Hunter Oliveri Shares "Queen of the Slum" Video

Hunter Oliveri, the 18-year-old talent who has been steadily buzzing and creating a name for himself, is closing out 2024 with the video for his new single "Queen of the Slum."

Watch it below. 

The song is a grungy, alt-pop jam paired with a truly relatable lo-fi video shot on handheld cameras by Hunter and a bunch of his friends. If you haven't been shirtless in a shopping cart and feverishly raced down the street you grew up on, have you ever even been young?

"'Queen of the Slum' is about being young in a relationship and how love feels like an unpolished but exciting time in life where we are all trying to find our place in the chaos," Oliveri says.

Oliveri previously shared the tracks "Novocain," "Stranger," "Dumb," "Spiraling Out," and "SCUM."

 Go ahead and further familiarize yourself with the artistry of Hunter Oliveri.

ABOUT HUNTER OLIVERI:
So what else do you need to know about Hunter Oliveri, whose previous single "Kids" was tipped by Pigeons + Planes? Plenty!
 
His songs channel the alternative and grunge blueprint of his musical heroes — like Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins — imbued with the playful opaqueness of Kurt Cobain's lyricism and the easy slacker hooks of Weezer.
 
Like all of Oliveri's music, it speaks to the messiness of growing up. It sounds exactly like that, too. He simply writes what he knows.
 
There are 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."
 
They are the product of the humble authenticity of someone who's grown up in a place no different to a million others the world over. Most have never heard of Paso Robles, CA, and might never again. There's sunshine, strip malls, and vineyards that outnumber venues ten to one, where the nearby underground music scene of San Luis Obispo a few miles down the road is more accessible than anything resembling the bright lights of L.A. two hours to the south or San Francisco up north. "It's a boring city, but we make the most of it," Oliveri shrugs. "We'll go skating, or hang out and smoke. And anyway, it's fun to go moshing in someone's basement."
 
It's no surprise, then, that Oliveri is used to creating more interesting scenes than those that existed outside his window. As a kid, he would do so in the stories he dreamt up in his bedroom. "I like writing stories about worlds I'd want to live in," he says, "which made my own world seem so much bigger."
 
Such creativity inevitably morphed into songwriting in his early teenage years — though music had long since embedded itself within him. "I was probably four years old when I first heard 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' around my parents’ house," he recalls of music's omnipresence in his life. "I never knew the name of the song but every time I heard it, I'd be like, shit, it's that song. It would give me this majestic feeling." He laughs that his mom holds a video recording of her son gamely plucking through a rendition of a Metallica song (it was the epic "One") at his Kindergarten graduation performance. His dad — an avid fan of Korn and Tool — meanwhile tells him that his parents met at Woodstock; not the peace-and-love of Woodstock '69, but, more aptly, the confusion-and-chaos of Woodstock '99.
 
A chance meeting at age 14 with a local producer's father while in a coffee shop with his grandpa was the first domino to fall in Oliveri's music story. The rest is a history still to be written. "I've been so incredibly lucky, but I've manifested this, too," he says. "I've always known writing music would be my life. I just had to make it happen. It was hard to find kids around my city that played instruments and wanted to be in a band, but I've been writing songs every day in my bedroom since I was maybe 13 years old. It takes me to a different place."
 
Those songs are anthems for those disassociated with the world on their doorstep, the soundtrack to growing up marooned inside a digital world that Oliveri speaks of with disdain as "rotting people’s brains."
 
"I want to bring people into my world through my music," he adds. "I want people to feel something when they listen to my music, and to relate to me, and for me to be a friend and an outlet for them."
 
And as for everything else?
 
Well, he'll figure it out as he goes.

FOLLOW HUNTER OLIVERI ON INSTAGRAM

Hunter Oliveri Shares "SCUM" — LISTEN

Hunter Oliveri, the 18-year-old talent who has been steadily buzzing and creating a name for himself, has shared the new single "SCUM."

Listen here.

"'SCUM' is about how people are sheep and do whatever they are told," Oliveri shares. "From a young age, people are brainwashed and taught they have to do certain things in life, whether it's going to college and getting a steady job, or even stereotypes people have held on them. Nobody has a mind for their own anymore and everybody just does what they are told."

The sonics match the overall rebellious vibe of the lyrics and the theme. It's a modern take on '90s alt rock, thanks to its gritty guitars and beautifully bratty vocals. 

