Doomed Confessionary: Hunter, Pogs & Steve (Dead Runes)
Photos by @pattypowersphotography
Dead Runes is a stoner rock trio hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of Hunter East on guitar and vocals, Pogs on bass and Steve Janson on drums.
Dead Runes grew from a small recording project in 2016, when three demo tunes were tracked in a rehearsal space. The recording was shelved for years while members were involved with other projects, but »The Siren« EP breathed new life in 2022 with a quiet release and a run of shows. Over the next year, focus sharpened, and the band played local venues throughout the Southeast and wrote and recorded the first full-length »Raidho«, out on February 7th, 2024.
Proud Nashville natives, Dead Runes proves there’s more than just country in Music City.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a stoner rock band from Nashville, TN (USA). We write head-bangable, dynamic, fuzz-drenched rock’n’roll, and mix the frantic anxiety of Mastodon with the chill, majestic vibes of The Sword.
What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
We spent last year writing and recording our new record, and fine-tuning our live show. The biggest challenge, as always, is time. We’re regular dudes with regular jobs, and spend time on music because we love it.
What can you be most proud of last year?
We’re most proud of the fact that we now have a record ready to be released. We love these songs, and are very excited to share them. But we’ve also been privileged to work with a lot of amazing people and bands this year, and the community we’ve built is a very close second.
What was your biggest regret?
No regrets. We’re goin 1,000 miles an hour… ain’t nobody got time for regrets.
What was the best concert/tour last year and why?
We put on a “420” party on 20 April in our hometown of Nashville. It was a blast.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
We’d say the biggest surprise was just how open people seem to be to heavy music. We come from a music industry city… there are lots of beautiful people writing and performing reasonably-volumed, radio-friendly music for the masses and “playing the game”. We show up with giant amps and t-shirts and play shamelessly loud music… headbanging and moshing and smoking in the parking lot… and most people are surprisingly welcoming to that. Outside of Nashville, we’ve found an amazing community of like-minded folks who are willing to give our music a shot. The feedback so far has been astounding. Stoner Rock people are the best.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We will be playing throughout the Southeastern US this year. Keep up with us on Instagram.
What are your plans for this year as a band? What do you personally want the most?
We’re finally getting our shit together. We’ve droped this record in February and are going to hit the road. We’ve got tunes that didn’t make the record, so we’ll continue to crank out new music. And what we want the most this coming year… to jump across the pond and play Rocklette in Val de Bagnes!
How can people best support your band?
Check us out on Bandcamp, Instagram, and Spotify. Or any of the streaming services… If you dig it, share our tunes with everyone you know!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
We come with hazy riffs, tales of other worlds, and journeys to the void… turn it up and headbang with us!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well