HUNNY

HUNNY, the California outfit, merges crisp pop melodies with sonic textures rooted in 1980s alternative rock while delivering lyrics that cast romantic disappointment in an optimistic glow. The group first gained traction through a string of streaming successes that began with the 2015 track “Cry for Me.” After inking a deal with the prominent punk imprint Epitaph, they recruited Grammy-winning engineer Carlos de la Garza to helm their fervent yet refined debut album, 2019’s Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes., then deliberately leaned back into raw edges for the 2023 follow-up HUNNY’S NEW PLANET HEAVEN.

All five founding members grew up in Newbury Park, the coastal-adjacent community near Malibu. Vocalist-guitarist Jason Yarger and bassist Gregory Horne had known each other since high school, where they performed together in another rock group, whereas guitarists Jake Goldstein and Jake Munk had each been making music since their early teens. The decision to form HUNNY crystallized only after the musicians began sharing a house, at which point Yarger contributed material originally sketched for a solo endeavor. Keyboardist Kevin Grimmett and drummer Joey Anderson completed the initial roster. Their first single, “Honey Blonde,” surfaced in 2014, yet the 2015 release “Cry for Me” proved decisive, surpassing one million streams inside twelve months.

HUNNY spent the ensuing months on a cross-country trek alongside fellow Californians the Neighbourhood and Bad Suns; in October 2015 the band issued the five-track EP Pain/Ache/Loving, which contained both “Cry for Me” and the similarly successful “July.” By the EP’s arrival the lineup had slimmed to a quintet following guitarist Jake Munk’s exit. Momentum carried into 2016 when “Vowels (And the Importance of Being Me)” became another streaming favorite. The following year brought the EP Windows I, featuring the additional hits “Televised” and “Shy.”

As their audience expanded, HUNNY announced a mid-2018 signing with Epitaph, which quickly issued Windows II after bassist Gregory Horne departed and Kevin Grimmett assumed bass duties alongside keys. Operating as a four-piece, the band recorded its first full-length, Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes., with production from Grammy-winning engineer Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, Cherry Glazerr); the set reached stores in mid-2019.

When the COVID-19 pandemic separated the members geographically, they nevertheless generated nearly one hundred demos before convening with Derek Ted (Field Medic, Dora Jar) at his Los Angeles facility, New Planet Heaven. Epitaph released the three-song Homesick EP in mid-2022, followed later that year by lo-fi and expanded editions. The group then distilled its accumulated material into the twelve tracks of its sophomore album, emphasizing collective chemistry over technical polish. Produced by Ted and mixed by Munk—who had since engineered for Liam Gallagher and 5 Seconds of Summer—HUNNY’S NEW PLANET HEAVEN arrived via Epitaph in October 2023.