CONNIE HUNT
Connie Hunt is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and poet. Her music incorporates rock, pop, jazz, country, classical, folk, and blues. Trained classically on piano, she also plays guitar, percussion, bass, and flute. She has written, recorded, and produced two full-length independent albums released by her record label, Mine Records. The albums, Modern Day Gypsy (2006) and Darkness Comes Before the Dawn (2012) have been met with warm appreciation, high regards, and have achieved a small, loyal following. Currently, she is writing toward a third, full-length album, the title of which has not been released, with a plan to release the project in 2022.
EARLY YEARS
Born in Dallas, Texas on December 31, 1971, Connie Hunt is the adopted daughter of William and Grace Hunt, a business executive and school teacher, respectively. Her early upbringing focused on creativity, art, music, and dance, and she began playing and studying piano at the age of 4. She also competed in figure skating and gymnastics as well as spending hours every week studying and performing ballet. By the age of 15, there were talks of her becoming a concert pianist, but being the the bit of rebel and wanting to have long fingernails like her friends, she stopped playing music and instead concentrated on other art forms. In high school, Connie secured local modeling jobs with dreams of being a model, actress, and musical entertainer, but her height at 5’7.75” was just shy of the model standard of 5’8” for runway work. She also worked in retail and food service. After high school graduation (and at the urging of her parents), she decided to pursue college and eventually earned a BBA in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management and an MBA in Finance from the University of North Texas.
BUSINESS YEARS (1996 - 2000)
During college and graduate school, Connie began independently consulting with entrepreneurial companies in the tech sector. She advised new start-ups in the areas of strategic management, human resources, and finance. She also helped these entrepreneurs with marketing and promotional campaigns as well as workplace environment studies. In May of 2000, she taught one semester at her alma mater to junior and senior BBA candidates in Entrepreneurship and was offered a position on the faculty which she declined. In late 1998, Connie briefly took an entry-level job with CompUSA as a financial analyst “to understand the corporate environment from the inside.” Shortly after joining the company, she assisted a consulting team for the merger with Grupo Sanborns even as she continued aspects of her analyst position. She left the company after only nine months as the corporate scene did not offer the level of creativity her soul deeply desired.
PATH TO MUSIC (2001 - 2005)
In 2001, Connie began splitting her time between Austin and Crossroads (in Texas), and Kilauea (on Kauai’s North Shore). Her time on Kauai inspired healing and connection with herself in a way she had not experienced before. She also greatly enjoyed attending the many local singer-songwriter shows in Austin, and it was during these visits to local Austin singer-songwriters, Connie decided it was time to learn guitar. She bought her first guitar at Island Guitars in Honolulu: a vintage Gibson J200 Sunburst created and signed by Ren Ferguson. She named it Velvet, because she said, “that’s exactly how smooth it plays.” Connie now has an assortment of stringed instruments from Gibson, Guild, Martin, Taylor, Epiphone, and Fender and plays a vintage Steinway B piano. She also uses a London Amp by 65 Amps, and when on bass, utilitzes a vintage Ampeg B-15. As she revitalized her musical skills during these early years, she worked with guitar virtuosos learning guitar chords and technique, studied with a jazz piano professor at the University of North Texas who also played with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and practiced with several different vocal coaches. She began writing songs while traveling around the globe in search of new experience and noting the abundance of perspectives and world views that the diverse people on the planet hold. It is this fascination with perspective that drives her to create her songs – to define a feeling and relate that sensation to multiple situations. She informally founded her record label, Mine Records, in 2002 from her then hometown of Crossroads, Texas.
MUSIC CAREER
FIRST RECORDING SESSIONS (2005-2006)
In July 2005 at the behest of her then musical boyfriend and guitar technician, Billy Gosser, she recorded demos near Nashville at a backyard studio called The Rock House with engineer and producer, Vinny Constantine of Lost Dog Recording. She also recorded some of the demos at Avalon Studio on Kauai’s North Shore in a studio then owned by producer David Tickle. In October 2005, Connie relocated to Los Angeles, California, and began taking the demo tracks to full album versions at The Sound Factory and Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California. These Gypsy Sessions, as she dubbed them, eventually became her first album.
