Hunter Root - Arkansas - (2023)

If you haven’t heard of Hunter Root yet, I suggest you change that.

With nearly a decade in the music industry under his belt, the Pennsylvania artist has been one of the state’s best kept secrets for quite some time now. But with the release of his viral single “Town Rat Heathen” this past January, which has amassed nearly a million Spotify streams to date, Hunter Root is quickly growing a strong following across the country.

Root, who is also the frontman of a Pennsylvania based psych-rock group called Medusa Disco, has cultivated a unique and genre-defying, yet undoubtedly appealing sound in the three solo records he has dropped since 2018.

And just as his music is really taking off and reaching new fan bases and markets, Root took to Instagram to announce that his fourth album, one with very special meaning to him, will be coming soon.

“I want to take a moment to explain the meaning of the album title as well. I called it ‘Arkansas’ for a few reasons. I am Pennsylvania raised but I was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas. My brother and I both. We were only there for a few years but we have tons of home videos and pictures of that era so I have a healthy collection of memories of that time despite being so young.

So, it’s going back to my roots (no pun intended). The name ‘Arkansas’ also reflects the genre the album is leaning towards. But the main reason it’s titled this is for my older brother, Nicholas Root. If you look on the back of the album you can see I dedicated the whole thing to him. He would love this name and would completely get it, being born there means a lot to us both.

Nick passed away two years ago as of April 15th at the age of 27. I was 26 when he died. He played guitar before me and is the reason I picked it up to begin with.

One of his worries on his deathbed was that he wouldn’t be remembered when he was gone. Fuck that, this one is forever for you Nick, I wouldn’t be here without you!” by Hill Douglas