Bug Hunter (band)

Bug Hunter
Lead singer Cody Hunter playing in Manchester, in 2024
Background information
Origin	Seattle, Washington
Genres	Alternative rock Pop rock alternative
Years active	2015–present
Members	Cody Hunter Jesse Gallaway Kyle Hodgkinson
Past members	Moe Hussein Marcus Alcantara
Website	bughunterbug.com

Bug Hunter is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2015 by lead vocalist and guitarist Cody 'Bug' Hunter. It began as a solo project by Hunter and later formed as a full band, with members consisting of Hunter, Moe Hussein, Marcus Alcantara, Jesse Gallaway, and Kyle Hodgkinson.

History

In the spring of 2012, Cody Hunter began writing songs as a college student while taking music classes.[1] Hunter later accumulated 70 written songs and began performing at open mics in Seattle, Washington in 2014.[2] While working a full-time job, Hunter recorded some of these songs in his home's closet,[3] and independently released Surge of Confidence under the name Bug on November 20, 2015.[1] Hunter later recruited guitarist Moe Hussein, drummer Marcus Alcantara, and bassist Jesse Gallaway, renaming the band Bug Hunter and releasing their debut studio album Torn Between a Couple on March 20, 2017.[2]

On July 17, 2017, Bug Hunter released the single "Dear McCracken", which received attention on streaming platforms and became the band's first song to amass over a million streams on Spotify. This led to the band starting a Kickstarter campaign to fund their second studio album The Rough Draft, which would contain the single.[4] It reached 103% of its $4,500 goal and was later released on November 20, 2018.[5] The band then released the single "Take It Back" on September 20, 2019,[6] appearing on their third studio album Bigger Than Myself alongside later singles "Pebbles" and "Pinecones". Bug Hunter once again used Kickstarter to fund it, receiving 154% of a $10,000 goal and releasing the album on August 20, 2020.[4] The band's lineup changed during this time, with Gallaway filling Hussein's position as guitarist and Kyle Hodgkinson joining the band to replace Alcantara as a drummer.[7]

Bug Hunter released "2 Bed, 2 Bath (and a Ghost)", the lead single off Happiness (Without a Catch), on April 29, 2022. The album's corresponding Kickstarter campaign achieved 221% of its goal, funding the album with $33,200.[4] Two more singles were released in 2023 in promotion of it: "Shocking Plot Twist" and "Platonic Best Friend". Their fourth studio album was released on September 8, 2023.[8] Hunter has additionally co-hosted several seasons of the podcast Jam Mechanics with The Narcissist Cookbook.[9]

Discography

Studio albums Title Album details Torn Between a Couple Released: March 20, 2017 Format: Digital download, CD, vinyl The Rough Draft Released: November 20, 2018 Format: Digital download, CD, vinyl Bigger Than Myself Released: August 20, 2020 Format: Digital download, CD, vinyl Happiness (Without a Catch) Released: September 8, 2023 Format: Digital download, CD, vinyl

Singles Title Year Album "Dear McCracken" 2017 The Rough Draft "Take It Back" 2019 Bigger Than Myself "Making Up Words" (Acoustic) 2020 Non-album singles[a] "The Key To Being Lonely" (Acoustic) "Pebbles" Bigger Than Myself "Pinecones" "2 Bed, 2 Bath (and a Ghost)" 2022 Happiness (Without a Catch) "Shocking Plot Twist" 2023 "Platonic Best Friend" "Disc Golf" 2024 Non-album single Acoustic performances of songs previously featured on Torn Between a Couple.

References

1. "Surge of Confidence | Bug Hunter". Bandcamp. November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
2. Stowe, Jesse; La Torre, Michael (November 19, 2018). "Advance Review and Artist Spotlight - Bug Hunter". Alt Revue. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
3. Dhavvan, Elijah (July 27, 2019). "Bug Hunter and The Narcissist Cookbook". Central Virginian. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
4. Montgomery, Teresa (July 10, 2023). "Bug Hunter: Some of My Best Friends Are People". The Arts STL. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
5. Ray, Dan (November 27, 2018). "If you want to feel like someone understands, listen to Bug Hunter's The Rough Draft". DAN'S TUNES. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
6. Bryant, Kassandra (October 21, 2019). "Bug Hunter addresses suicide with new single "Take It Back"". DAN'S TUNES. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
7. Florida Courier (September 10, 2024). "Florida Courier Events - Bug Hunter and The Narcissist Cookbook". Florida Courier. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
8. Montgomery, Teresa (September 13, 2023). "Bug Hunter | Happiness (Without a Catch) (self-released)". The Arts STL. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
9. Jones, Dawn (February 4, 2024). "The Narcissist Cookbook Interview: Matt Johnston Takes Listeners Behind The Music". V13 Media. Retrieved March 23, 2024.