - "Those Were The Nights" | Won | |||
| Video of the Year - "Those Were The Nights" | Won | |||
| Interactive Group of the Year | Won | |||
| Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year | Nominated | |||
| SaskMusic Awards | Single of the Year - "Lost | Won | [22] | |
| Country Album of the Year - State of Mind | Won | |||
| Single of the Year - "Northern Lights" | Nominated | |||
| Album of the Year - State of Mind | Nominated | |||
| Western Canadian Music Awards | Country Artist of the Year | Nominated | [36] | |
| 2020 | Juno Awards | Breakthrough Group of the Year | Nominated | [37] |
| Country Album of the Year - State of Mind | Nominated | |||
| Saskatchewan Country Music Association | Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year | Won | [38] [39] | |
| Group/Duo of the Year | Won | |||
| Single of the Year - "Lost" | Won | |||
| Single of the Year - "Northern Lights" | Nominated | |||
| Album of the Year - State of Mind | Won | |||
| Video of the Year - "Silver Lining" | Nominated | |||
| Interactive Artist or Group of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Canadian Country Music Association | Fans’ Choice Award | Nominated | [40] | |
| Group Or Duo Of The Year | Nominated | |||
| Video Of The Year - "Silver Lining" | Nominated | |||
| Western Canadian Music Awards | Country Artist of the Year | Nominated | [41] | |
| 2021 | Western Canadian Music Awards | Country Artist of the Year | Pending | [42] |
| 2021 Canadian Country Music Awards | Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated | [43] [44] [45] | |
| Video of the Year - "Hard Dirt" | Nominated |
References
- ^ "Fresh Find: Hunter Brothers". Top Country. February 5, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ Dahlman, Ryan (February 17, 2016). "Brothers hunting for mainstream success, but won't forget their roots". Prairie Post. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ "From combine to recording studio: Sask.'s Hunter Brothers forge music career". CBC News. April 5, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ Park, Norm (February 24, 2016). "Hunter Brothers seeking traction on country and western circuit". Estevan Mercury. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ Jarrell, Beth (February 4, 2016). . Gull Lake Advance. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ Schreiner, Penny (February 9, 2016). . Swift Current. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Hunter Brothers Chart History: Canada Country". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "Top Country Charts: Hunter Brothers Earn Their First Top 10". Top Country Music | Country Music News, Charts, Playlists, Videos. 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
- ^ McNutt, Erin (April 9, 2019). "Saskatchewan's Hunter Brothers celebrate first No. 1 hit". Global News.
- ^ a b "Hunter Brothers seeking traction on country and western circuit". www.estevanmercury.ca. 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ a b "Canadian's hockey dreams lead to Las Vegas". www.lasvegassun.com/. 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "J.J. Hunter hockey statistics and profile". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "Dustin Hunter hockey statistics and profile". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "Luke Hunter hockey statistics and profile". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "Brock Hunter hockey statistics and profile". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ Park, Norm. "Hunter Brothers seeking traction on country and western circuit". Estevan Mercury. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ a b "Hunter Brothers – El Dorado – Open Road Recordings". Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ "Hunter Brothers". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ "Born and raised". www.hockeycanada.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ a b "2017 SCMA Award Winners". Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ "HUNTER BROTHERS' SMASH HIT, "LOST", CERTIFIED GOLD IN CANADA". RGK Entertainment Group. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ a b "The 2019 Saskatchewan Music Award Winners | News | News & Articles". www.saskmusic.org. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ "Hunter Brothers New Album, State of Mind – Open Road Recordings". Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ a b "Hunter Brothers Drop New Album, Been A Minute June 30th". Top Country. June 30, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ "Hunter Brothers Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ "Hunter Brothers Drop Full Album Getaway and Corresponding Single Just in Time for Spring Break". Open Road Recordings. February 16, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
- ^ "Hunter Brothers Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Canadian singles certifications – Hunter Brothers". Music Canada.
- ^ "HUNTER BROTHERS DROP HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED NEW SINGLE "HARD DIRT" JUNE 12". Open Road Recordings. June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "2017 CCMA Award Nominees – Early Bird List - Canadian Country Music Association". www.ccma.org. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ "2018 CCMA Awards: full list of winners". CBC Music. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ Room, News. "Saskatchewan Country Music Association releases 2018 award nominees". 620 CKRM The Source | Country Music, News, Sports in Sask. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ Martin, Ashley (November 6, 2018). "First ever Sask. Music Awards winners were named Sunday in Regina". Regina Leader-Post. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
- ^ . www.ccma.org. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ "2019 SCMA Award Winners". Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ "2019 Western Canadian Music Award Nominees Announced". BreakOut West. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ "2020 Juno Award Nominees". Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "2020 S.C.M.A. AWARDS NOMINEES". Retrieved 2020-04-02.
- ^ "2020 Saskatchewan Country Music Association Award Winners". Retrieved 2021-03-13.
- ^ "2020 CCMA Awards: The complete country music winners list". Global News. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Music Awards". BreakOut West. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "Western Canadian Music Awards Unveils Its 2021 Nominees | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ . Canadian Country Music Association. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ . Canadian Country Music Association. Global News Wire. September 11, 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022.
- ^ . Canadian Country Music Association. Global News Wire. September 12, 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
External links
- Official website
- Hunter Brothers discography at Discogs