MODERN DAY GYPSY (2006)
Connie wrote Modern Day Gypsy while traveling the globe in search of new experience. Some of her songs were written on hotel notepads or any scrap of paper she could find in the moment, even though she always had a special journal for writing (and still does). Recorded during numerous Gypsy Sessions over the course of about a year in ten studios and across five time zones, this album explores themes of love, loss, and longing through an Americana and Funk lens. The album was produced by Connie Hunt and recorded by Vinny Constantine (Lost Dog Recording) at The Sound Factory and Sunset Sound (Hollywood, CA). Additional recording at The Rock House (Peytonsville, TN), Avalon Kauai Studios (Kilauea, HI), Hyde Street Studios (San Francisco, CA), Rocky Mountain Recorders (Denver, CO), The Castle (Franklin, TN), and The Music Lab (Austin, TX). Additional recording and editing by Kevin Dean (The Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA). Additional recording by Mark Desisto and Tim Gerron at Sunset Sound (Hollywood, CA). Mixed by Vinny Constantine assisted by Kevin Dean at The Sound Factory (Hollywood, CA). Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering (Portland, ME). All songs written by Connie Hunt. Arrangements were collaborative and the players were: Connie Hunt on vocals, backing vocals, percussion, celeste, piano, acoustic and electric guitars. Mikey Rowe on keys and bass. Greg Foresman on acoustic and electric guitars. Chris Woodward on drums and percussion. Don Heffington on drums. Kenneth Blevins on drums. Dave Jacques on bass. Ross Krutsinger on bass. Timothy Loo on cello. Alyssa Park on violins.
DARKNESS COMES BEFORE THE DAWN (2012)
Connie’s second album is a departure from her original Americana style, branching out into the Rock genre, but still paying homage to her country roots with slide guitars and soulful backing vocals. She wrote the bulk of the songs as a reflection of the growing culture war in America which she personally experienced by living in California but visiting her home state of Texas. At times, she says, “the dissonance was mesmerizing and palpable — it was like two completely separate realities.” The album seeks to unite the listener with shared values and common understandings based on the simplicity, yet diversity, of humanity and the planet we share. Produced by Connie Hunt and recorded at Sunset Sound (Hollywood, CA) by Vinny Constantine (Lost Dog Recording). Additional recording at Mikey’s Basement (Brighton, UK), John Paterno (Los Angeles, CA), Moreland Studio (Atlanta, GA), Lincoln’s Cabin (Peagram, TN), and The Magic Room (Los Angeles, CA). Mixed by Graham Hope at Sunset Sound (Hollywood, CA). Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Ojai, CA). All songs written by Connie Hunt. Arrangements were collaborative, and the players were: Jeremy Stacey on drums and percussion. Mikey Rowe on keys. Jon Button, David J. Carpenter, and Tim Smith on bass. Greg Foresman, Jim Kimball, Tim Smith, and Connie Hunt on guitars. The Waters, Tim Smith, and Connie Hunt on backing vocals.
For the first single, Good Times, Connie made a music video in and around Los Angeles, California. Directed by Jim Shea, the video shows Connie singing and playing Good Times in Downtown Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Monica Pier, and Hollywood.
TRANSITIONS AND HEALTH ISSUES (2012 – 2020)
Following the completion of Darkness Comes Before the Dawn, Connie pulled all promotion following preliminary rehearsals when she experienced severe headaches while singing. It took several years to get the proper diagnosis of acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor of the vestibular nerve on her left side. Two brain surgeries followed in 2016, the first being aborted abruptly due to anaphylaxis. The second successful surgery utilized the translabyrinthine approach to reach the 4cm tumor compressing her brain stem and intertwined in the bundle of her cranial nerves. While the 11-hour surgery was a success, the approach did leave her completely deaf in her left ear. She also has a slight vestibular impairment due to the purposeful severing of her left vestibular nerve which causes her some dizziness in certain public situations. Covered under the ADA for both the mobility impairment and the single-sided deafness, Connie utilizes a fully-task-trained mobility service dog named Daisy. These experiences have encouraged Connie to become highly aware of the needs for full accessibility for all disabled communities, especially in her own media projects and in life in general. As such, she makes special effort to include all people’s accessibility needs in her posts and on her website. She is also learning American Sign Language and is currently at a conversational level working to attain fluency.
