It’s been an eventful season for former Krewella member Kris Trindl, but a new project may be a shining light at the end of the tunnel for fans. The man better known as Rainman has teamed up with Mat Devine of Kill Hannah fame to collaborate on a new production duo, Hunter Square. The news broke with the release of a remix of “Falling in Love Will Kill You“, a past production by Devine under his handle Wrongchilde. The remix marks a tread into new waters, generating something fresh and unexpected by both Mat and Kris. The rock-electronica fusion makes us wonder what’s next to come from the minds of Hunter Square. We spoke with Mat to get the low down regarding this new labour of love and find out what’s next for both his and Kris’ collaboration. TRC: How did you and Kris come together to develop Hunter Square? Mat: I know Kris from the very early days in Chicago. He was a humble, young kid and was blowing everyone away with his tracks. We always talked about collaborating on a record but we were both always on tour so it never happened. Now we’re both living in LA, so a couple of months ago, I asked if he would remix a Wrongchilde track, and through that process, we realized that by some luck, my weird voice actually compliments his production. TRC: Working as a duo, is it an immediate challenge to distance yourself or overcome the pre-existing expectations from your previous work? Mat: We were definitely aware that it was new territory for both of us. His heart is still in making crazy hard stuff, which he’s still doing, so this is a project where we’re both open to try new things… which, artistically, is something everyone needs to do. What’s more important is that the fans have all been super supportive, which means more than anything. TRC: When can we expect some original tracks from Hunter Square? Mat: We’re finishing up a new one right now. It’s about the darkness in LA. This place is utopia, but at the same time, there’s a toxic side that actually makes me nostalgic for the lethal winters of Chicago. TRC: Does working in a collaborative band setting help you further appreciate the accompaniment of vocalists, such as Gerard Way with “Falling In Love Will Kill You”? Mat: Yeah… it’s fun. I happen to love odd vocalists–Perry Farrell, Michael Stipe, Robert Smith, etc… I just hate the conventional “bro” singers; it just always sounds so bogus and inauthentic to me. So hearing Gerard’s amazing voice in this new context just made me appreciate his talent even more than I already did. TRC: On that note, tell us a bit more about your future collaborations with vocalists and your approach to song writing. Mat: The next single will be my voice, but we are open to more features with friends. Wish I could say more, but I can’t yet. As for songwriting in this genre, I’m just so aware how hyper-volatile the landscape is. Things change so fast. What’s happening in one city today might be so on point, but then you wake up tomorrow morning and it’s considered ancient and dated… so we just focus on the fundamentals of the song. If the melody and mood and intention of a song are strong, then I think it will last, no matter what genre. TRC: It’s been made clear that this is a side project for both yourself and Kris. Do you seek to maintain Hunter Square and your personal productions concurrently? Mat: He is continuing to put out super heavy stuff under his own name, and I’m still pushing Wrongchilde. Right now everything feels like anarchy, but that’s what art is all about.
