Interview
Interview
The HU: “Feeling is something we can all understand”
Mongolian metal sensations The HU talk new music and cultivating connections that go beyond language ahead of the band’s upcoming UK headline tour
The HU have always existed in a space between worlds.
Fusing traditional Mongolian instrumentation, throat singing and ancient cultural storytelling with the towering force of modern heavy music, they’re a band whose identity feels both deeply rooted and forward-thinking.
Driven by feeling and connection, the Mongolian trailblazers have carved out a unique path over the last few years. From becoming the first rock band to receive UNESCO’s Artist for Peace designation to bringing their Hunnu Rock sound to audiences across the globe, The HU have continually expanded the boundaries of their project, creating music that people can feel, regardless of language, background or where they come from.
Consistently praised for their immersive live shows, The HU’s long-awaited UK and European headline tour will kick off this September. Ahead of their return, we caught up with the band’s Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar to talk about the freedom of the Hunnu Rock genre, the emotional force behind their new music, and why human connection remains at the centre of everything they do.
It’s been a while since The HU last came through the UK and Europe. What feels different about this version of the band compared to the one people saw last time?
We are so excited to come back to the UK because, as you said, it’s been a while since we played a headline tour there. This time around, we’re looking forward to doing a full tour for our fans there. The biggest thing that will be different is that by the time the shows arrive we will have released our third album. We will have a completely different setlist and completely new production, but the immersed Mongolian vibe will still be there.
When you’re working on new music, are you often thinking about how it will translate to the live show?
We absolutely love to play live. I feel like all of the instruments that we have in our music are more impactful when we play them live. It’s there where you really get the feeling that we’re trying to capture. When we were writing the songs for this new album, we were absolutely imagining how good it was going to be to play them live. It makes us feel very hopeful.
Even though it’s been some time since your last UK headline tour, you have had the chance to play a lot of festivals across Europe. What makes those two kinds of shows different for you?
We love our headline shows because there’s a warmth there that you can’t describe. The fans and us have this synergy. We play, we give them energy, and then we take that energy back. We love that, and the festival shows still have that, but it’s different. There’s that amazing energy, but it’s happening within this sea of people that we see in front of us. It’s crazy to see.
Let’s talk about the new album, HUN. We’ve already heard a few singles, and each one shows a different side to The HU. What was the vision behind this next era?
The album was almost named “Between The Heaven And Earth”. The logic behind that was that we were going to show you two sides of the band, the original one that you already love, and something new. There are songs like ‘Warrior Chant’ and ‘The Men’ that show a sound that people are familiar with, sticking to the characteristics that we are known for. At the same time though, we can do anything that we want within the Hunnu Rock genre. Our music is a fusion between the West and the East, and that’s why we can add in those Western elements you hear on songs like ‘The Real You’. We are trying to show our fans that there are no limits to this genre, and we can expand it however we like. When the album comes out, you’ll see that there are plenty of different types of songs that we have tested out.
As an artist, does it feel like there are few limits on where a project like this can go?
There are no limits, but our band does have a certain way of playing our music. We have a particular frame and style, but in terms of subject, there’s nothing that we can’t sing about. We just want to make good music that’s reachable and understandable for everyone. Because we’re singing in Mongolian, we usually focus on the feeling that we’re trying to capture. There’s always a story that we want to tell people. In terms of subject matter and instrumental elements though, it’s always beyond any boundaries. We’re fascinated by that, but we try to just focus on delivering good music to everyone.
A large number of people who listen to your music won’t be able to understand the lyrics. How do you ensure that you’re still able to move people emotionally despite that language barrier?
We don’t necessarily start with the music, often we just get inspired by the feeling that we get. The aim is to capture that feeling so that people can understand it through the music. Sometimes, the lyrics come naturally from that, or sometimes we think about certain parts of society that we see and write about those. We think deeply about those things, we talk to each other, and we work out how to turn those thoughts into good lyrics. It doesn’t necessarily always start with the music; it can go both ways. Feeling is something we can all understand.
The HU are the first rock band to receive UNESCO’s Artist for Peace designation. Does that change the way you think about your role and responsibility as a musician?
I’ve played the horsehead fiddle for a long time, and UNESCO have recognised the bigger picture that we seek out. As a band, we each have our own history of playing our instruments, but we were united to create good music. We want to present our culture to the world. We use ancient instruments, from the percussion to the wind instruments. Everything you hear in our music has a deep impact because it’s an ancient form of music, an intangible cultural artefact. We are designated as a UNESCO ambassador because what we do overlaps on so many levels, because of the way we represent our culture to the world. We encourage other artists to use these ancient instruments in modern rock pieces so that they do not go away. It’s a part of human history, and we hope that people feel inspired to infuse those instruments back into modern music. We want to pave the way for the younger generation to love our culture, and we’ll be doing that for many more years.
For the fans coming to these upcoming shows, what feeling do you most want them to walk away with?
We want them to feel strength and love in their heart. Times are really hard right now, but in that moment we want people to feel one with each other. We want them to feel connected, and we want them to feel encouraged to do the right thing. I think that everyone has their own unique world inside of them, and we want our shows to give them whatever form of strength they each need. For us, it’s always about sending love through our music.
New album HUN is out 24 July on Better Noise. Pre-order and pre-save here