Oliveri previously shared the tracks "Novocain." "Stranger," "Dumb," and "Spiraling Out." Go ahead and further familiarize yourself with the artistry of Hunter Oliveri.

ABOUT HUNTER OLIVERI:
So what else do you need to know about Hunter Oliveri, whose previous single "Kids" was tipped by Pigeons + Planes? Plenty!
 
His songs channel the alternative and grunge blueprint of his musical heroes — like Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins — imbued with the playful opaqueness of Kurt Cobain's lyricism and the easy slacker hooks of Weezer.
 
Like all of Oliveri's music, it speaks to the messiness of growing up. It sounds exactly like that, too. He simply writes what he knows.
 
There are 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."
 
They are the product of the humble authenticity of someone who's grown up in a place no different to a million others the world over. Most have never heard of Paso Robles, CA, and might never again. There's sunshine, strip malls, and vineyards that outnumber venues ten to one, where the nearby underground music scene of San Luis Obispo a few miles down the road is more accessible than anything resembling the bright lights of L.A. two hours to the south or San Francisco up north. "It's a boring city, but we make the most of it," Oliveri shrugs. "We'll go skating, or hang out and smoke. And anyway, it's fun to go moshing in someone's basement."
 
It's no surprise, then, that Oliveri is used to creating more interesting scenes than those that existed outside his window. As a kid, he would do so in the stories he dreamt up in his bedroom. "I like writing stories about worlds I'd want to live in," he says, "which made my own world seem so much bigger."
 
Such creativity inevitably morphed into songwriting in his early teenage years — though music had long since embedded itself within him. "I was probably four years old when I first heard 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' around my parents’ house," he recalls of music's omnipresence in his life. "I never knew the name of the song but every time I heard it, I'd be like, shit, it's that song. It would give me this majestic feeling." He laughs that his mom holds a video recording of her son gamely plucking through a rendition of a Metallica song (it was the epic "One") at his Kindergarten graduation performance. His dad — an avid fan of Korn and Tool — meanwhile tells him that his parents met at Woodstock; not the peace-and-love of Woodstock '69, but, more aptly, the confusion-and-chaos of Woodstock '99.
 
A chance meeting at age 14 with a local producer's father while in a coffee shop with his grandpa was the first domino to fall in Oliveri's music story. The rest is a history still to be written. "I've been so incredibly lucky, but I've manifested this, too," he says. "I've always known writing music would be my life. I just had to make it happen. It was hard to find kids around my city that played instruments and wanted to be in a band, but I've been writing songs every day in my bedroom since I was maybe 13 years old. It takes me to a different place."

Those songs are anthems for those disassociated with the world on their doorstep, the soundtrack to growing up marooned inside a digital world that Oliveri speaks of with disdain as "rotting people’s brains."
 
"I want to bring people into my world through my music," he adds. "I want people to feel something when they listen to my music, and to relate to me, and for me to be a friend and an outlet for them."
 
And as for everything else?
 
Well, he'll figure it out as he goes.

FOLLOW HUNTER OLIVERI ON INSTAGRAM

ABOUT SPINEFARM:
Spinefarm represents some of the biggest and most important rock acts in the world. Founded in Finland in 1990, the label established itself as an independent powerhouse for successful European metal acts from Nightwish to Children Of Bodom. Acquired by UMG in 2002, Spinefarm Music Group is now home to a host of artists that reach millions of fans across the globe and showcases the very best in rock, punk and metal. From massive metal names such as Bullet For My Valentine (with over 3 billion streams to their name) to alt-rock legends Killing Joke and genre-benders Sleep Token, Spinefarm's artists are — and always have been —true leaders in their chosen field. The roster also includes renowned names like Atreyu, Airbourne, Saint Asonia, and While She Sleeps, as well as fast-rising young artists like Dayseeker, Dead Poet Society, Kid Kapichi, BRKN LOVE, and Creeper. Spinefarm, now flanked by associated SMG labels Candlelight (Emperor, Ihsahn, Urne) and Snakefarm (Marty Stuart, Austin Meade, The White Buffalo), has grown from its independent origins into a true global rock powerhouse.

Hunter Oliveri Shares "Novocain" Video

Hunter Oliveri, the 18-year-old talent, has dropped another new track in the form of "Novocain."

It's a raunchy, grungey, and guitar-driven banger with equally evocative lyrical bite and finds Oliveri displaying some of his influences.

Watch the video below. 

The video was self-shot by Oliveri and his friends, and the fish-eye lens captures the IRL good times had by a bunch of teenaged friends throughout the day. It's gloriously low budget, but big vibes.

