Hurrah A Bolt of Light - An/Animal Video EP
Release date: January 28th 2022
Artist Information
- Label: Independent Release
- Genre: Indie Rock
- Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
- Sounds like: Pixies, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush
Biography
New York City-born, Twin Cities-based indie rock band Hurrah A Bolt of Light is a living portfolio documenting the constant evolution of its main songwriter, Wil Farr. Whether it’s sound, format, or home base, change is considered fundamental to Hurrah’s creative process.
To date, Hurrah has released two full length albums and numerous singles. Its previous album was a shiny, pop album recorded in LA. Its latest release retains Hurrah’s penchant for hooks, but does so in a darkly alluring context that subverts all pop conventions. AN/ANIMAL, out January 2022, is Hurrah’s long-awaited “visual album.” It’s an ambitious artistic offering that pairs a 16-minute piece of music to be released in four movements with a stunning long-form video. AN/ANIMAL is an immersive experience brimming with haunting visuals, abstract and emotionally evocative lyrics, and a mesmerizing swampy sensibility.
Wil is the sonic curator of Hurrah, and he is a multi-instrumentalist with a rock background and an affinity for abstract soundscapes. He started Hurrah over a decade ago in New York City, but Wil relocated the project to Minneapolis, Minnesota, believing the vibrant music scene there would be the perfect place to start the project’s next phase. Wil’s work seeks to balance artistic fearlessness and creative wanderlust with a reverence for pop music.
“I’m interested in evoking feelings with my music,” Wil shares. “Young-adult science fiction had a profound effect on me. The stories weren’t always very clear, but they brought forth strong emotions. That approach really influenced me.”
Hurrah’s music has been favorably described as “pop music for sad people.” It’s an aptly broad description that fits Wil’s restless creativity which defies genres, though Wil’s songwriting has drawn comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Modest Mouse, and Kings of Leon. Hurrah has earned critical accolades from such outlets as The Deli Magazine, BreakThru Radio, Time Out New York, QRO, and Radio Free Chicago. Live Hurrah, is frenetic and sweat-soaked with Wil as the lightning-rod epicenter, leading his ensemble through a catalog of songs that feel instantly familiar and anthemic.
Hurrah tracks are artfully impressionistic, making them well-suited to visual placements. Songs have been featured on shows such as Teen Mom (MTV), The Voice (NBC), Last Call With Carson Daly (NBC), Baseball Tonight (ESPN), Counting Cars (History Channel), and Nate Berkus Show (TLC), among many others. In addition, Hurrah tracks have been featured on networks such as IFC, OWN, Logo, Animal Planet, Nat Geo, and the Discovery Channel.
AN/ANIMAL presents its audience with four songs strung into one narrative, made complete by the eerie visuals of its accompanying short film. Fans are invited to consume AN/ANIMAL in its entirety or in pieces. The music features imaginative arrangements, ethereal to explosive dynamics, primal urgency, deceptively catchy hooks, and elements from gospel, indie, rock, prog, country, ambient, and, as always, an infectious pop sensibility. Thematically, the lyrics are poetic, obtuse, and alive with desperation. The single, An/Animal 3, is a wild ride of a composition with gnarly garage-rock guitars, prog-rock instrumental breaks, tense build-ups, bold electronic textures, and moments of breathtaking serene musicality.
AN/ANIMAL is a stunning DIY feat. Wil played most instruments on the album, and sang the vocals all the way through as if the album was one 16-minute song. Despite having no film experience, Wil wrote, acted in and edited the film, though he is also joined on- and off-screen by a group of talented, enthusiastic film professionals, actors, and friends.
The movie component documents a man being kidnapped and stuck in an endless loop of horrors. It’s a fantastical, disorienting, and wildly fishtailing epic with cultish overtones of transformation. The music almost feels like an audio representation of the protagonist’s inner feelings. Moments of despair, tragic solitude, pangs from a fear of death, and confusion course through the densely-layered and cleverly-arranged music.
Upcoming Shows
- January 31st // The Internet // Virtual Release Show
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