J.D. Potié
A group of five brothers from the prairies are set to headline the festivities as they hit the stage on Saturday night.
Coming off their latest album . . .
State of Mind, with over four million worldwide streams on itunes, The Hunter Brothers, an award-winning country group from the south of Saskatchewan, are coming to Shawville with quite an impressive resume under their belt.
Performing in numerous country festivals across the country throughout the summer and the Canadian Country Music Awards coming up the weekend following the fair, it’s been a very busy and exciting last few months for the prairieland quintet, according to one of the group’s members J.J. Hunter.
“We’ve kind of been crisscrossing the country, even going down into the states,” he said. “It’s been an exciting year and of course the CCMA’s are around the corner as well.
With a setlist filled with national hits, like “Born and Raised” and the anthem for the 2018 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship “Those Were the Nights”, folks can expect to be singing along to the same tunes they’ve been bumping for the last year.
And with their most recent single “Lost” making it all the way to the number one spot on the Country Canada Billboard back in April, the group will use the opportunity to showcase some of their latest hits.
“Those are songs that we’ll definitely be playing and the ones that the people know,” he said. “But there’s always those surprises and those things that are catered specifically to the crowd. It’s a farming community in Shawville. So, maybe we cater to that a little bit.”
Made up of brothers J.J., Luke, Ty, Brock and Dusty Hunter, the band boasts a harmonious vibe. Singing a lot of gospel and country together growing up, the group has developed a musical cohesiveness that brings an original element of flair to their performances, J.J. said.
“I think that brings its own unique dynamic,” he said. “We like to banter between one another and that family interaction is something that I think is unique.”
“We love to focus on the harmonies,” he added. “We like to make them kind of stand out in their own way at different times throughout the concert. That’s something that people can look forward to.”
Their performances bring an element of closeness, effectively connecting them with their audience, due to their shared heritage.
“We’re a family on stage,” he said. “But by the end of the night, we hope that it’s been such a good time that we kind of feel like one big family by the end of the concert.”
All talented hockey players, the country fab-five from Saskatchewan used to take the sport as seriously if not more than they do their music. It seems like no matter what they’re up to, they stick together like glue. In fact, after each branching out to different parts of the continent to pursue professional hockey careers, the group reunited in their hometown to play for the local senior team, the Shaunavon Badgers.
Three forwards and two defensmen, it wasn’t uncommon to see all five Hunter brothers on the ice at the same time – an experience the guys cherish to this very day.
Ready to perform in the province for the first time in what seems likes ages, the Shawville Fair has been circled on the group’s calendar for quite some time. Except for putting on a great performance, the guys are excited for the opportunity to discover an unknown place, meet new people and enjoy the event’s atmosphere.
“This is one of our first concerts in Quebec and it’s something that we’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” he said. “We definitely want to be making the rounds and catching and taking in some of the fair and the town.”
Growing up in a small, tight-knit community, opportunities to perform in places like Shawville is always something the guys are hungry for.
While the group often travels to big cities to rock crowds in downtown arenas, supporting other small communities is something the guys value very dearly.
“Hopefully what we can bring there is something the people of Shawville can really enjoy and something that they can be proud of in their hometown,” he said. because small-town fairs are important for small communities and they’re important to keep the culture alive.”
Coming from a rural town of just over 1,900 people, one of the most enjoyable aspects of performing at small town fairs is that it truly brings them to their natural element – a rural atmosphere filled with thousands of country music fanatics, J.J. said.
“There’s something special about farming communities and small towns,” he said. “Every community has great things about it. But when we’re in those small-town farming communities we feel right at home.”
From singing gospel in small establishments in Shaunavon, Sask. to headlining major events in big cities, the Hunter Brothers dedicate themselves on staying grounded and keeping in touch with their roots no matter what.
Using their platform to inspire people to chase their dreams and showing that even if you’re from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, you can accomplish a lot of big things is a privilege they value greatly.
“Certain people make comments or wonder what can come from a small town,” he said. “I think there are so many great things, so many great attributes to small communities – that community atmosphere of helping one another and standing aside one another is something we value.”
“Just because you come from a small place, it doesn’t mean you can’t do something of excellence,” he added.
No matter what happens throughout their rise to stardom, the spotlight is never something the group of small-town farmers from the middle of nowhere in Saskatchewan ever want to take for granted, J.J. said.
“It’s a huge honour,” he said. “One that we don’t take lightly. When we get to step on a stage … and people are there singing your songs back to you and excited to see you perform that’s a very special thing.”
Folks can see the Hunter Brothers live on the main stage on Saturday night at 9:00 p.m., following the styling of local country band Ransom who opens the show at 7:30 p.m.
