"Head Hunter" | ||||
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Single by Dance Gavin Dance | ||||
B-side | "Blood Wolf" | |||
Released | March 22, 2019 | |||
Recorded | January 2019 | |||
Studio | Interlace Recording, Portland, Oregon | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:54 | |||
Label | Rise | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Kris Crummett [1] | |||
Dance Gavin Dance singles chronology | ||||
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"Head Hunter" is a song performed by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. It was released as a single for digital download and streaming on March 22, 2019, through Rise Records. It serves as a stand-alone single and will not be featured on the group's recent ninth studio album, and is the first piece of new music since the band's eighth studio album, Artificial Selection (2018). It was written by the band's vocalists Tilian Pearson and Jon Mess, with the music composed by the band with additional guitar and vocals from Eidola guitarist Andrew Wells.
Dance Gavin Dance released their eighth studio album, Artificial Selection , on June 8, 2018, on Rise Records. [2] In support of the album, the band toured on The Artificial Selection Tour, as well as touring as support on American post-hardcore band Underoath's headlining North American tours in 2018. [3] [4] [5]
On January 22, 2019, Dance Gavin Dance's lead guitarist Will Swan revealed on Twitter that he was recording new material in Portland, Oregon, at Kris Crummett's recording studio Interlace Audio. [6] On the same day, vocalist Tilian Pearson replied to Swan's tweet stating "Be there in a couple days!" [7]
It was produced, mixed, and mastered by Crummett with audio engineering handled by Ricky Orozco and assistance from GiGi Zimmer. [1] The band's touring guitarist Andrew Wells performed rhythm guitar and backing vocals on the track, with additional backing vocals from Will Swan. [1]
In support of "Head Hunter", the track was performed at the group's first annual headlining festival, SwanFest, and on the remainder of their Artificial Selection Tour, from March to May 2019. A music video premiered on the same day of the single's release. The band's label Rise Records released 7 inch LP vinyl and t-shirt bundles on their website. [8]
The music video for "Head Hunter" premiered on the same day of the single's digital download release, on March 22, 2019. [9] According to Alternative Press, "[..] the video shows an intense shootout that takes an unexpected turn. Make sure to watch through to the end, but we can give you one hint — let them eat cake." The video features multiple easter eggs and references from the group's previously released music and videos, including references from the music video for "Inspire the Liars" and a lyric from their 2008 song "Rock Solid".
The music video garnered 408,000 views within its first week.
The single's cover art was illustrated by Mattias Adolfsson who has illustrated all of the group's studio albums since their 2007 debut studio album Downtown Battle Mountain . [10] Replying to a fan on Facebook, speaking about the single art, Adolfsson confirmed that the illustration was not the full art and that the second half will be for the band's follow-up single. [10] The follow-up single, "Blood Wolf", was released with the other half of the artwork on October 11, 2019. [11]
Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. It consists of vocalist Jon Mess, lead guitarist Will Swan, clean vocalist and rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. The band formerly included lead vocalists Jonny Craig, Kurt Travis, and Tilian Pearson, and the lineup has changed numerous times since their inception. Swan and Mingus are the only band members who have appeared on every studio album.
Dance Gavin Dance is the second studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on August 19, 2008, on Rise Records. The album is a follow-up to the band's full-length debut studio album, Downtown Battle Mountain (2007), and is their first studio release to feature clean vocalist Kurt Travis and rhythm guitarist Zachary Garren, who replaced Jonny Craig and Sean O'Sullivan, respectively, in 2007. The album was produced, mixed, and mastered by Kris Crummett and recorded in Portland, Oregon. Following its release, the album peaked at number 172 on the Billboard 200 and 26 on the Top Independent Albums chart.
Happiness is the third studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on June 9, 2009, on Rise Records. It is the band's second consecutive, and final, studio album to feature Kurt Travis on clean vocals and Zachary Garren on guitar, and is their only studio album to not feature screaming vocalist Jon Mess, who left the group in 2008 before returning in 2010. It is also the band's only studio album to feature bass guitarist Jason Ellis and is their only release to feature screaming vocals from lead guitarist Will Swan. The album serves as a follow-up to the group's sophomore studio album, Dance Gavin Dance (2008) and was produced by Kris Crummett, who recorded the album with the band in Portland, Oregon at Interlace Audio Recording Studio in February 2009. Following its release, the album peaked at No. 145 on the Billboard 200 and No. 30 on the Top Independent Albums chart.
Kurt Travis is an American singer, musician, and songwriter from Sacramento, California. He is currently part of the post-hardcore bands Royal Coda and Push Over and the math rock duo Gold Necklace and was formerly a vocalist in the rock bands Dance Gavin Dance and A Lot Like Birds.
Acceptance Speech is the fifth studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on October 8, 2013, on Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up to the band's fourth studio album, Downtown Battle Mountain II (2011), and is the band's first studio album to feature clean vocalist Tilian Pearson, bass guitarist Tim Feerick, and guitarist Josh Benton. It is the band's only studio album to feature Benton on rhythm guitar, who departed shortly after the album's release. The album was produced by Matt Malpass, which marks the band's first and only studio album to not be produced by Kris Crummett, who has produced all of the band's previous releases since Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean (2006).