After the successful surgery for acoustic neuroma in 2016, Connie began experiencing what appeared to be an allergic reaction to the titanium hearing implant she received (the Cochlear BAHA). She had left-sided facial swelling, left-sided migraines, and fatigue that became intense and all-encompassing by 2019 where she was unable to do any creative work due to these debilitating symptoms. After a medical odyssey through over a dozen specialists, she has since had the BAHA removed and battled a bacterial infection in her skull requiring four intervals of IV antibiotics over the course of a year.
During these years of this medical (as well as spiritual) journey, Connie cataloged her hand-written collection of poetry into a digital format and began to think about ways in which this poetry could be shared. She began illustrating with pencil and watercolor during this time and decided to illustrate three of her poems to create special art books for children. These special books are The Naked House, Moonpie Kitchen, and Rock In Space which have been digitally released on her website with plans for tactile published versions in 2022. She also has a collection of love-themed poetry entitled To The One and Back, also planned for release in 2022.
NEW musical ALBUM (2020 – Present)
Connie is currently writing an album with a planned 13-14 songs for release in 2022.
OTHER ARTISTIC PURSUITS (1997 - PRESENT)
POETRY
In addition to music, Connie has a catalog of poetry spanning over two decades. In 2014, she began creating digital versions of her poetry and in 2015, began illustrating one of them to become an artistic children’s book. These books are The Naked House, Moonpie Kitchen, and Rock In Space which have been digitally released on her website with plans for tactile published versions in 2022. She also has a collection of love-themed poetry entitled To The One and Back, planned for release in 2022.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Connie has two collections of her photography currently on her website. These collections document her journey through nature from behind the lens and incorporate images of Kaua’i (where she lived part-time from 2001-2008) as well as images of heart shaped subjects found in both nature and daily life.
TEXTILES
As a hobby in 2014 (and born out of need), Connie began playing around with leather, hemp twine, crystals, and sea shells to create key chains and small accessory pouches for her personal use. Friends noticed her creations and admired them, so she began making them as gifts. She has a small line of these special, earthy and spiritually-inspired, one-of-a-kind creations that will launch in 2022.
PERSONAL LIFE
RELATIONSHIPS AND HOME LIFE
Connie’s longest-standing romantic relationship is with musical technician Billy Gosser which ended in 2010. They have remained close friends. In her 20s, she wed twice briefly to two different college classmates, the first when she was just 20 years old, the second when she was 27. Both marriages ended in divorce slightly after a year. Connie has said that “marriage is a wonderful and meaningful commitment of connection when both people know themselves well enough to share themselves wholly, intimately, and authentically with one another.” She sees her past experiences with marriage “as learning tools — as I now have received a better understanding of others and have deepened my own sense of Self through this process of experiencing love, loss, grief, and ultimately, healing.” She is inspired by her parents’ 60+ year marriage. She has said, “marriage is an agreement of souls to walk the path together,” and hopes one day to realize her dream of romantic love, partnership, and family. She resides in Los Angeles with three dogs, one cat, and is currently (and happily) single.
RELIGION
Connie studied religious texts during her college years, somewhat extensively, and primarily in the Christian traditions. She read Biblical scriptural texts dating back to the original Hebrew and Greek and studied the history of the Bible as it has been passed down through the years. In the times since that intense, yet informal study, Connie has continued informal studies of most of the major religions, as well as some of the more esoteric ones. As a result, she has embraced universal truths in all belief systems and does not identify with any one particular religion. She does, however, maintain a deep faith and spiritual connection and practice with Source and retains the faith and belief “that whatever God IS must be something far greater than our current level of human understanding can possibly comprehend, even as we may feel this Truth in every breath and in every beat of our hearts.”
POLITICS
Connie grew up in a Republican family in the predominantly Republican State of Texas. She has since voted for both Republicans and Democrats and considers herself politically agnostic. Her work exemplifies human connectedness and the things that are shared in contrast to the beliefs and thoughts that are divisive. She observes that “political affiliations only focus on how we are different and don’t seem to be helping too much with any sort of healing” — which she believes is greatly needed on the planet at this time.
DISCOGRAPHY
Modern Day Gypsy (2006)
Darkness Comes Before the Dawn (2012)
New Album (Title TBA) (2022)
VIDEOS
Good Times (2011)
Amazing Grace (2008)
