Pittsburgh local music spotlight: The Long Hunt

The Long Hunt, a heavy instrumental band based in Pittsburgh, are releasing their next album “Natural Order” on July 18 — “a labor of love and an artifact of where we are musically at the present moment,” according to guitarist Trevor Richards.

“To me, it’s very evocative,” said bassist Allison Kacmar Richards, Trevor’s wife. “Listen deeply and see what comes up for you and where your mind wanders to. I think if you like going deep, you’ll like this. Escapists, artists, writers and other creatives might like to make it their soundtrack too.”

Ahead of the band’s album release show on July 18 at Squirrel Hill Sports Bar, the couple discussed what it’s like to be an instrumental band, performing with a spouse and more:

Have you faced any challenges as a strictly instrumental band?

Trevor: I don’t feel we have. The greater heavy music community seems pretty open to instrumental music, mainly because there are a lot of bands already doing that style. I think audiences these days have a reference point and can understand what we are doing and where we are coming from stylistically.

Allison: Sometimes people are put off by the idea of no vocals, no words. I think it’s sort of like how some people are uncomfortable with silence or solitude. When people come to instrumental music with an open mind, there’s an opportunity to create something of your own alongside the musicians. With instrumental music, no one is telling you what the song is about or how you should feel listening to it. That’s liberating for some, and unsettling for others. For me — even though I love words as a writer and reader — the intentional absence of a vocalist and lyrics is appealing for the spaciousness of mind it creates.

Are there any instrumental bands you take inspiration from?

Trevor: Strictly instrumental? I’d say Earth and earlier Grails are two big ones. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is another.

Allison: Grails was the first fully instrumental rock band I really listened to. When Trevor introduced me to them, it opened my mind to the possibilities of what heavy music could be.

What’s it like being in a band with your wife/husband?

Trevor: In a word, great! We both enjoy playing and creating original music, and have been doing so together in various bands since 2005.

Allison: I’m too private to give my full answer, but I’ll say … natural, easy, intense, gratifying, electrifying. It’s an honor to play music alongside my favorite musician. He inspires me with his incredible creativity, skill and dedication to his art.

What do you enjoy most about live performances?

Trevor: The intense focus and timelessness that playing live music creates. Everything else in the world dissolves and it’s just me, the band and the music. Just for a little bit. In the right circumstances, it’s a transcendental experience.

Allison: If you can tap into it, the flow of energy is both invigorating and grounding. I just let the music move me. It gives an incredible buzz.

Trevor Richards also filled in TribLive on what else we should know about The Long Hunt:

Band: The Long Hunt

Band members: Allison Kacmar Richards (bass); Mark Lyons (drums); Trevor Richards (guitar)

Founding story: The first Long Hunt jam sessions started in early 2016. At the time I was looking to form a new band based on the minimalist-drone style; something slower, melodic, and with a lot of musical space. I’ve been playing in bands with my wife Allison since 2005, so adding her on was my first choice and a no-brainer. Allison was playing with Mark in the Emily Rodgers Band at the time and I thought his dynamic and intentional style of playing drums would be a perfect fit for what I wanted to do. We played our first show on April 1, 2017, at Cattivo. The lineup was Horehound, Monolith Wielder and the legendary Eric Wagner (RIP)-fronted band The Skull.

Origin of band’s name: Hunting is about achieving a goal. Finding something of value and taking it for yourself. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get what you’re after, but that makes the reward all the more sweet.

For fans of: Post-rock, post-metal, heavy-psych, drone, and desert rock. We’ve been compared to bands like Earth, Om, Grails, Neurosis and Sleep. I agree with some of those comparisons.

Influences: Being alone in nature. The night. Endings and beginnings. Natural cycles.

Releases: “Valley of the Sun” single, 2016; “Wilderness Tales” album, 2017; “All Paths Lead to Here” album, 2018; “Crushing Underground Vol. 2” compilation, 2021; “Threshold Wanderer” album, 2022; “Threshold Wanderer” short film, 2022; “Natural Order” album, 2025

Next show: July 18, album release show at Squirrel Hill Sports Bar with Buick Audra and Action Camp

How to find them: The Long Hunt can be found on Bandcamp, their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Three other Pittsburgh area bands to check out: I can’t do just three. There’s so many good bands in the city. First and foremost, check out my other band Passing Bell (blackened sludge metal). Other Pittsburgh bands: Funerals, Mother Elizabeth Thorn, Action Camp, Fuzznaut, Star Viper, Ancient Torture, Sundras, Spitbite, Greywalker, Normal Creatures, Riparian, Negative 13, Amplifiers, Old Game, Rated Eye, Microwaves, Brown Angel, Mires, Gloom Doom. Just Pittsburgh-based and off the top of my head.

Favorite pizza shop: Trevor: If it’s pizza, I eat. I do wish I could go back in time for that early ‘90s school lunch pizza … that slice definitely hit different; Allison: Angelo’s in Bloomfield.

Mike Palm is a TribLive digital producer who also writes music reviews and features. A Westmoreland County native, he joined the Trib in 2001, where he spent years on the sports copy desk, including serving as night sports editor. He has been with the multimedia staff since 2013. He can be reached at mpalm@triblive.com.