Photographed by Roberto Johnson
Introduction…
Rather than identify with a single instrument, Maxton Hunter's creative weapon of choice is the studio itself.
Growing up on the secluded Rancho Dos Pueblos just north of Goleta, California, the imagination ran free with no limitations, ultimately leading him to music. Dressed to the nines while doing his best Angus Young impersonation, a 9-year-old Hunter self-hosted weekly concerts in his family’s living room.
After getting introduced to classic ‘60s records just 2 years later– most memorably The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and The Who Sings My Generation – the idea of writing originals immediately piqued his interest.
Collaborations
Outside of the studio, you’ll find Hunter behind his loyal ‘67 Ludwig performing with retro outfit The Caverns, neo-soul quartet East Valley Road, power pop artist Evan Blix (of Glenn Annie) as well as the western-infused blues trio Bandit Royale.
Past notable collaborations include playing sitar for Ryan Pollie’s ambient ensemble Academy of Light, co-founding the experimental psych-rock duo The Shorelines, contributing guitar loops for In The Mix Studios’ sample pack Awaken, producing Lucy Branch’s debut EP and recording drums for artists such as Al Bert, Cecilia James, Swaye and Third Ward.
Photographed by Luke Smillie
Photographed by Roberto Johnson
West Meets East
A long-time infatuation with Eastern ragas eventually led him to studying under sitar maestro Rajib Karmakar and even working as a stagehand for Festival of Tabla last summer.
In light of 2 years of properly immersing himself in Indian classical music, Hunter will debut his sitar compositions “Dhara / Jaya” and their connected music videos later this spring. Directed and filmed entirely in Super 8 by long-time collaborator Roberto Johnson.
Co-produced and engineered by Ryan Pollie, then freshly mixed and mastered for the first-time in Dolby Atmos by ParSonics Studio’s house engineer Noah Bruskin.
Photographed by Roberto Johnson
Artist Advocacy
Between 2021 and 2023, Hunter worked for Ari Herstand’s music business education and artist advocacy company Ari’s Take where he most notably co-produced 60+ episodes of the Webby Award-winning New Music Business Podcast. In 2022, it was even featured on both Spotify and Variety’s list of the best music industry podcasts.
Within operations, he administered for Ari’s Take Academy, helped expand the company’s sync licensing program and shepherded marketing efforts for the #1 bestseller How to Make It in the New Music Business (Third Edition). For the Ari's Take x Labelcoin SXSW showcase, he was also a stagehand and drum tech for acts such as Zella Day, Victoria Canal and Annabel Lee.
Eye In The Sky
By fall of 2023, Hunter was then recruited by ParSonics Studio where he now oversees branding, social media, and the official Alan Parsons archive.