In the quaint town of Saskatchewan, Canada, there was once a household made up of five farm brothers who had a fine ear for quality music. After finding their voice and preferred instruments, the Hunter siblings spent days working hard on their family farm and nights honing in on their extraordinary craft.

Before finding their space within the country music world, The Hunter Brothers dabbled within several different genres and utilized their musically-oriented parents to learn the ins and outs of the industry. 

“There was never fighting over who would play what, as everyone gravitated to different instruments,” share the Canadian breakout stars. “We continued singing together and naturally went through multiple genre changes. Our parents played all sorts of music – from gospel to Motown to country. Each brother carries different influences into the band, but country is the lane where everything seems to align.” 

The seasoned songsmiths continued to share that they would often turn on country radio to hear and pull inspiration from notable names such as – Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, Blackhawk, and Diamond Rio to carefully craft their own unique sound. The years of playing around and testing their musical boundaries have paid off, as The Hunter Brothers produced a contagious yet recognizable sound that is incomparable to any other country act. 

Their harmony-driven melodies capitulated the ensemble to stardom and scored them a record deal back in 2015. Since then, The Hunter Brothers have dominated the Canadian country music scene and have received multiple CCMA and JUNO Award nominations. However, it wasn’t until recently that the siblings scored their very first No.1 with their smash hit “Lost.” 

“It’s really hard to fully wrap your head around the fact that your song has been played the most in the entire nation,” gushed the group about their career milestone. “We don’t think that will ever fully sink in.” Following the life-altering news – J.J. Dusty, Luke, Brock, and Ty took to their family farm to celebrate together. With all hands on deck, the brothers spelled out “LOST” in massive dirt letter to thank their loyal fans for their endless support. 

“Lost” is a mid-tempo anthem from their 12-piece project, State of Mind. Upon release, the well-developed collection remained the No.1 selling country record for four consecutive weeks. Thie rapid success did not surprise fans, as the well-developed collection emphasizes their seamless chemistry. 

The musicians have grown since their sophomore album and have added buzz-worthy anthems to their state-of-the-art catalog. Therefore, Celeb Secrets Country sat down with the hitmakers to chat about their latest records, Been A Minute and Joy to the World. The brothers also opened up about their upcoming projects and high-energy shows. 

The title track from our new album “Joy to the World” live from the #grainbin🎅🎄 Have you added it to your #Christmas playlist? 👉 #JoytotheWorld #ChristmasMusic #SiloSession

— Hunter Brothers (@HunterBros) November 24, 2021

Keep scrolling and read the full Q&A below to learn more about The Hunter Brothers. Let us know what you think about their goosebump-proving sound by leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @CS_Country. 

You can connect with The Hunter Brothers by giving them a follow on Instagram at @hunterbros.

Celeb Secrets Country: Who are the Hunter Brothers? How would you describe the group and your sound? 

The Hunter Brothers: “The Hunter Brothers (we) are five Canadian farm boys born and raised in small-town Saskatchewan. We are actually ALL brothers who grew up in a tight-knit family where music, farming, and hockey were all part of our upbringing. The five of us both sing and play instruments in the band. Our sound could be described as anthemic, fun, and saturated with harmonies. We all have different vocal ranges, and we grew up singing acapella-based music with our parents. Though it began as a passion, music quickly took a turn toward a professional career.” 

Celeb Secrets Country: When did you decide to join forces and pursue music professionally? 

The Hunter Brothers: “We played music together growing up, and there wasn’t really a moment where everyone said, ‘Hey – let’s be a singing group.’ We were all trained classically on the piano and then branched into other instruments. There was never fighting over who would play what, as everyone gravitated to different instruments. We continued singing together and naturally went through multiple genre changes before winding up in country and then signing a record deal in 2015.” 

Celeb Secrets Country: Do the Hunter Brothers have any musical inspirations, and was country music played throughout the house growing up? 

The Hunter Brothers: “We grew up with many different musical influences! Our parents played all sorts of music – from Gospel, to Motown, to Country. Each brother carries different influences into the band, but country is the lane where everything seems to align, especially the narrative. Growing up where we did, we had one radio station, and it was a country station. We listened to groups like Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, Blackhawk, and Diamond Rio.” 

Celeb Secrets Country: The Hunter Brothers have reached quite the success in Canada. So, would you say it’s challenging to break into the country music scene in the states? 

The Hunter Brothers: “Every country has a specific culture, and any market isn’t overly easy to break into. We’ve focused primarily on Canada at this point, but now with streaming services, it’s pretty incredible that your music can be consumed not just in the States as well, but worldwide. We want our music to resonate with people all around the world. It’s been so encouraging to have people write to us from the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland…. Also, given we’re born-and-raised farmers, we’ve seen a strong response from and connection with farmers around the world.” 

Celeb Secrets Country: “The Hunter Brothers closed out 2021 with a festive Christmas album, Joy to the World. What inspired you to create a holiday collection?” 

