Van Hunt via e-mail: ‘I have never felt at home in Atlanta’
Van Hunt is sorta sly. Not sorta sly as in sorta Sly Stone — though the comparison is often made. Rather, he’s sorta sly as in sorta elusive, sorta intriguing, and very clever.-
So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised a week ago when his label rep said I’d have to settle for an e-mail interview. The plan was to post his responses before his scheduled performance at Sugarhill on Sept. 16. But doing a post-interview gave me the chance to check him out with his new band that night, hear some new material and pinpoint my future wife (his drummer is bad as hell, more on her later).-
We also talked, er, e-mailed about his third full-length scheduled for a January release, his switch from Capitol to Blue Note Records and the back story that he sorta regrets revealing in hindsight about his dad formerly being a pimp.-
Of all the questions I wish I could’ve followed up with, here’s one I should’ve asked him from jump: Dude, why the e-mail interview?-
Look for an expanded Creative Loafing story (no e-mail interviews) on Hunt around January, when his third full-length, Popular, is scheduled for release. In the meantime, you can download his recently released smokin’ digital EP, The Popular Machine from his website, or preview the songs on his MySpace page.-
(photo by Clay Patrick McBride)-
What other three cities have you played warm-up shows in? Did the Atlanta show at Sugarhill feel like a homecoming since you were based here for so long?-
we’ve played 3 other warm up shows. but, all were in santa monica, ca. there’s a longer answer to the second question. uhhh, i did not feel like the show yesterday was a homecoming. the crowd was receptive, generous-as atlanta audiences tend to be. but, i have always been on the outside looking IN to the “atlanta music scene.” i have never felt at home in atlanta.-
i’ve tried to. i’ve wanted. i’ve said i do. people assume i do. even my band was nervous about playing atlanta because they felt as though this was home for me. but, the show yesterday was just good fun in front of a warm, familiar crowd.