Award-Winning Multi-Instrumentalist Hunter Root Unveils New Album Crooked Home
Listen to Crooked Home here:
http://tinyurl.com/CrookedHome
Watch “Friendly Fire” music video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlU1CBJkJ5w
October 17, 2025 — Award-winning Pennsylvania-based multi-instrumentalist Hunter Root has released his latest album, Crooked Home, via Tolok. Known for his genre-fluid approach and introspective lyricism, Root pairs musical depth with emotional honesty. The album explores grief, working-class struggle, and chronic physical pain, capturing the raw, unfiltered nature of shared humanity. Written in the year following his 2023 LP Arkansas, Crooked Home revisits the grief of losing his brother with a deeper perspective, while also confronting other personal hardships, including battles with Lyme disease and chronic nerve pain.
“Crooked Home is a personal reckoning that tells the story of my life, a life shaped by loss, addiction, and illness. The songs weren't written to deliver a message, they’re simply confessions set to music,” shares Root. “I think a lot of folks listen to my music because it helps them through tough times. If there is anything I hope this album has to offer, it’s that — a little bit of light.”
Produced by acclaimed artist Anders Osborne and engineered by David Kalmusky, the bulk of Crooked Home was recorded at Addiction Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, with overdubs completed at The Sound Emporium. The album captures the immediacy of Root’s performance, recorded live alongside a full band for the first time in his career. Vintage microphones once used by Bob Dylan and Marianne Faithfull, along with reverb plates from Johnny Cash sessions, lend a timeless warmth to the sound.
Key tracks reveal the album’s intimate stories and broader themes. “‘94” recounts Root’s early childhood and adolescence, reflecting on his older brother’s battle with heroin addiction and cancer, while “My Brother’s Bones” is a heartfelt tribute inspired by Root’s desire to give his late brother a proper resting place. On the upbeat “String up a Necklace,” Root channels sentimentality and connection, inspired by a cherished necklace made by his girlfriend to remind him of home while touring. Crooked Home also tackles wider experiences: “Flash in the Pan” addresses working-class hardship, highlighting the divide between the wealthy and the lower-middle-class experience Root grew up in, and “Friendly Fire” reflects the pain of losing friends and navigating fractured relationships, demonstrating Root’s gift for transforming personal experience into compelling music.
Root is currently on a U.S. tour in support of Crooked Home, with upcoming shows at MilkBoy in Philadelphia and The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls in Millvale, Pennsylvania, on November 13 and 14. The tour also hits major cities like Boston, Nashville, and Detroit, along with performances at historic venues such as Schubas Tavern in Chicago, The Liberty Theater in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, The Bur Oak in Madison, Wisconsin, and The Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, among others.
Crooked Home Tracklist:
- ‘94
- Low
- String up a Necklace
- Hand in the Fire
- Flash in the Pan
- Friendly Fire
- The Devil is the Culprit
- If the Body is a Temple
- The Keeper
- Out of my Hands
- Bad Sign
- My Brother’s Bones
Hunter Root 2025 Tour
November 13 – Philadelphia, PA – MilkBoy
November 14 – Millvale, PA – The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls
November 15 – South Bend, IN – Stockroom East
November 19 – Madison, WI – The Bur Oak
November 20 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
November 21 – Lawrenceburg, IN – The Liberty Theater
November 22 – Detroit, MI – Lager House
December 3 – Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall Lounge
December 4 – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music
December 5 – Brattleboro, VT – The Stone Church
December 6 – Boston, MA – The Red Room at Cafe 939
December 10 – Columbus, OH – Rumba Cafe
December 11 – St. Louis, MO – Atomic
December 12 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
December 13 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall
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About Hunter Root:
Pennsylvania-based multi-instrumentalist Hunter Root is known for his genre-fluid blend of acoustic rock, folk, and grunge, marked by profound lyrical depth and emotional resonance. A founding member of psychedelic rock band Medusa's Disco, Hunter personally wrote, recorded, mixed, and produced all his music, which achieved viral success with tracks like "Town Rat Heathen" and "Quicksand Sinking." His acclaimed 2023 album, Arkansas, honored the memory of his late brother, and latest release, Crooked Home, dives even deeper into themes of family, loss, addiction, and resilience. Recorded at Nashville's Addiction Studios with renowned producer and engineer David Kalmusky, the album underscores Hunter's commitment to authentic storytelling and raw musicianship.
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For Hunter Root Inquiries, email Mike Jones and Rebecca Shapiro at Shore Fire Media, hunterrootpr@shorefire.com