The path that Shaman’s Harvest has been on since they began back in 1996 has been full of lots of twists and turns. The band has gone through personnel changes, major health issues and much more that would make many bands pack their bags and call it a day. Well, don’t worry true believers because the guys are back with a new-found direction and a determination that’s burning brighter than ever. One listen to their newest album Smokin’ Hearts and Broken Guns, their first since 2009’s Shine, and you can hear that hunger resonating from each and every song.
I had the chance to sit down with lead singer Nathan Hunt recently and we talked about everything from those health issues to the WWE and even Michael Jackson.
Hey Nate, man it’s great to see you guys back. How are you today?
Nathan: Not too bad brother, it’s a beautiful day here in Missouri.
It’s cold and rainy here in Virginia, but I kind of like days like this at times too.
Me too man, I’m about over this summer shit; I don’t like hot. I don’t like sweating, I don’t like walking and getting all sweaty and needing a bath before I get to the car (laughs).
Well, I do believe that we’re done with those kinds of days for a while. Man, I have to tell you that it’s damn good to see you guys back. I do have to ask, where the hell have you been?
We took a bit of a hiatus because when we came off the road in 2011, we were tired and just done in. Our creative juices just weren’t kicking in and it was a really tough time. We finally got back into the studio and started tracking new material again and we got about two songs into it and I was diagnosed with throat cancer. We had to take another hiatus from touring and stuff until I got better. So, that’s where we’ve been brother, we’ve been getting better.
I heard you mention that in your interview with Jose Mangin on SiriusXM Octane and I was shocked. Dude, I’m a firm believer in inspiration can be found in times of hardship. I think you may have tapped into that because this new album sounds like a new band with new purpose and direction.
You’re right man, it’s all of that. Once the diagnosis, it did give us a whole new sense of direction and we wanted to make a good album as a whole. You know, not just make a good single to see how high we can climb on the charts; it wasn’t about that at all. If this is going to be the last album that we’re going to make, that is always a possibility, then let’s make a whole piece of music.
If you were aiming for good, then you far exceeded that my friend because this album is beyond just being good. Some of my notes that I made while listening to this album the first time were solid from beginning to end, no skip over tracks and throwback to when albums were a complete work of art.
Thank you brother, I really appreciate that.
It’s true and the problem with bands focusing on singles seems to have really gotten out of control.
Absolutely man, it’s because there’s fucking bean counters. There are very few record labels out there that will let artists develop. They’re more ok let’s get the quick fix because this is an instant gratification world that we live in, so let’s just do it. I think, at least in my opinion, that people here in the states have become so disenchanted with rock and roll specifically. If you go back and listen to Pearl Jam 10, that entire record is a bad ass record; it tells a tale. I think it’s important for us, as musicians and especially in the rock world, to be honest, genuine and passionate in the music so that we don’t disappoint listeners anymore.
Well, I think you’ve definitely got a lot of people’s attention with your lead-off single “Dangerous.” How tough is it to try to pick that first single to send to radio? Do you have a team that helps with that?
Oh yeah, everyone involved with Shaman’s Harvest, from the label to our manager who has been there since day one and we consider him a band member, we all sit there and try to figure out what it is. I’m not even sure to this day that we picked the right one, but sometimes you just have to put your faith in one. It’s almost impossible to pick what people are going to be into, but you just have to believe.
The music landscape has changed so much since your last album Shine came out and that was only five years ago. Satellite radio has grown by leaps and bounds, so when you get someone like Jose Mangin on Octane shouting your praises, then that’s definitely a good thing.
Jose’s a bad-ass and that was my first time meeting him and both he and Octane were both supporters of our single “Dragonfly.” You know, with rock stations shutting down across the country, the only time that some people are going to hear new rock and roll is on satellite radio; to have them behind us is priceless. He’s a legit guy and when he says he’s going to do something, he does it and that is a rare thing in this industry because most people in entertainment are full of shit.
You guys chose L. Rich Criebaum to use as a producer again, as well as you getting your hands involved this time. What is it about Rich that made turn to him again?
Man, he and I click which I discovered on the last record. You have to clash and sometimes you have to butt heads to make something passionate. To make true art as a band, you can’t just go in and have your way of doing it because then you get that cookie cutter bullshit; you need to have that friction. He and I are like an old married couple and we finish each other’s thoughts and shit (laughs).
What made you decide to revisit your song “Dragonfly?”
We did that before we even went into the studio to start this new album; I want to say in 2010. It was such a great experience and we brought in some strings and my vocal coach did some female vocals on it. It was such a great experience that we didn’t want to waste it. I internally fought with myself as to whether or not to put it on the record; I didn’t want to just regurgitate the last record. I think it has a totally different vibe; I think it’s a re-invented version of it. I also hate wasting my fucking time and I don’t like doing shit and then not showing for it (laughs). We’re one of those bands that don’t write 20 songs and then choose from them for the record. We write a song and we mean it and it’s going to go on that record.
