Bug Hunter (band)

Bug Hunter
Lead singer, Cody Hunter, playing in Manchester, in 2024
Lead singer, Cody Hunter, playing in Manchester, in 2024
Background information
OriginSeattle, Washington
Genres
Years active2015–present
Members
  • Cody Hunter
  • Jesse Gallaway
  • Kyle Hodgkinson
Past members
  • Moe Hussein
  • Marcus Alcantara
Websitebughunterbug.com

Bug Hunter is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2015 by lead vocalist and guitarist Cody 'Bug' Hunter. It began as a solo project by Hunter and later formed as a full band, with members consisting of Cody Hunter, Moe Hussein, Marcus Alcantara, Jesse Gallaway, and Kyle Hodgkinson.

History

In the spring of 2012, Cody Hunter began writing songs as a college student while taking music classes.[1] Hunter later accumulated 70 written songs and began performing at open mics in Seattle, Washington in 2014.[2] While working a full-time job, Hunter recorded some of these songs in his home's closet,[3] and independently released Surge of Confidence under the name Bug on November 20, 2015.[1] Hunter later recruited guitarist Moe Hussein, drummer Marcus Alcantara, and bassist Jesse Gallaway, renaming the band Bug Hunter and releasing their debut studio album Torn Between a Couple on March 20, 2017.[2]

Single artwork for "Dear McCracken"

On July 17, 2017, Bug Hunter released the single "Dear McCracken", which received attention on streaming platforms and became the band's first song to amass over a million streams on Spotify. This led to the band starting a Kickstarter campaign to fund their second studio album The Rough Draft, which would contain the single.[4] It reached 103% of its $4,500 goal and was later released on November 20, 2018.[5] The band then released the single "Take It Back" on September 20, 2019,[6] appearing on their third studio album Bigger Than Myself alongside later singles "Pebbles" and "Pinecones". Bug Hunter once again used Kickstarter to fund it, receiving 154% of a $10,000 goal and releasing the album on August 20, 2020.[4] The band's lineup changed during this time, with Gallaway additionally filling Hussein's position as guitarist and Kyle Hodgkinson joining the band to replace Alcantara as a drummer.[7]

Bug Hunter released "2 Bed, 2 Bath (and a Ghost)", the lead single off Happiness (Without a Catch), on April 29, 2022. The album's corresponding Kickstarter campaign achieved 221% of its goal, funding the album with $33,200.[4] Two more singles were released in 2023 in promotion of it: "Shocking Plot Twist" and "Platonic Best Friend". Their fourth studio album was released on September 8, 2023.[8] Hunter has additionally co-hosted several seasons of the podcast Jam Mechanics with fellow musician Matt Johnston, known for his project The Narcissist Cookbook.[9] They have also toured together annually since 2022.

On January 31, 2026, Bug Hunter started a Kickstarter for an "Album and a Half". This was to fund a fifth studio album as well as a Jam Mechanics EP featuring 4-5 songs based around one of the show's more popular songs, "The Hook".[10] The Kickstarter surpassed the set goal of $20,000 in 36 minutes, while Bug was still live on his kick-off stream.[11] and went on to double the goal within 24 hours. By the time the Kickstarter ended, it had raised $68,792 from 924 backers, 344% of its original goal. In celebration Bug Hunter released a studio version of "Swallowing Gum" which had originally been the fourth track on Bug's independent album "Surge of Confidence", although this studio track was only released on Bandcamp.[12]

Bug Hunter announced he would be continuing his annual touring tradition in a reddit post released on February 14, 2026. This tour would be solely in America and would star both Bug Hunter and The Narcissist Cookbook as headlining acts.[13]

Discography

References

  1. 1 2 "Surge of Confidence | Bug Hunter". Bandcamp. November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Stowe, Jesse; La Torre, Michael (November 19, 2018). "Advance Review and Artist Spotlight - Bug Hunter". Alt Revue. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  3. ↑ Dhavvan, Elijah (July 27, 2019). "Bug Hunter and The Narcissist Cookbook". Central Virginian. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Montgomery, Teresa (July 10, 2023). "Bug Hunter: Some of My Best Friends Are People". The Arts STL. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ Ray, Dan (November 27, 2018). "If you want to feel like someone understands, listen to Bug Hunter's The Rough Draft". DAN'S TUNES. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  6. ↑ Bryant, Kassandra (October 21, 2019). "Bug Hunter addresses suicide with new single "Take It Back"". DAN'S TUNES. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  7. ↑ Florida Courier (September 10, 2024). "Florida Courier Events - Bug Hunter and The Narcissist Cookbook". Florida Courier. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  8. ↑ Montgomery, Teresa (September 13, 2023). "Bug Hunter | Happiness (Without a Catch) (self-released)". The Arts STL. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ Jones, Dawn (February 4, 2024). "The Narcissist Cookbook Interview: Matt Johnston Takes Listeners Behind The Music". V13 Media. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Reddit - The heart of the internet". www.reddit.com. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  11. ↑ Bug Hunter (January 31, 2026). Bug Hunter Kickstarter Kick-off Stream!. Retrieved March 22, 2026 – via YouTube.
  12. ↑ "Swallowing Gum, by Bug Hunter". Bug Hunter. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Reddit - The heart of the internet". www.reddit.com. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
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