Haela Hunt-Hendrix
Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix | |
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![]() Hunt-Hendix at the Moers Festival 2022 | |
Background information | |
Born | [1] | January 25, 1985
Origin | New York City, U.S. |
Genres | Black metal, avant-garde metal, experimental rock, classical music |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
Member of | Liturgy |
Website | liturgy |
Relatives | Leah Hunt-Hendrix (sister) H. L. Hunt (grandfather) Lamar Hunt (uncle) Clark Hunt (cousin) |
Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix (born January 25, 1985) is an American musician and composer. She is best known for her work as creator, lead singer, and guitarist of black metal band Liturgy.[2]
Personal life
Hunt-Hendrix was born in 1985 in New York City,[1] the child of academician Helen LaKelly Hunt and self-help author Harville Hendrix.[3][4] She is a member of the Hunt oil/football family which includes her billionaire grandfather oil tycoon H. L. Hunt, her uncle Lamar Hunt, and her cousin Clark Hunt.[4] Hunt-Hendrix grew up in New Mexico, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, New York.[5]
In May 2020, Hunt-Hendrix came out as transgender in an Instagram post, writing, "The love I have to give is a woman's love, if only because it is mine. To varying degrees many already understand this, but I'd like to make a clear statement about my actual gender."[6]
Career
In 2005, Hunt-Hendrix formed what would become her most well-known music project, Liturgy, as a solo project while attending Columbia University in New York City.[1]
In the same year, Hunt-Hendrix’s screamo side project The Birthday Boyz released their debut album The Bro Cycle. Following this, Hunt-Hendrix collaborated with Krallice guitarist Collin Marston and former Birthday Boyz bandmates Greg Smith and Jeff Bobula to form the band Survival, who would later release their eponymous debut in 2013.[7]
In 2008, Hunt-Hendrix released the EP Immortal Life under the Liturgy name, and the band cohered as a quartet with Bernard Gann (guitar), Greg Fox (drums), and Tyler Dusenbury (bass). Liturgy released their first full-length record, Renihilation, in 2009. Liturgy's second and third albums, Aesthethica (2011) and The Ark Work (2015), were released with Thrill Jockey Records. Despite the critical success of Aesthetica,[8] Hunt-Hendrix stated in an interview with Pitchfork that "I was never happy with any other Liturgy release. I didn’t want to release them. But the aim with this one (The Ark Work) was to take that musical vibe and execute it all the way—and I love it."[5]
In 2016 Hunt-Hendrix released an electronic album titled New Introductory Lectures on the System of Transcendental Qabala under the band name Kel Valhaal.[9] Hunt-Hendrix describes the release as combining elements of classical music, electronic music, rap, and metal,[10] as well as working "to activate transcendental catharsis using the elements of sound design."[11]
In September 2019, Hunt-Hendrix released the single "Seraphim" with the "trap-djent" band Ideal.[citation needed]
In November 2019, Liturgy debuted their fourth studio album, H.A.Q.Q. The album features a new lineup, with original members Hunt-Hendrix and Gann joined by Tia Vincent-Clark (bass) and Leo Didkovsky (drums).[12]
On November 20, 2020, Liturgy released their fifth full-length studio album, the "cosmogonical opera-album" Origin of the Alimonies; with the release came the announcement of an accompanying operatic film written, shot, edited by, and starring Hunt-Hendrix.[13][14] Hunt-Hendrix debuted an earlier version of the video opera at National Sawdust in October 2018.[15]
References
- ^ a b c Joyce, Colin (April 9, 2015). "Try to Make Yourself a Work of Art: Liturgy's Extra-Metal Ambition". SPIN. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ Nechvatal, Joseph (June 10, 2015). "Toward a Theory of Transcendental Black Metal". Hyperallergic. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ "Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations: How to Make Love Last". Omny Studio. The Oprah Winfrey Show. January 8, 1993. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Hunt Family Tree" (PDF). D Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2013.
- ^ a b Currin, Grayson Haver (March 10, 2015). "The Liturgy Manifesto". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ Schaffner, Lauryn (May 12, 2020). "Liturgy's Hunter Hunt-Hendrix Has Come Out as Transgender". Loudwire. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ Greene, Jayson (May 21, 2013). "Survival: "Survival"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ "SPIN's 50 Best Albums of 2011". Spin. December 12, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "New Introductory Lectures on the System of Transcendental Qabala, by Kel Valhaal". Kel Valhaal. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ Song, Sandra (June 23, 2016). "PREMIERE: Kel Valhaal Brings Forth The Punishing, Rapturous "Ontological Love"". Paper Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ Rothbarth, Adam (June 9, 2016). "Hunter Hunt-Hendrix (Liturgy) announces Kel Valhaal project, album out next month". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ Currin, Grayson Haver (November 19, 2019). "Liturgy: H.A.Q.Q." Pitchfork. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (October 21, 2020). "Liturgy Announce New Album Origin of the Alimonies, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork media. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ^ Hadusek, John (October 21, 2020). "Liturgy Announce New Album Origin of the Alimonies, Share "Lonely OIOION": Stream". Consequences of sound. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Cohen, Brad (October 2018). "Hunter Hunt-Hendrix: Origin of an Opera Cycle". National Sawdust. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 21st-century women musicians
- 21st-century American women guitarists
- Musicians from New York City
- Living people
- American experimental guitarists
- Columbia University alumni
- Transgender women musicians
- American women composers
- Women opera composers
- American heavy metal guitarists
- American women heavy metal singers
- American heavy metal singers
- American opera composers
- 1985 births
- American LGBT musicians
- Black metal musicians
- Hunt family
- Transgender singers
- American LGBT singers
- LGBT people from New York (state)