Hunter Oliveri Channels 90’s Grunge & Alt Rock Heroes Chris Cornell, Kurt Cobain & Billy Corgan

Hunter Oliveri Channels 90’s Grunge & Alt Rock Heroes Chris Cornell, Kurt Cobain & Billy Corgan // “Dumb” Single + Music Video Out Now!

Hunter Oliveri doesn’t profess to having it all figured out and is still making sense of himself — who he is, what he stands for, where his life is going. He’s just a remarkable rock talent from the unremarkable city of Paso Robles, California.

Recently, Spinefarm Records announced that Hunter signed to the label’s international roster. They also shared the video for his latest single “Dumb.” The clip instantly transports the viewer to a gloriously misspent youth, simply in search of the next feel good moment. It also offers keen insight into Oliveri’s sound and songwriting.

Aged 17, Oliveri’s music channels the alternative and grunge blueprint of his musical heroes Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins, imbued with the playful lyrical opaqueness of Nirvana and the easy slacker hooks of Weezer. Hunter grew up in a household surrounded by music (his dad was a fan of ‘90s rock and nu metal, while his grandpa showed him music from the ‘60s and ‘70s) and he first picked up the guitar when he was four. He has a distinct memory of hearing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” played around the house as a kid. His dad says he met his mom at Woodstock ‘99, while his mom has a video of him performing a Metallica song at his kindergarten graduation.

There’s an unquestionable realness about the way he makes sense of life through his music. But he exhibits a surety of mind beyond his years, to create music that connects and inspires, and that will stoke the growing fire of rock’s recent renaissance. He’s been writing songs “every day” since he was 13 and got his ‘break’ when he and his grandpa met a local producer’s father in a coffee shop. His journey is relatable, attainable, and proof that you can “manifest” your dreams in life.

Oliveri’s music speaks to the messiness of growing up. It sounds exactly like that, too. He simply writes what he knows. He has songs about partying too hard and songs about loving too much; songs about last night’s headrush highs and the morning-after’s anxious comedown. There are songs for when you seek the comfort of relatability, and there are songs for when you want to simply say “fuck it all.“

Hunter Oliveri on Instagram