Jana Hunter December 2, 2006

http://www.myspace.com/janahunter

“In 1994, Jana Hunter was a 16 and a violinist in the Greater Youth Orchestra of Fort Worth. This quickly and naturally led to smoking cigarettes, hanging out in a VW Van and joining local hippie band McGillicutty. When this group soon disbanded, Hunter began in earnest the pursuit of solo writing, performing at local open mics and house parties.

Arlington, TX (Jana's hometown) is a depressing place, and Hunter took that sentiment to New York (1996) and eventually Houston (1998), writing dark, severe and beautiful songs that more and more reflected a paranoiac view of the world. These were shared for the most part with a few friends, occasionally in the guise of rock songs in her now-defunct band, Matty & Mossy, and eventually, at a few shows in Houston, opening up for touring bands.

A show in 2003 with Devendra Banhart, led a year later to Hunter's inclusion on his Golden Apples of the Sun compilation (Bastet). In 2005, Devendra and Jana released a split vinyl album on Troubleman Records, followed quickly by the release of Hunter's debut solo album, Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom, in October of that year on Gnomonsong.

Since her initial release, Hunter has repeatedly toured North America and Europe, joined forces with Castanets as their sometimes touring bass player and vocalist, guested on albums by CocoRosie and Metallic Falcons, played at the Banhart-curated All Tomorrow's Parties, recorded a soon-to-be-released album with a new band, Jracula, and prepared a split release with former fellow Houstonians, Indian Jewelry.

Hunter has also appeared on the following compilations: The Enlightened Family (Voodoo-Eros), The Black and White Skins (Les Disque Du Crespuscule), Furniture Record's Sheets of Easter Everywhere singles series, and the online lullaby collection from Blogupmusique.com. ...Heirs of Doom was re-issued in a very limited run as a double cassette on Fuck-It Tapes in June, 2006.

Most recently, Hunter toured by sea. Along with Castanets and Peter & the Wolf, Jana charted a late summer tour for 2006 along the Intracoastal Waterway from New York City to Norfolk, VA., in a sailboat. Good friend and former WFMU staple OCDJ skippered his own vessel. Hunter will release her second solo album on Gnomonsong in the spring of 2007. ”

Official Website: http://space180.com/