With Download Festival just days away, we caught up with one of the most interesting acts on the bill.
It only takes a few seconds of listening to The HU to realise that they aren’t your typical heavy rock band. The Mongolian quartet’s melding of traditional throat singing and instrumentation – the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar) and Tumur Khuur (jaw harp) – with thumping, traditionally “Western” drums and rhythms creates a sound that is somewhat alien on the current hard-rock musical landscape.
Their video clips only further their other-worldly mystique. Shot on Mongolia’s rolling plains, mountainous regions and rivers, we immediately get a taste of the country’s vastness and the human connection to the natural world – repeated themes in the band’s lyrics, which are often subtitled at the bottom of the videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc
Perhaps surprisingly, the global appetite for the group, whose debut album The Gereg was released in 2019, is growing. They’ve been booked on festivals around the world and sold out headline concerts all over Europe in recent months. It’s pretty impressive from an act made of university music graduates who sing in a dialect that is globally spoken by only 5.2 million people.
We sent the band some questions, which they translated and answered collectively, below. Check it out and head here to get yourself a ticket to Download Festival:
How popular is throat singing in Mongolia? Did you learn it whilst at uni studying music?
Throat singing has been a Mongol technique for generations. Our grandfathers, fathers, mentors always did it. We genuinely respected that it came from our ancestors and wanted to respect and honor them while attempting to master the technique. We practiced this style for years since we were kids to be able to control it, apply it and now we’re infusing it into our songs because it feels natural to us. It’s who we are, it’s what we know, it’s where we come from. It comes from an honest human place that we’re proud of and comfortable with.
‘The Gereg’ goes back to the Mongol empire, can you explain what it means to you and why you chose it as an album title?
The Gereg is the first diplomatic passport introduced to the world by our ancestors. In the 13th century a person who had the Gereg could travel many countries without any harm and restrictions. We named our album The Gereg so that we can travel to every country in the world freely and share our music with everyone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xZUr0BEfE
The HU use a mixture of traditional Mongolian instruments and modern rock instruments. Who were your heavy metal influences? Who are the traditional musicians you like?
We have all sorts of inspirations and influences including Mongolian traditional music, Classic music, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Slipknot, Rammstein, Tool, Lamb of God and etc.
We call our style The Hunnu Rock which is a blend of Mongolian traditional music and contemporary Rock music. Eastern meets western and the past meets present. The genre is very dynamic, it can be metal, classic rock, and essentially there’s borders. The most unique thing about the style is the Mongolian throat singing, which is an amazing sound that humans make which creates the upper and lower harmony together. We are the only band to play this genre at the moment. Hopefully we are not the last band to play this genre. There’s a Mongolian folk band Altan Urag which we grew up listening to.
It’s rare for non-english singing artists to have the success you’ve had in the western market. Has your popularity in Europe and the UK surprised you?
We sing in Mongolian, but we’re not concerned about language. Our energy and our music are intended for all people who speak languages we love but don’t always share in common. We hope our songs and our message will transcend all current languages. It’s the truest form and method for us to deliver our message in the sincerest way.
Yes, it is unbelievable! After playing in so many cities in front of so many amazing crowds in Europe and the UK, we feel so much connection, love and support. Our fans chant with us, they sing with us and they mosh with us. Of course, we expected some kind of success because we worked so hard to make the album and our music videos, but the support that we’ve received has exceeded all of our expectations. We’re very honored and humbled by the reactions of the people all around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwr4SPK1_TY
Your spiritual beliefs seem to be heavily connected with your music and lyrics. Why is it important for you to mix music and religion?
The inspiration behind our music and lyrics is from our Mongolian history and culture that is rich with thousands of years of history. Some of our songs contain old Mongolian rock inscriptions and war cries. Our message to the world via our music is reminding the importance of showing gratitude to your parents, loving your homeland, protecting the nature, loving and respecting women, respecting your country history and ancestors, and finally giving individuals an inner power and belief for their future.
Who are you looking forward to seeing at Download Festival?
There are so many great bands that we want to see. We will definitely check out My Chemical Romance and In Flames.
What are you looking forward to doing in Australia outside of music?
Being from Mongolia we love outdoors. If our schedules allow us, we’d love to see some parts of the Australian beautiful landscape.
What else is coming up for The HU in 2020?
We’ll be touring a lot all around the world in 2020. After Australia we will head to Lollaploozas in Chile, Argentine, Brazil and then will come to the US for the Coachella in April. We have been working on the next album concept and ideas in the time between touring and even during the tour as well.