The Hunter Brothers: “Christmas was one of our most favorite times as a family growing up. Being that we were on the farm, life was very busy year-round, and Christmas was one of the seasons where we took a complete break from the workload, and focused on our traditions. From turkey dinner, to oil fondue, to Mom’s cinnamon buns, Christmas was always an amazing time of year. 

On the musical front, people have been asking us for a really long time to do a Christmas project. With the pandemic, it created the perfect opportunity to not only record our third studio album, Been A Minute, but also take on a Christmas project as well. It was a lot of work, a lot of vocals, and a lot of preparation, but absolutely worth it. These songs are a collection of some of our favorites, with a few originals as well.  We’re so thankful the project is resonating with fans!” 

CSC: Tell us about your collaboration with Nashville newcomer Madeline Merlo on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas“? 

THB: “We were singing together with Madeline as part of an online Christmas performance special in 2020. She sang ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas‘ on the livestream, and we were blown away. We knew we wanted to do a collaboration on the project, and it was an easy choice after hearing that performance. We are so thankful she said yes, and are so happy for her in all of her success!” 

CSC: Your recent single “Lost” just went No.1 on Canadian country radio – making it your FIRST No.1 hit. What was your initial reaction when you all received the news? 

THB: “It’s really hard to fully wrap your head around the fact that your song has been played the most in the entire nation. We don’t think that will ever fully sink in. We were beyond excited when we heard the news. To celebrate, in Hunter Brothers fashion, we headed out to the field, and took a pro till to the soil, and spelled ‘LOST‘ in the dirt – all while capturing it on video from an aerial point of view. It’s on our socials if you want to check it out. That was followed up by a full family celebration and BBQ.” 

CSC: What does a typical writing and recording day look like for the Hunter Brothers? 

THB: “It seems like every writing and recording session looks a little different. We sometimes have one brother in writing sessions, and then other times, all five of us are there. We’ve had competitions in Nashville where brothers will head into different sessions, and then compare notes to see who comes up with the best song at the end of the day. That’s one of the benefits of having five members: we can do things in layers! When the pandemic hit, we decided to complete our home studio, and JJ has been learning the art of engineering vocals. Almost our entire 3rd studio album and Christmas record were fully recorded from our home studio. It gives us the ability to record whenever we want. If someone is having an ‘off day,’ we can just revisit it at a different time. There’s less pressure…” 

CSC: Back in 2020, the Hunter Brothers became the #3 most played duo on Canadian country radio. Since that career milestone, how do you believe the group has grown as vocalists? 

THB: “I think it’s safe to say we’re always growing as artists and as vocalists. With each writing session, performance, and milestone, you learn something new. It’s always a learning curve, especially when you’re traversing as a group of five. Things are constantly evolving for each of us, and so when something improves or changes, it impacts everyone else, too. It’s one of the most challenging aspects, but also the most rewarding factors of a group. Ultimately, we can help each other grow.” 

CSC: What would you like to achieve in 2022? Can you tease any upcoming projects for the new year? 

THB: “We are hoping to prepare a tour this year. We’ll be heading out to play many festivals, but we’re also looking toward giving fans a tour. We can’t say when, at this point, but we can’t wait to bring fans an exciting live experience.” 

CSC: Your third studio album, Been A Minute, was released back in July. Could we expect a new collection this year? 

THB: “We can definitely say that new music will be released this year. At this point, we can’t fully disclose what that looks like, but let’s just say we are very excited for the next chapter!” 

CSC: Are there any musicians based in Nashville that you would like to collaborate with? 

THB: “There are a lot of different musicians we would love to collaborate with. Keith Urban, Dan + Shay, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, to name a few!” 

CSC: Does the group have any big plans to hit the road and connect with fans anytime soon? 

THB: “We’re excited to be hitting the stage for a multitude of dates this summer at different festivals. We also have some exciting shows we’re lining up for fans that will be one-of-a-kind experiences. We can’t say too much more at this point, but we can say after not playing shows for two years, we’re ready to hit the stage in bigger ways than we ever have.” 

CSC: Since we are Celeb Secrets – what are some secrets (fun facts) about the Hunter Brothers that fans wouldn’t know? 

THB: “JJ is an avid Lego and Star Wars fan. Where Lego and Star Wars meet (like a Star Wars Lego set, to be more specific), he’s a happy camper. He is also a massive Toronto Blue Jays fan. 

Dusty loves a good Fantasy Hockey draft and reading. He’s also a reliable source when it comes to finding great places to eat on the road. He always finds all the good spots. 

Luke is scared of spiders. He’s not afraid of much else, but when it comes to the creepy crawlers, he’s NOT a fan. He also loves Jolly Ranchers. 

Brock built his own airplane and flies it. He also proposed to his wife in it a few months ago! 

Ty broke his femur in half due to a ziplining incident when he was 16. He and his wife own an independent coffee shop in their hometown of Shaunavon.”