"'Novocain' is about how the world is going to hell and we're embracing it," Oliveri explains. "Leaning into the void. Everyone has a good nature to an extent but most people just seem soulless and numb nowadays due to the overstimulation, oversaturation, and overcommercialization of everything."

Regarding the accompanying video, Oliveri says, "I directed the 'Novocain' video with my homie Corbin. It's special to me because even though it wasn't a big budget video — the most expensive part was the Slurpees — it does capture me and my friends hanging around just like we do every day. It felt really normal and like 'us.' Our day-to-day. There was minimal prep and planning. We just did what we thought felt good in the moment."

He previously shared the new tracks "Stranger," "Dumb," and "Spiraling Out." 

ABOUT HUNTER OLIVERI:
So what else do you need to know about Hunter Oliveri, whose previous single "Kids" was tipped by Pigeons + Planes? Plenty!
 
His songs channel the alternative and grunge blueprint of his musical heroes — like Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins — imbued with the playful opaqueness of Kurt Cobain's lyricism and the easy slacker hooks of Weezer.
 
Like all of Oliveri's music, it speaks to the messiness of growing up. It sounds exactly like that, too. He simply writes what he knows.
 
There are 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."
 
They are the product of the humble authenticity of someone who's grown up in a place no different to a million others the world over. Most have never heard of Paso Robles, CA, and might never again. There's sunshine, strip malls, and vineyards that outnumber venues ten to one, where the nearby underground music scene of San Luis Obispo a few miles down the road is more accessible than anything resembling the bright lights of L.A. two hours to the south or San Francisco up north. "It's a boring city, but we make the most of it," Oliveri shrugs. "We'll go skating, or hang out and smoke. And anyway, it's fun to go moshing in someone's basement."
 
It's no surprise, then, that Oliveri is used to creating more interesting scenes than those that existed outside his window. As a kid, he would do so in the stories he dreamt up in his bedroom. "I like writing stories about worlds I'd want to live in," he says, "which made my own world seem so much bigger."

Such creativity inevitably morphed into songwriting in his early teenage years — though music had long since embedded itself within him. "I was probably four years old when I first heard 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' around my parents’ house," he recalls of music's omnipresence in his life. "I never knew the name of the song but every time I heard it, I'd be like, shit, it's that song. It would give me this majestic feeling." He laughs that his mom holds a video recording of her son gamely plucking through a rendition of a Metallica song (it was the epic "One") at his Kindergarten graduation performance. His dad — an avid fan of Korn and Tool — meanwhile tells him that his parents met at Woodstock; not the peace-and-love of Woodstock '69, but, more aptly, the confusion-and-chaos of Woodstock '99.
 
A chance meeting at age 14 with a local producer's father while in a coffee shop with his grandpa was the first domino to fall in Oliveri's music story. The rest is a history still to be written. "I've been so incredibly lucky, but I've manifested this, too," he says. "I've always known writing music would be my life. I just had to make it happen. It was hard to find kids around my city that played instruments and wanted to be in a band, but I've been writing songs every day in my bedroom since I was maybe 13 years old. It takes me to a different place."
 
Those songs are anthems for those disassociated with the world on their doorstep, the soundtrack to growing up marooned inside a digital world that Oliveri speaks of with disdain as "rotting people’s brains."
 
"I want to bring people into my world through my music," he adds. "I want people to feel something when they listen to my music, and to relate to me, and for me to be a friend and an outlet for them."
 
And as for everything else?
 
Well, he'll figure it out as he goes.

FOLLOW HUNTER OLIVERI ON INSTAGRAM

ABOUT SPINEFARM:
Spinefarm represents some of the biggest and most important rock acts in the world. Founded in Finland in 1990, the label established itself as an independent powerhouse for successful European metal acts from Nightwish to Children Of Bodom. Acquired by UMG in 2002, Spinefarm Music Group is now home to a host of artists that reach millions of fans across the globe and showcases the very best in rock, punk and metal. From massive metal names such as Bullet For My Valentine (with over 3 billion streams to their name) to alt-rock legends Killing Joke and genre-benders Sleep Token, Spinefarm's artists are — and always have been —true leaders in their chosen field. The roster also includes renowned names like Atreyu, Airbourne, Saint Asonia, and While She Sleeps, as well as fast-rising young artists like Dayseeker, Dead Poet Society, Kid Kapichi, BRKN LOVE, and Creeper. Spinefarm, now flanked by associated SMG labels Candlelight (Emperor, Ihsahn, Urne) and Snakefarm (Marty Stuart, Austin Meade, The White Buffalo), has grown from its independent origins into a true global rock powerhouse.

