A Chat with Brian Hunsaker (09.09.25)
A US-based singer-songwriter with roots in metal, but still forging ahead with fearless originality, Brian Hunsaker takes the fore with resilience, strength, confidence, and some damn fine music. We speak with Hunsaker about his single, ‘Power Over You’, what music means to him, collaboration and more.
OSR: Rather cliché, but what drew you to music? Why did you decide to pursue a career as a musician?
Hunsaker: Well, initially, I heard Joe Satriani and just had to play guitar. That early stuff was completely magical to me. I was in my share of failed bands over the years, eventually released my debut instrumental album, Across the Galaxy, in 2012, and shortly thereafter quit doing music for a few years, because I was a new father of twins, and simply had no time. I got back into music when my best friend passed away suddenly. He was the guy that first got me into guitar, so I knew I had to find a way to continue. Hence, the ridiculous and hardcore story of me lugging all my stuff to work every day to record in my car during lunch breaks.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Hunsaker: Music is everything. It influences everything I do. My main motivation for doing music is to make people feel a certain way while listening, and to inspire people to take up music, the same way I was inspired to do so. It would be a dull world indeed if AI takes over all the music and people stop writing it with passion and skill.
OSR: You are about to release your single, ‘Power Over You’. The song is a “fantasy epic” telling a tale of a sorceress and her accomplice standing against the world. What inspired this story, and is there a deeper theme beyond the tale of a sorceress?
Hunsaker: Good question! Most of the song could be easily interpreted as a story about an abusive or co-dependent relationship, but it was always written with the sorceress and spellbound aspect in mind, and a few of the lyrics hint at that. I do enjoy being somewhat vague though, so that the listener can draw their own conclusions and parallels to their experiences.
OSR: You are about to release your upcoming EP, Where Dreamers Fall. What can you tell us about the EP?
Hunsaker: This EP is very unique in that the basic tracks for all the songs were recorded in my car during lunch breaks at work. Being a new father of twins, that was the only way I could make progress on my songs at all. At home, it was nonstop, and no time for music. So while me belting it out in my vehicle may conjure up images of Tenacious D singing in a photo booth to comedic effect, it was a very real thing to me, with many obstacles, and it took a long time to arrive at the finished product that I felt was worthy to release. What you hear on the final version still has those car-recorded vocals and guitar tracks, polished by Matt Dougherty into absolute quality releases.
OSR: ‘Power Over You’ is an exciting collaboration with a team of renowned professionals, including drummer Mats Eriksson, keyboardist Raymond Hayden, and bassist Clif Chambliss. What was the collaboration like? Were there any challenges in production, or was it all smooth sailing?
Hunsaker: For this song, I’ve got to say it was absolutely smooth. All the collaborators delivered without a hitch and took it up a notch at each step. Here’s how it happened: I had a draft of the song ready, with all clean guitar and no heavy parts. Raymond laid down some gorgeous keys and piano to elevate the mood. Then I had Mats play the drum track, which he quickly delivered. It was perfect. Clif and I quickly came to realize that the attitude Mats brought to the song almost demanded that I play the chorus with heavy guitar, so I rewrote the chorus part for distortion. Luckily, the vocals did not need changing, as the intensity I had channelled worked well either way. We also ended up going heavy with the last part of the bridge. It morphed into a very dynamic power ballad! Lastly, Clif laid down his masterful bassline, and we got it mixed by Matt Dougherty.
OSR: Along with the aforementioned collaborators, who else would you love to collaborate with?
Hunsaker: Actually, I have a song in the pipeline that I’m going to see if Dino Jelusick will sing on when it’s ready. But generally, I’m open to collaborating with just about anyone that is skilled. I enjoy bringing people into the music collab world and even helping them with their musical vision as well.
OSR: ‘Power Over You’ uses AI-assisted visuals to create the fantasy world. What are your thoughts on AI playing a larger role in the music and entertainment industry?
Hunsaker: Right, I know it’s very controversial. Personally, I had some fun with those music creation AI websites, making funny, quick tune ideas, but I will not consider using it for my originals. I think it can be a helpful tool for lyric ideas, art, and other supporting areas though.
OSR: What is your greatest achievement professionally and personally?
Hunsaker: Releasing my debut album in 2012 was a monumental undertaking. Currently, I believe this new EP is my greatest achievement. Let’s see what happens with it. This is just the beginning!
OSR: What advice do you have for new musicians entering the industry?
Hunsaker: Stay true to yourself and your tastes. Make music that you love and don’t worry about what you think people are into. If you’re going to be mixing and playing your songs thousands of times, it needs to be as good as you can make it so you don’t hate listening to it after a while. So, spend a lot of time refining your ideas until you just can’t improve them anymore. There’ve been plenty of musicians I’ve quit working with over the years because they just don’t have that drive for refinement.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Hunsaker: I appreciate you taking the time to learn more about me, and hope to see you on YouTube and other socials. Stay tuned for more news on my website and YouTube channel!
Many thanks to Brian Hunsaker for speaking with us. Find out more about Brian Hunsaker on his official website, Facebook, YouTube and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
