Hunters Chorus

“…plain old groovy and fun. You’ll instantly want to throw down the blanket on the grass and dance all around it in the summer sun… delicate and beautiful too…”

— AMERICANA HIGHWAYS

“…absolute perfection to enjoy while the sun sets over the skyline…”

— Imperfect Fifth

“…one of the most interesting and captivating instrumental acts you’ve heard in a long time.”

— V13

“…the songs complement one another to produce an exceptionally complex work which encompasses a plurality of influences in a cohesive, yet experimental work.”

— Vents Magazine

“Wonderfully wrought and textured with emotional hues, The Boy Ain’t Right delivers rich acoustic tones, at once warm and lush, under exquisite control.”

— The young folks

“Lion Killer is stunningly beautiful, combining elements of traditional and modern folk together…very evocative…”

— York calling

“…a wonderment”.

— xs noize

Hunters Chorus is an instrumental band from san mateo, california.

Their recent release - The Ping Pong Ball Career Center - features a familiar roster of musicians, including: Elyse Ader on harp and viola, Ami Nashimoto on cello, Patrick Murphy on acoustic guitar and electric bass, Jason Slota on drums and percussion, Ben Boye on rhodes piano, and Ramon Fermin on lead nylon, acoustic, and electric guitars, and electric bass. Joining the band in the studio for the first time are: Brett Carson on acoustic and rhodes piano, and Tony Gennaro on additional percussion. The Ping Pong Ball Career Center was recorded by Jack Shirley at the Atomic Garden in Oakland, CA.

The single Luck is a light-hearted and energetic composition featuring the trio of: Elyse Ader on viola, Jason Slota on percussion, and Ramon Fermin on acoustic guitar and electric bass. Built on a lilting percussive acoustic guitar riff, Luck falls into an hypnotic dance groove as the guitar is joined by syncopated hand-percussion and seductive electric bass patterns. As the tune unfolds the viola takes the foreground, first in the form of playful pizzicato taunts marking the refrains, and then again as the lead voice in a tender and enchanting air that capstones the culminating stanza.

Recorded quickly and manifesting a live, unfussed spirit, The Ping Pong Ball Career Center captures Hunters Chorus in an alluringly candid and honest light. The new release is a colorful new turn for the ensemble, full of bright moments and triumphant snapshots welcoming the listener to stay awhile and revel in the play.

In July of 2021, Hunters Chorus released their second full length album The Boy Ain’t Right, a 7-song collection of evocative and imaginatively- arranged folkloric guitar compositions, tastefully enhanced by supportive ensemble playing. The musicians joining Ramon included: Elyse Ader on viola; Pat Murphy on bass; Hilary Lewis on violin; Ben Boye on piano and keyboards; and Jason Slota on drums. The recordings were from- the-floor live takes featuring intuitive ensemble interplay, and engaging studio ambience. “I wanted this album to have a soft, organic, living room feel with all the funny little imperfections that come about in the process of just throwing it together,” Ramon shares. The Boy Ain’t Right was recorded, mixed, and mastered by frequent collaborator Jack Shirley at the Atomic Garden Recording Studio in Oakland, California.

The album’s opener “Snaggletooth” exudes a sweet longing for home, and features Ramon’s interweaving melodies and dynamic textural changes enhanced by stately viola and violin flourishes. “When I was writing this, I was spending a lot of time traveling around from city to city and felt like I was constantly hustling through airports, train stations, hotels, and venues, and living out of a suitcase,” notes Ramon. “The feelings I was trying to draw upon were those of the comfort, quiet, and simple serenity of home life.”

“The Deal” is a pensive acoustic track with an emotional quality that’s somewhere between sweet and sorrowful. It patiently unfolds with stirring string flourishes and anthemic climaxes.

“Warpaint,” oozes mystique with its atmospheric musicality and Latin groove flourishes. The song features masterful piano, guitar, viola, and violin interplay, and fiery drumming in its outro climax. “Warpaint” also showcases some intimate and imaginative production touches, including an intriguing musical choice under a beautiful interlace of violin and viola.

On the single, “Lion Killer,” Ramon puts his electric guitar in the foreground, exploring its range like a shamanistic tone poet. “When this one was coming together, I was having a lot of thoughts about the concept of softness overcoming hardness, and the paradoxical nature of winning at the cost of losing everything,” he says. The song’s potent dynamics and ebb and flow lend it a symphonic feel, whisking the listener away on a winding sonic adventure.

The ethereal, “Cottage Grove,” features meditative chiming guitar melodies and slow harmonic shifts. The song’s overall contour is enhanced by delicate group interplay to bring out its subtle emotional shifts. The song is a snapshot of Ramon’s childhood, and it’s named after a street in his hometown. This composition is filled with nostalgia for a past life with all its warmth and painful complications.

The final track, “Sage,” cycles through emotional climaxes and gentle musical passages that manifest mournful acceptance.

In 2018, Ramon issued Hunters Chorus’ debut album, Old Growler. This was followed up in 2020 with the release of their single, Arrows Over Broadway. 2021 was an active year for Hunters Chorus, seeing the release of The Boy Ain’t Right, as well as two live performance videos - Hunters Chorus Valentine’s Day Show 2021 and Live at the Atomic Garden - the latter of which was also released as an E.P.