From Christchurch, New Zealand hails rockers Adam Hattaway & The Haunters, swaggering through with a rough & rowdy approach to classic country rock infused with plenty of blues and soul. Today they release highly anticipated fourth studio album, Rooster, their most ambitious yet. The recent single release, “Keep Walking,” tells a tale of longing through raw, emotive vocals, engulfed by classic Americana riffs. Americana Highways praised the band for having “a keen ability to build up to a climax, and the kind of flinty harmonies that creep around your spine and give you the good chills.”
On lead single “Riding The River,” The Haunters showcase their flair for straight-forward rock n’ roll infused with soul, employing backing vocals that echo the fullness of a baptist church choir. Twangy guitars and a boot-tapping rhythm carry the track, with background sounds of tambourine, cowbell and a fiddle. Another standout single was “Waiting For The Chill,” a melancholic ballad that grabs your attention with raw, emotional vocals full of soulful improvs laced between bluesy guitars.
Produced by Adam Hattaway and Elmore Jones, “Rooster” was recorded in just 4 intense days during February of this year. The 22 song double LP was entirely recorded to a 4-track tape in true 60’s form, capturing and highlighting the DIY nature of the music. In their high-energy live performances, the band loves to flex the opportunity to stretch out and improvise, especially with the vocals as seen in the live performance video for “Keep Walking.” Adam was excited to bring that spontaneity to the recording studio, which can be heard on the gritty master recordings.
”I like making rock and roll records. This is an album where we did exactly what we wanted to do. With no producer at the helm, we were completely uninhibited in the studio this time round, for better or worse.” – AH
Notably, the album cover was drawn over 60 years ago by Adam’s great great uncle Rolfe, someone he’d never met or even heard of until several years prior. His story is a sad one – Rolfe spent most of his adult life in mental hospitals and due to the harsh way his condition was dealt with by family and “medical professionals”, he was basically removed from family history until recent times. His work has been posthumously celebrated in New Zealand art galleries and this particular drawing the band thought really fit with the vibe of the record. Adam and the Haunters are glad to be able to contribute in a small way to keep his memory alive, also using pieces from his collection across the single covers.
Listen to “Rooster,” the double LP is out now via independent distribution.
