A group of siblings – The Hunts – will bring their talent to the Backus Community Center stage at 2 p.m. Sunday to perform a concert for the entire family.
According to a release, the “We Were Young” tour features seven brothers and sisters from Chesapeake, Va., playing indie-folk music. Organizers of the event say these brothers and sisters, driven by a passion for creating compelling music, collaborate with one another to enhance their individual gifts of writing, composing and musicianship. Stringed instruments, surrounded by harmonies and rhythms, invoke an organic yet transcendent sound, according to a news release on the group.
The Hunts have toured the country and worldwide for more than 10 years. In November 2012, the Hunts released their newest album, We Were Young, which was produced by 13-time Grammy nominee Mark Carman. We Were Young features 10 original songs, each telling its own tale of youthful memories, conquering fears, aching hearts and inspiring journeys. The album landed The Hunts a deal with SONGS Music Publishing. The album’s first track, "Make This Leap,” started receiving airplay from key market radio stations almost immediately after its release and is now featured on a national Milk-Bone commercial.
Parents Clint and Sandy met in college, married and began the challenging task of raising their young family by instilling a love of music and the stage, the release said. Sandy went to work teaching violin to the children once each one reached six years of age. Clint taught each of them guitar when they were a little older. One by one, each of the kids took on their own musical personalities. Twins Jessi and Jenni honed their skills on vocals, violin and guitar. Jessi also added the banjo to her set of talents. In addition to vocals, Josh plays acoustic and bass guitar. Jonathan fills out the ensemble with the keyboard. Jordan holds it all together on the drums, while Justin and Jamison round out the group with vocals, hand percussion, mandolin and viola.
The early days saw The Hunts performing at local festivals and at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. In addition to appearing on numerous television and radio programs, The Hunts were featured at "GM's 100th Year Anniversary" and "Virginia's Royal Welcoming of Queen Elizabeth." The road was calling, and The Hunts set out to take their unique brand of folk music to theaters, concert halls, schools and festivals to rave reviews, the release continued.
The Hunts also have a deep love for music education and missions work. They host a music camp for children and teens every summer in their hometown. While on the road, they offer school shows and educational workshops in strings, fiddle, guitar and songwriting. The goal of their school shows and workshops is to educate participants and promote the arts while instilling a passion for music.
Tickets for the show are available in advance at Backus or at the door. The cost is $12 for adults; $6 for students; $25 for a family and children ages five and under are free.
