Glory to the Kids that dream-
Hunter Bobby
With his musical background steeped in bluegrass and folk songs, and a palette of influences such as the Grateful Dead, John Prine, Alabama Shakes, Mac Demarco and others of such graces, Hunter’s style speaks to the heart of a never-changing spirit that comes and goes with the times and unrelentlessly seeks to inspire. With songwriting that is lived and worn, his storytelling makes you not only listen but more importantly tap your toes and feel. Hunter brings sounds and vision into his sets that cater to those who wish to dance, those who wish to embellish with friends, those who wish to make the most of a night and those who love to provoke the freedom that exists within themselves. -
Mac McAllister of the “Sugar Creek Music Club”
Hayden, AL USA
HBM
Take a closer look and begin to understand the stories behind the songs of Hunter Blake McCldendon.
“See Rock City”
“See Rock City” is the most recent collection of songs written by Hunter Blake McClendon. This 5 song EP was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jeron Albrets at his studio ‘big home records’ in Muscle Shoals, AL. Taking a new step forward in this EP, McClendon assembles a backing band to play on this release who are forever dubbed as “the Boogie Men”. In this release Hunter Blake McClendon and The Boogie Men tell a story of a truck driver who is going to drive out to Chattanooga, TN and see Rock City. On this drive from song to song our trucker thinks back about things that have shaped his life and the story of his life that he hopes will linger in this world long after he is gone. This 5 song conceptual EP is McClendon’s first take at a quote on quote “rock and roll record” as opposed to his previous releases that center around songs recorded on a tascam 8 channel portastudio and aiming for a John Prine nod and wink.
May 2024
“See Rock City”
“old fashioned string band”
“Old Fashioned String Band” is Hunter Blake McClendon’s largest collection of original songs released thus far. This album was recorded and mixed on a tascam 8 channel portastudio by McClendon himself in his apartment in Florence, Alabama. Furthermore, McClendon plays all of the instruments featured in this album. This album was put out as a tribute to the bluegrass string band that adopted McClendon into their fold and taught him how to play music. In 2013 the “Cold Springs FFA String Band” originally consisted of Andrew Blair on guitar, and Travis Hill on lead vocal/banjo and that same year Hunter Blake McClendon became the third member of the string band adding another guitar. McClendon tells the story as such “…they asked me if I was interested in joining the string band, and of course I said yes. Little did they know I was lying through my teeth and furthermore that I only owned a guitar and had no idea how to play the guitar. Sure enough they figured that out the next day at rehearsals.”
McClendon credits Travis Hill and Andrew Blair for teaching him everything he knows about playing the guitar, performing for a crowd, singing folk songs and being a musician. The “Cold Springs FFA String Band” later acquired Katie Dollar and Matthew Blair and went on to compete within the Alabama FFA chapter competitions, specifically the string band competitions. McClendon and the gang won the 2016 FFA String Band State Championship Competition and then also the 2017, winning back to back Alabama state championships. They went on to compete in the National FFA Talent Competition hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2017 and placed 3rd in the nation. Notably their last performance being amongst 25,000 people in Lucas Oil stadium in Indianapolis. McClendon credits this time in his life for the driving force behind his current pursuit and passion for writing songs and performing. The cover photo for the album is the house of McClendon’s uncle ‘Mickey Shane McClendon’ who was the first person to play a guitar in front of Hunter and gave him the notion that maybe someday he could learn to play the guitar. This house was directly beside the wood working shop connected to Cold Springs High that McClendon would spend every day of high school during 5th period, practicing bluegrass and folk songs with an Old Fashioned String Band the Cold Springs FFA String Band.
January 2023
“Old Fashioned String Band”
“Ivy Green at the shoals”
“Ivy Green at The Shoals” is Hunter Blake McClendon’s debut album/release. This album of original songs written by McClendon is a wink and nod to the late great ‘John Prine’. Being heavily influenced by Prine and the songs that he had written, McClendon began his debut with what he hoped would be homage to his songwriting hero who left this Earth too soon in 2020. Here is what McClendon says about his debut album:
“I had just got off work from ‘Rosies Cantina’ on Court St here in Florence, AL and I said to myself “I will get these songs recorded tonight!” So I gathered my recording gear at midnight and began to set it up in the communal (shared by every tenant on the property) laundry room of my apartment complex. I figured that I couldn’t record in my apartment because I would get a noise complaint that ends in a $50 fine and I was down bad broke. So, I compromised and set up shop in the laundry house… at midnight… on a Tuesday. I began at midnight, and finished at 7AM and when I called it quits I had recorded every song on Ivy Green at The Shoals in that laundry house. No one walked in and caught me either! What dumb luck no one called the cops. I had not slept. I packed up my gear, went to my apartment, took a shower, threw on my literal penguin style bowtie tuxedo that I wore as a waiter at Rosie’s and went into my shift at 8:30AM. I was energized, I was mad scientist manic and I didn’t need sleep all day and felt wide awake at work because I knew back home on my laptop -was my first ever piece of work as a songwriter. I named the album “Ivy Green at The Shoals” because that was the name of my apartment complex in Florence. That laundry house is where I cut my first ever album. People are washing their underwear there right now as you read this. The songs on this album are not up to par with Prine, but I feel confident in saying that the story that encapsulates this album is a story that John Prine could admire, and that is what makes me happy when I think about my first album.”
December 2021
“Ivy Green at The Shoals”