"Ones to Watch" + Complex Fave Hunter Oliveri Shares "Stranger" Video

Hunter Oliveri, the 18-year-old talent recently tipped by Ones to Watch and COMPLEX, has shared another new single.

Today, he drops the visually trippy video for the powerfully self-aware track "Stranger." Watch it below.

"'Stranger' is basically about being pulled from the closest people in your life without really realizing it," Oliveri says. "I thought I was in the happiest relationship of my life but slowly started to realize I was drifting away from friends and family and people who really cared about me. Friends became distant and it's almost a message to people who cared about me the most. It's like 'I've been a stranger' to those people."

Last year, Oliveri released "Dumb," his debut single for new label Spinefarm. He followed it with the video "Spiraling Out." Watch it here. 

ABOUT HUNTER OLIVERI:
So what else do you need to know about Hunter Oliveri, whose previous single "Kids" was tipped by Pigeons + Planes? Plenty!
 
His songs channel the alternative and grunge blueprint of his musical heroes — like Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins — imbued with the playful opaqueness of Kurt Cobain's lyricism and the easy slacker hooks of Weezer.
 
Like all of Oliveri's music, it speaks to the messiness of growing up. It sounds exactly like that, too. He simply writes what he knows.
 
There are 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."
 
They are the product of the humble authenticity of someone who's grown up in a place no different to a million others the world over. Most have never heard of Paso Robles, CA, and might never again. There's sunshine, strip malls, and vineyards that outnumber venues ten to one, where the nearby underground music scene of San Luis Obispo a few miles down the road is more accessible than anything resembling the bright lights of L.A. two hours to the south or San Francisco up north. "It's a boring city, but we make the most of it," Oliveri shrugs. "We'll go skating, or hang out and smoke. And anyway, it's fun to go moshing in someone's basement."
 
It's no surprise, then, that Oliveri is used to creating more interesting scenes than those that existed outside his window. As a kid, he would do so in the stories he dreamt up in his bedroom. "I like writing stories about worlds I'd want to live in," he says, "which made my own world seem so much bigger."
 
Such creativity inevitably morphed into songwriting in his early teenage years — though music had long since embedded itself within him. "I was probably four years old when I first heard 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' around my parents’ house," he recalls of music's omnipresence in his life. "I never knew the name of the song but every time I heard it, I'd be like, shit, it's that song. It would give me this majestic feeling." He laughs that his mom holds a video recording of her son gamely plucking through a rendition of a Metallica song (it was the epic "One") at his Kindergarten graduation performance. His dad — an avid fan of Korn and Tool — meanwhile tells him that his parents met at Woodstock; not the peace-and-love of Woodstock '69, but, more aptly, the confusion-and-chaos of Woodstock '99.

A chance meeting at age 14 with a local producer's father while in a coffee shop with his grandpa was the first domino to fall in Oliveri's music story. The rest is a history still to be written. "I've been so incredibly lucky, but I've manifested this, too," he says. "I've always known writing music would be my life. I just had to make it happen. It was hard to find kids around my city that played instruments and wanted to be in a band, but I've been writing songs every day in my bedroom since I was maybe 13 years old. It takes me to a different place."
 
Those songs are anthems for those disassociated with the world on their doorstep, the soundtrack to growing up marooned inside a digital world that Oliveri speaks of with disdain as "rotting people’s brains."
 
"I want to bring people into my world through my music," he adds. "I want people to feel something when they listen to my music, and to relate to me, and for me to be a friend and an outlet for them."
 
And as for everything else?
 
Well, he'll figure it out as he goes.

FOLLOW HUNTER OLIVERI ON TIK TOK

ABOUT SPINEFARM:
Spinefarm represents some of the biggest and most important rock acts in the world. Founded in Finland in 1990, the label established itself as an independent powerhouse for successful European metal acts from Nightwish to Children Of Bodom. Acquired by UMG in 2002, Spinefarm Music Group is now home to a host of artists that reach millions of fans across the globe and showcases the very best in rock, punk and metal. From massive metal names such as Bullet For My Valentine (with over 3 billion streams to their name) to alt-rock legends Killing Joke and genre-benders Sleep Token, Spinefarm's artists are — and always have been —true leaders in their chosen field. The roster also includes renowned names like Atreyu, Airbourne, Saint Asonia, and While She Sleeps, as well as fast-rising young artists like Dayseeker, Dead Poet Society, Kid Kapichi, BRKN LOVE, and Creeper. Spinefarm, now flanked by associated SMG labels Candlelight (Emperor, Ihsahn, Urne) and Snakefarm (Marty Stuart, Austin Meade, The White Buffalo), has grown from its independent origins into a true global rock powerhouse.