Tilian Pearson, also known mononymously as Tilian, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer born in Clearwater, Florida. From 2012 to 2024, he was the third clean vocalist for the post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance. Pearson began his music career as the lead vocalist and guitarist in the progressive rock band Tides of Man, releasing an extended play and two studio albums before leaving in 2010.
William Swan is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance and as the founder and owner of record label Blue Swan Records. He is also a guitarist in the metal band Secret Band, progressive rock band Royal Coda, and was a guitarist in the now defunct Sianvar.
Sianvar was an American progressive rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2013. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Donovan Melero, guitarists Will Swan and Sergio Medina, and drummer Joseph Arrington. The band is signed to Swan's independent record label Blue Swan Records. They released their debut self-titled EP on January 5, 2014 and their debut full-length studio album, Stay Lost, in August 2016. The band announced an indefinite hiatus on April 8, 2019.
Mothership is the seventh studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on October 7, 2016, on Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up the group's sixth studio album, Instant Gratification (2015), and is their second consecutive studio release with the same consistent line-up. The album was produced by Kris Crummett. Upon its release, the album sold over 19,000 copies within its first week in retail, debuting at No. 13 on the Billboard 200.
Artificial Selection is the eighth studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on June 8, 2018, on Rise Records. It is the follow-up to the band's seventh studio album, Mothership (2016) and is their third consecutive studio release with the same line-up. The album was produced by Kris Crummett, Erik Ron, and Dryw Owens, and was self-produced by Dance Gavin Dance, making it the first release by the band to feature more than one producer.
Royal Coda is an American rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Kurt Travis, guitarists Sergio Medina and Will Swan, bass guitarist Steffen Gotsch, and drummer Joel Turcotte.
The Skeptic is the third solo studio album by American singer-songwriter and former Dance Gavin Dance vocalist Tilian Pearson, released on September 28, 2018, through Future Friends and Rise Records. The album is a follow-up to his second studio album, Perfect Enemy (2015), and is his first solo release on Rise since departing with Vital Records. The album was produced by Kris Crummett, who performed drums and percussion on the record, while Pearson performed guitar, keyboards, and bass guitar.
Compassion is the second full-length studio album by American post-hardcore band Royal Coda. It was released on November 7, 2019, on Blue Swan Records, and serves as a follow-up to their self-titled debut studio album. It is the band's first album to feature guitarist Will Swan and was produced by Kris Crummett.
Where the Mind Wants to Go / Where You Let It Go is the third wide-release album from American rock band I the Mighty, released on October 20, 2017 through Equal Vision Records.
"Blood Wolf" is a song performed by the American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. It was released as a single for digital download and streaming on October 11, 2019, by Rise Records. It is a b-side to the band's 2019 single "Head Hunter". It was produced by Kris Crummett. Following its release, it charted at number 24 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, the group's first career charting single.
Afterburner is the ninth full-length studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. Released on April 24, 2020, on Rise Records, the album serves as a follow-up to the group's eighth studio album, Artificial Selection (2018). Recording sessions for the album took place over a three-month period between August and October 2019 with producer Kris Crummett at Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon, while the vocals were recorded with producer Drew Fulk in Los Angeles, California. The album is considered a musical progression for the band, as the group experimented with funk, Latin, rap, and metalcore which accompanied their post-hardcore and experimental rock styles. It is the group's final studio album to be released during bass guitarist Tim Feerick's lifetime before his death in April 2022.
"Prisoner" is a song by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. It was released to digital download and streaming services as the lead single from their ninth studio album, Afterburner, on February 21, 2020, by Rise Records. The song features an uncredited guest appearance from Royal Coda and Eidola guitarist Sergio Medina.
Factory Reset is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician Tilian Pearson, released on April 23, 2021, through Future Friends and Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up to his third studio album, The Skeptic (2018). Similar to The Skeptic, the album was produced by Kris Crummett, who also performed drums, while Tilian performed guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, and handled additional production. It was writhen and recorded at the musician's home recording studio in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic, while engineering was handled at Crummett's Interlace Audio Studio in Portland, Oregon. The album shares the same pop rock and electro-pop musical styles from its predecessor while including elements of progressive rock, electronic rock, trap, and dancehall.
"Synergy" is a song by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. It was released as the lead single from their tenth studio album, Jackpot Juicer, to digital and streaming platforms on March 24, 2022, on Rise Records. It was written by the band with additional guitar parts from Louie Baltazar of American post-hardcore band Wolf & Bear and features guest vocals from Rob Damiani of English rock band Don Broco. It is the band's first release to feature Andrew Wells of American post-hardcore band Eidola as an official member since joining as a touring guitarist in 2015 and is their final song to be released before Tim Feerick's death.
Jackpot Juicer is the tenth full-length studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on July 29, 2022, on Rise Records. It serves as the follow-up to their ninth studio album, Afterburner (2020). Produced by Kris Crummett, the album was recorded at Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon, between April and July 2021 and is the band's longest album to date consisting of eighteen tracks and a runtime of one hour and three minutes. It is the band's first studio album to be credited as a sextet since Acceptance Speech (2013) as well as their first to feature Andrew Wells as an official member since joining as a touring guitarist in 2015. It is also their final release to feature bassist Tim Feerick, who died on April 13, 2022, and vocalist Tilian Pearson, who left the band in April 2024.