I love it and I love that whole need vibe that it has to it. I played both versions for a friend and they asked me why you re-did the song. I told them that I didn’t know why you did it, but I was glad that you did.
(Laughs) Right on man, it’s all about the experience. That song, it takes you on a ride and it’s a completely different trip this time and that’s what it’s all about.
I bet there are a ton of people out there who have experienced some of your music before, but they’re just not aware of it. You guys have provided the entrance theme songs for a few of the WWE wrestlers (Drew McIntyre and Wade Barrett). How did that all come together?
They have a music department like just about every show out there. I think that one of our people initially submitted “Dragonfly” to them, but they decided that song wasn’t going to work for them, but they did dig the sound of it. Jim T. Johnson at the WWE is real passionate about what he does and he writes just about everything over there. He wanted that sound and he contacted us one day and asked if we wanted to get in the studio and do this song called “Broken Dreams.” He sent us a demo of it and we reimagined it a bit and tried to put our spin on it and sent it back to him. He really dug it and we’ve been working together ever since; I just did something for him for one of his Wyatt wrestlers. It’s a great partnership because he’s really passionate about what he does and he gets it.
Shaman’s Harvest – Dangerous Official Music Video
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Those songs really do click with the wrestlers that they represent and they really get stuck in your head. I also think it’s a great marketing move.
Oh yeah man, it definitely is; you can can’t buy that kind of advertising. 40 million viewers, worldwide every Monday night and that’s more than the Super Bowl man. You can’t approach those songs like you would a regular song that you hear on the radio. You have to imagine that wrestler as they’re walking down to the ring and the whole shebang.
I always take a question or two from on-line and Jason M. from California wanted to know if there’s a story behind why you chose to cover “Dirty Diana?”
There’s not much of one; we just really dug the song.
Do you guys do many covers, whether live or during practice?
There are songs that we do just for fun during sound check. Somebody will start jamming on something and then we all just end up jumping in on it. I can’t remember where we were, but I think our bass player Fisher started playing the bass line to “Dirty Diana”, then we all started jamming it and one of us said that we should record it one day. We were actually talking about recording a whole cover EP, kind of like Halestorm did.
I’m sure there’s a whole segment of the audience who hears it and don’t even know it’s a Michael Jackson song.
Oh man, I was doing an interview a couple of weeks back and the guy asked me what I was thinking and my thought process behind the writing of “Dirty Diana.” I told him that he was going to have to talk to one of those medium and have them ask Michael what he was thinking when he wrote it.
I know you have had some personnel changes along the way, but how do you look back and compare who you were in 1996 to where you are now?
I think it’s a testament to what a band is and its sound. I think when a true band has those changes that you’ll hear that. It’s about hammering it out in a rehearsal space, a garage, your mom’s basement or whatever it is as everyone is pretty much at the fight to get whatever influence it is in there and that’s the magic of rock and roll. Man, that’s the difference right there as opposed to other things like pop that’s written by other people and I think that’s kind of what the world’s missing a bit. Hell man, it’s been a long road and as our tastes changes, our music’s going to change. It’s crazy man looking back on that stuff; I won’t even let people hear our first record. If I find every single one of them, I’ll burn them in a bonfire at some point (laughs).
I think that would be a first for a band to burn their own albums instead of some sort of radical protest group.
(Laughs) Yeah man, we were just kids when we made that one and a couple of us were only fifteen years old. It is definitely funny looking back with my voice changing and all that stuff (laughs).
As you were growing up and going through all of those changes, what artists helped to mold you into the artist that you’ve become?
Fleetwood Mac was a big one growing up as a kid and I think that’s why there are so many harmonies on our records and especially the last two. My mom used to play that all the time and it just stuck with me. A lot of the classic acts too like Zeppelin and then Seattle came along and that gave me a new outlook on music in a very serious way with bands like the Melvins and of course Pearl Jam. I think I was thirteen and I heard Stevie Ray Vaughn for the first time and it just blew my mind. That lead me to look up his influences and then I started getting into Delta Blues and Chicago Blues.
You can definitely hear the blues influence man and I think that’s part of what makes your sound very unique.
For the longest time, we were playing the little juke-joint-circuit and the little blues-dives and stuff and we really didn’t fit in, but we were playing our take on the blues. Yeah, I think that’s the one genre that’s really stuck the most with us and to this day, it’s still our take on heavily blues influenced rock and roll.
Well, keep on keeping on brother because you guys do it so damn well. As much as I hate to say it, I guess our time has come to a close. I appreciate your time Nate and I wish you nothing but the best with this new album and with life man. Is there anything that you’d like to close with?
I appreciate the talk brother and thanks for the support. It’s important for us to get out there to the people who are interested in coming to hear us. We’ve been gone for a spell and it’s time to go do some rock shows.
By Johnny Price, Senior Lead RockRevolt Magazine Journalist
SHAMAN’S HARVEST is: Nathan Hunt (Lead Vocals/Acoustic), Josh Hamler (Guitar/Vocals), Matt Fisher (Bass/Vocals), Joe Harrington (Drums/Vocals), Derrick Shipp (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
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