If you’ve never heard of The Hunting Accident, now is the time to get acquainted.  Comprised of members of former Sub Pop and Fueled by Ramen standout bands Arlo (Nate Greeley) and Piebald (Travis Shettel & Aaron Stuart), as well as drummer Pete Beeman and Ryan Jebavy (who absolutely KILLS it on keys/piano).

Together, these five guys create crunchy, thoughtful indie power-pop that evokes both memories of their past bands and a glimpse into the future sound of indie rock.  With piano-driven hooks weaving in between tight guitars and tenor vocals, all backed by Beeman’s rock-solid work on drums, The Hunting Accident is a band to be reckoned with in 2012 and beyond.

We at AudioFuzz were happy to get together with The Hunting Accident’s funny and frank Nate Greeley for our first “Dirty Dozen” interview segment - 12 questions about all the B’s that matter: the Band, their Bookings… and Breakfast.

AudioFuzz: You guys quote Odo Marquard on your site, saying “We human beings are always more our accidents than our choice.”  What do you take from that quote, and how does it influence how you write music?

Nate: We don’t believe in free will or authors or even in privileging the human. If property is theft, then theft is property, so grab what passes by and filter it into a song - odors, glances, a piece of string. As a doomed species, any forward-looking human filter needs to take into account that his primary audience may ultimately be collections of gas in some distant nebula.

AF: Your roots trace back to bands like Arlo, Piebald, and The Duke Spirit.  What’s the best thing you learned from your past in other bands?

Nate: By playing in these groups we’ve been able to inhabit other people. Learning and performing the Seeds catalog with Sky Saxon allowed me to experience the sixties and I can tell you that they were squalid and mean, which is perhaps why the music was so good. The best music comes from the filthiest of places.

AF: Your band members have, separately and collectively, made over a decade of music that’s been widely popular with the college crowd.  Why do you think your work speaks to people who are “coming of age”?

Nate: I think the energy of youth is largely due to the level of sexual frustration you experience at that age, combined with the ability to metabolize high levels of corn syrup. I’ve always enjoyed music with that same level of energy and continue to make it, although it may ultimately kill me.

AF: The four songs on your site (available for purchase on 7” now) are full of crunchy, ear-pleasing goodness.  A lot of that can be attributed to your musical tightness.  Does that come from working professionally in past bands, or does it have more to do with your relationship?

Nate: Tightness certainly comes from experience, but I’d also say that the ability to attain that level of tightness in only a few takes is also very important, as music gets very stale very quickly if left in the corrosive air of the studio for too long.

AF: A large part of your sound, especially on songs like “Hot Drum” and “Jack Trap”, is driven by a really solid piano foundation.  Who are some of your influences, past or present, when it comes to the “piano rock” sound?

Nate: I think it comes from a place of piano naivete, as we’ve really very little experience in piano rock, but we wanted to avoid the two guitar sound we had all done so much in our previous bands. I don’t actually listen to much music where the piano is the main instrument, but I’d say Robyn Hitchcock and The Smiths use piano in ways that I try to emulate.

AF: If you had to single out one or two, what are some bands out now that you think are getting it right?
 
Nate: I like Wavves and The Walkmen. And my friends’ bands.

AF: Fans of Arlo and Piebald may often hear traces of those groups in The Hunting Accident’s sound.  Are there any other bands that inform your style?

Nate: I’m mostly trying to be The Soft Boys and getting it wrong, so it ends up sounding like us.

 

AF: On the random question front: It’s been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Do you like breakfast, and if so, what do you eat?

Nate: I wake up at 8, have some tea, and have a bagel with cream cheese around 11. Then I take a walk.

AF: Since you guys have been out playing shows together as The Hunting Accident, what’s the most ridiculous live show experience (positive or negative) you’ve had?

Nate: In Portland once the booker blew it and basically didn’t book the show, so we rolled up to the venue where they paid us, gave us 2 cases of beer and sent us on our way. The shows where we actually played have been pretty normal and well behaved.
 
AF: It’s an over-used question, but still an interesting one to us… Do you guys enjoy the studio experience or the live show experience more?

Nate: I find them both equally nerve-wracking - the studio out of boredom and the live show from the stress and excitement. I guess I prefer stress and excitement.

AF: I’m a brand new, potential fan of your band.  I’ve never heard your sound, and I’m looking for a good introductory track to get a good grip on what you guys are all about.  Where should I start?

Nate: First you should put on clean socks and comfortable shoes. If you are listening on your computer, google some photos of deep-sea aquatic life native to the Indian Ocean. Read a few nursery rhymes to cleanse the palate, pack your left ear with gauze, and listen to Hot Drum while eating a peach.

AF: Where are the next few venues that we can check The Hunting Accident out live?

Nate: Nothing booked at the moment, as we’ve just come off touring the last record, but we’re talking to The Jealous Sound about a show with them in San Francisco in February. You can check the website to see how that works out.

(Source: TheHuntingAccident.com)