The Hunna are a UK four-piece hotly tipped to be indie-rock’s next big thing. Since launching in October 2015, The Hunna have been backed by big names in the game including Zane Lowe, Annie Mac and Huw Stephens. After releasing their debut single ‘Bonfire’ the band sold out three nights at London’s Boston Music Rooms and they’re still showing no signs of slowing down, after notching up over 1.75 million Spotify streams, and 5 million video views. We spoke to the band while they were on the road in the back of their tour van to find out what’s next on The Hunna’s bucket list.
You’ve already built quite the following, but can you tell us a little about how the band formed?
Ryan (Valentino) and Dan (Bandana Dan) met in college when we were 16 on a music course and started a band together with other members for years. Dan and Jermaine had known each other since year 2 at school and Jack we knew from around our local area and through friends. After years of other members Jermaine and Jack joined around 3 years ago, it just felt so right from the first rehearsal.
If you could describe The Hunna in 5 words what would they be?
Turn Up Lit Rock Squad.
Tell us a fact about each of you that we wouldn’t be able to find on the Internet.
Tino and Jack were in the Lad Bible with a football goal that went viral! Check it out, it’s called ‘squad goals’.
Jermaine can solve a rubic’s cube in 80 seconds flat. SWAG.
BD-100 has a coffee addiction and is also known as the coffee king.
For your song ‘Bonfire’, you got to work with the amazing Tim Larcombe and Dan Grech, how was that experience?
It was an awesome experience, a new one for us. We had the song for a long time before all of this started and loved it, Tim Larcombe is such a talent and a real guy, he’s become a friend and to work with Tim and Dan with all the amazing artists they’ve worked with is a blessing. Absolute squadbosses.
You have such a great fan base in the ‘Hunna Squad’, how does it feel to have fans worldwide?
It’s our dream come true, we listened to bands and artists growing up and were so influenced by them in so many ways, our dream was to be playing our own music to thousands of people like they did, and have people sing our songs and connect with them like we do to artists we love, the fact that’s happening is mind blowing. Our fans are incredibly passionate and so LIT. The H-Squad are strong.
What’s your main goal? What’s number one on the list of things you want to achieve?
We want to become the biggest band in the world, playing stadiums, headlining massive festivals.
You’re touring a lot of places, and not just in the UK, where are you most excited to visit?
Each day is exciting because there is so much going on and we’re new to it all. We’ve wanted it for so long, the UK tour sold out which is incredible! We’re going to the US for the first time which we are so stoked for. Playing Reading and Leeds and BBC big weekend too!
What’s the worst thing about touring?
We’re thinking smelly tour busses and not enough showers. Haha you got it! Yeah I wouldn’t say smelly tour busses but the lack of sleep is a killer and the travel in general, but as soon as you get on stage and see the fans it’s like you’re reborn.
Are there other bands, or artists that you find inspiring right now?
Drake is number 1. Kings of Leon, Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa. We have a big hip hop influence, there aren’t a lot of new bands that are doing it for us at the moment. Catfish are dope! But we listen to so much different music, Marvin Gaye, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy too.
If you had to go on Britain’s Got Talent to perform something other than be in the band what would you do?
No one would make us go on Britain’s Got Talent.
If you could date one celeb?
Tino: I would date Kendall Jenner! We actually have a song we messed around with called Kendall Swag about her ha.
If you had any superpower what would it be and why?
Tino: I would probably choose flying just because it’d be dope to get around places and what you’d see, and when I meet Kendall I could take her for a little flight somewhere dope ha.
Can you tell us about one of your tattoos and explain the meaning behind it/why you got it?
I have a roman numeral date on my arm of the date my mother passed away because it was the biggest moment in my life and changed it forever, I’m going to continue to get all dates of huge moments in my life that were special and changed it.
Last but certainly not least, if you could give any advice to a band just starting out, what would it be?
We’d say if you truly believe you can do it and got it, never give up. Keep yourself around positive people and energy, be true to yourself, write as much as possible and try new things out and experiment to discover yourself and be open to change and new things. If you don’t believe in yourself then no one else will. 100.
Pre-order The Hunna’s debut album ‘100’ on iTunes here.