After a decade of touring and four full-length albums, The Hunna have finally had the chance to slow down enough to take a breath. In that space, the Watford trio – made up of Ryan Potter, Jack Metcalfe and Daniel Dorney – have gained a fresh sense of independence and pride, now captured in their first-ever EP. blue transitions, a self-produced and ‘emotionally mature’ collection of songs touching on the theme of transformation, and made free from label deadlines, marks a reset that unintentionally mirrors the band’s own evolution. I spoke to frontman Ryan Potter about how producing their latest release builds on everything they’ve learnt over the years.
“When we first started putting it together we started seeing blue everywhere,” Ryan says looking down at his T-shirt when I ask if wearing the colour was intentional. “From the beginning of the year I’ve just been in a really blue stage [and] obviously there’s different shades of blue throught the EP.”
It’s through these many shades of blue – light and dark – that the EP explores the messy, beautiful process of change. And while it centres on a romantic relationship its themes confront how changing, in any relationship, can just as easily strain it as it can strengthen it. “Everything’s always changing day by day,” Ryan explains. “You’re never the same person for whatever reason. You’re always growing and transforming, even if most of the time we don’t realise it.”
This idea that change is natural but has the potential to ruin our relationships makes it even more melancholy. Yet, despite “it being tough, and sad, and emotional,” Ryan adds, “underneath and throughout all that, there’s an air of respect and gratitude for all of it.”
Musically, the EP dips back into their early indie roots, drawing inspiration from bands like Bombay Bicycle Club and The Stone Roses. Its opener ‘Hide-and-Seek’, described by Ryan as “everything The Hunna has been and is” keeps the band’s signature edge while heavily drawing on those earlier influences.
This is followed by ‘Bloom’ exploring a raw, unpolished side of a relationship which is a particular favourite for Ryan. Not only as their first fully stripped-back song in their ten-year career, but also for its place in the episodic video series he said was ‘perfectly’ shot by Will Macaulay over in New York.
Overall, the songs draw from the band’s own lives but never fixate on a single story, allowing the EP to feel personal without being too prescriptive, something that could be down to the organic nature in which it came together. “We started getting a set of songs that had the same feeling around them, and emotiveness,” Ryan says. “[Then] It kind of started to form itself a bit.” Tihs was helped by returning back to their roots.
After years of working with outside producers – which has helped them learn a lot – the band wanted to take a step back and take the opportunity to write more freely. “We’ve learned a lot about what works for us and what makes us happiest in our work,” Ryan says. “It was nice to take that back, get in a room with just us three, and just let things flow — which is exactly how it started.”
Stepping away from label’s relentless deadlines the three of them finally had time to write in the way they wanted. “We’ve learned a lot, and we’ve grown, and we’re older from when we first started,” Ryan reflects. “I’m reluctant to say wiser… but maybe a little bit, you know? I think it’s a set of songs that are a bit more emotionally mature from where we started.”
That same maturity extends beyond the songwriting as blue transitions is the band’s first self-produced record, an experience they have described as both challenging and liberating. Despite moments of self-doubt and what Ryan calls “a bit of imposter syndrome,” they embraced the challenge. “It was fun to open up that aspect of ourselves and learn even more in the process — seeing if we made any mistakes or forgot anything,” he adds.
Alongside proving they can rely on themselves to produce work to a high standard, which Ryan describes as “important” taking complete creative control has given them space to think ahead to what a full-length self-produced album might look like, but jokes Ryan, “obviously a whole album would be a lot more work.”
Now self-managing and working with a close-knit team, the band have found balance and control in how they operate — and it feels like they might be at their most comfortable and confident yet. Having just wrapped up their tour supporting Palaye Royale earlier this month, the band will hit the road from November 19th for their own blue transitions tour.
blue transistions by The Hunna is out now