"Ones to Watch" Fave Hunter Oliveri Drops "Spiraling Out" Video

Hunter Oliveri, the 17-year-old talent recently tipped by Ones to Watch, has shared the video for his new single "Spiraling Out." Watch it below. 

"'Spiraling Out' is a song that carries multiple emotions, thoughts, and feelings," the artist offers. "It's about what it's like when your feelings become overwhelming or unmanageable. You start to feel a spiral of negative emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. And sometimes, it can feel like being caught in a cycle of stress, anxiety, or despair. It's like you're losing control of everything and things are getting worse. However, the song is about recognizing these emotions or feelings, and working against them or trying to fight off the negative and trying to stay positive. It reminds you that you have to look for the best in every situation to work to try and stay happy."

It's a deeply self-aware song from a teenager who is still making sense of himself — who he is, what he stands for, where his life is going. He doesn't arrive as the next ready-made rock star action figure cast in plastic. There is 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. 

Oliver released "Dumb," his debut single for new label Spinefarm, in September.

The two songs offer an introduction into the heart of an artist about to be everywhere in 2024.

ABOUT HUNTER OLIVERI:
So what else do you need to know about Hunter Oliveri, whose previous single "Kids" was tipped by Pigeons + Planes? Plenty!
 
His songs channel the alternative and grunge blueprint of his musical heroes — like Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins — imbued with the playful opaqueness of Kurt Cobain's lyricism and the easy slacker hooks of Weezer.
 
Like all of Oliveri's music, it speaks to the messiness of growing up. It sounds exactly like that, too. He simply writes what he knows.
 
There are 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."
 
They are the product of the humble authenticity of someone who's grown up in a place no different to a million others the world over. Most have never heard of Paso Robles, CA, and might never again. There's sunshine, strip malls, and vineyards that outnumber venues ten to one, where the nearby underground music scene of San Luis Obispo a few miles down the road is more accessible than anything resembling the bright lights of L.A. two hours to the south or San Francisco up north. "It's a boring city, but we make the most of it," Oliveri shrugs. "We'll go skating, or hang out and smoke. And anyway, it's fun to go moshing in someone's basement."
 
It's no surprise, then, that Oliveri is used to creating more interesting scenes than those that existed outside his window. As a kid, he would do so in the stories he dreamt up in his bedroom. "I like writing stories about worlds I'd want to live in," he says, "which made my own world seem so much bigger."
 
Such creativity inevitably morphed into songwriting in his early teenage years — though music had long since embedded itself within him. "I was probably four years old when I first heard 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' around my parents’ house," he recalls of music's omnipresence in his life. "I never knew the name of the song but every time I heard it, I'd be like, shit, it's that song. It would give me this majestic feeling." He laughs that his mom holds a video recording of her son gamely plucking through a rendition of a Metallica song (it was the epic "One") at his Kindergarten graduation performance. His dad — an avid fan of Korn and Tool — meanwhile tells him that his parents met at Woodstock; not the peace-and-love of Woodstock '69, but, more aptly, the confusion-and-chaos of Woodstock '99.
 
A chance meeting at age 14 with a local producer's father while in a coffee shop with his grandpa was the first domino to fall in Oliveri's music story. The rest is a history still to be written. "I've been so incredibly lucky, but I've manifested this, too," he says. "I've always known writing music would be my life. I just had to make it happen. It was hard to find kids around my city that played instruments and wanted to be in a band, but I've been writing songs every day in my bedroom since I was maybe 13 years old. It takes me to a different place."
 
Those songs are anthems for those disassociated with the world on their doorstep, the soundtrack to growing up marooned inside a digital world that Oliveri speaks of with disdain as "rotting people’s brains."
 
"I want to bring people into my world through my music," he adds. "I want people to feel something when they listen to my music, and to relate to me, and for me to be a friend and an outlet for them."
 
And as for everything else?
 
Well, he'll figure it out as he goes.

