On April 22nd, The Classic Hunt unveil The Lyrids EP for online streaming and download.
Recorded by the five-piece "psychedelic-folk-rock-jazz-punk-blues" band based out of Philadelphia, the music of The Classic Hunt can be distilled down to a nebular opposition of tension and release. The group creates a sound that dissolves the line between the states of anxious isolation and ecstatic congregation.
"Are you holding me or are you holding me back?" asks the chorus of the band's darkly hypnotic psych-jam, "Sunflowers for Rye."
That question is central throughout the 4-song EP and underlines the choices, sacrifices, and consequences experienced by those in pursuit a dream - those on the classic hunt. The songs do not shy away from darkness, instead they charge through at full speed, becoming fire in the sky, just like the shooting stars that mark the debut.
The release of The Lyrids EP will coincide with the peak of annual meteor shower of the same name. Appearing in the Constellation Lyra (associated with The Vulture and the Lyre of Orpheus), this celestial light show was first recorded in China as early as 687 BC and would be the perfect visual accompaniment for listening to this music.
A fan of space rocks and space rock, Tyler J. Hayduk, 33, founding member of The Classic Hunt, says the act is one-half synchronicity and one-half act of will:
"This lines up on a many levels for me. The culmination of so much time and energy spent working towards a goal arrives and it's a little bit terrifying. It's also my brother's birthday. He would have been 36 this year. Soon he will have been gone longer than he was here and I'll have spent over half of my life wondering what happened... Heavy, right? But you know, recently I watched Larry King interview this producer, Jack Antonoff, who was talking about losing his sister when they were kids. I realized how important it is to feel able to express loss, to let other people know they aren't alone in trying to deal with it, and to be a reminder that we can grow beyond our constrictions. Music is the only language with which I've felt able to communicate that message."
An active musician in Philadelphia since 2010, Tyler Hayduk has come to be one of those familiar strangers you almost already know. As keyboardist and original member of Rockers Galore, the socially-conscious world/punk/hip-hop act once dubbed "Philly's present day-answer to The Clash" by Philebrity.com, Hayduk lives for the live show, recalling a gig at the TLA, where the group opened for Bear Hands, Killer Mike, and GZA on the 2012 Liquid Swords tour, as a personal highlight.
But, as many keyboard players know, sometimes you just want to play guitar and sing. With a growing repertoire of original material, Hayduk began recording homemade demos, testing new material at open mics around Philly, and performing support sets for other artists such as Rocco Deluca and Deadfellow.
All the while keeping an eye out for the right balance of talents and personality to fully develop the sound, Hayduk says that balance came together in early 2017 through jam sessions with Brendan Burke (guitar), Andrew Haff (guitar), Jude Alvarez (bass), and Aaron Wolf (drums).
The newly devised line-up recorded much of The Lyrids EP on their own with additional tracking with Matt Squires at Drexel University and additional tracking, mixing, and mastering by Carl Bahner at TriForce Pro Audio in Lancaster, PA.
Together the band creates resonant, thought-provoking music featuring electrifying guitar work and acerbic wordplay delivered with tragically hilarious dark humor.