FOLLOW HUNTER OLIVERI ON TIK TOK

Introducing Hunter Oliveri! Singer Drops "Dumb" Video — WATCH

Hunter Oliveri doesn't profess to having it all figured out.
 
At just 17, the artist is still making sense of himself — who he is, what he stands for, where his life is going. He doesn't arrive as the next ready-made rock star action figure cast in plastic. There is 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. 
 
Spinefarm is pleased to announce that Hunter Oliveri has signed to the label's international roster. He has also shared the video for "Dumb."
 
The clip instantly transports the viewer to a gloriously misspent youth, simply in search of the next feel good moment — be it the next blunt, the next swill of beer, or the next hang session with a friend or a crew. It also offers keen insight into Oliveri's sound and songwriting, not to mention his wild coif of curls!
 
Watch it below.

"Dumb" boasts a baggy, distorted riff weaving around an earworm melody and a singalong chorus that finds Oliveri chewing over how "I made a home in the chip on my shoulder / I know I could change / but I'd rather be dumb."
 
It's a fitting look into the heart of a young and hungry artist, who is looking to hold onto and suck the marrow out of his youth and the right here, right now.
 
"My mom wants me to get a job, two jobs, everything's expensive as fuck, I have friends making more on OnlyFans than college graduates/doctors, everything's dumb," Oliveri says. "So I tried to grab the feelings I have on the daily of: What is the point of doing what my parents want me to do when shit just feels dumb as fuck?”
 
He continues, "I bet a lot of kids could relate to having people tell you to go to college, find a steady career, have a family, and be a part of this fucked up system, when in reality, I just want to be a kid my entire life, chase girls, skate, smoke, hang with my friends, and make music. I hope the song connects with anyone who just wants to forget all their problems and live life without all the bullshit. Just rather be 'Dumb.'"

So what else do you need to know about Hunter Oliveri, whose previous single "Kids" was tipped by Pigeons + Planes? Plenty!
 
His songs channel the alternative and grunge blueprint of his musical heroes — like Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins — imbued with the playful opaqueness of Kurt Cobain's lyricism and the easy slacker hooks of Weezer.
 
Like all of Oliveri's music, it speaks to the messiness of growing up. It sounds exactly like that, too. He simply writes what he knows.
 
There are 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."
 
They are the product of the humble authenticity of someone who's grown up in a place no different to a million others the world over. Most have never heard of Paso Robles, CA, and might never again. There's sunshine, strip malls, and vineyards that outnumber venues ten to one, where the nearby underground music scene of San Luis Obispo a few miles down the road is more accessible than anything resembling the bright lights of L.A. two hours to the south or San Francisco up north. "It's a boring city, but we make the most of it," Oliveri shrugs. "We'll go skating, or hang out and smoke. And anyway, it's fun to go moshing in someone's basement."
 
It's no surprise, then, that Oliveri is used to creating more interesting scenes than those that existed outside his window. As a kid, he would do so in the stories he dreamt up in his bedroom. "I like writing stories about worlds I'd want to live in," he says, "which made my own world seem so much bigger."
 
Such creativity inevitably morphed into songwriting in his early teenage years — though music had long since embedded itself within him. "I was probably four years old when I first heard 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' around my parents’ house," he recalls of music's omnipresence in his life. "I never knew the name of the song but every time I heard it, I'd be like, shit, it's that song. It would give me this majestic feeling." He laughs that his mom holds a video recording of her son gamely plucking through a rendition of a Metallica song (it was the epic "One") at his Kindergarten graduation performance. His dad — an avid fan of Korn and Tool — meanwhile tells him that his parents met at Woodstock; not the peace-and-love of Woodstock '69, but, more aptly, the confusion-and-chaos of Woodstock '99.
 
A chance meeting at age 14 with a local producer's father while in a coffee shop with his grandpa was the first domino to fall in Oliveri's music story. The rest is a history still to be written. "I've been so incredibly lucky, but I've manifested this, too," he says. "I've always known writing music would be my life. I just had to make it happen. It was hard to find kids around my city that played instruments and wanted to be in a band, but I've been writing songs every day in my bedroom since I was maybe 13 years old. It takes me to a different place."
 
Those songs are anthems for those disassociated with the world on their doorstep, the soundtrack to growing up marooned inside a digital world that Oliveri speaks of with disdain as "rotting people’s brains."
 
"I want to bring people into my world through my music," he adds. "I want people to feel something when they listen to my music, and to relate to me, and for me to be a friend and an outlet for them."
 
And as for everything else?
 
Well, he'll figure it out as he goes.