For The HU, music is all about conveying maximum energy with maximum impact. That’s the spirit they bring on record, and the manner in which they command on stage.
Historically, rock music has been documented as early as the 40s and heavy music from the late 60s. But the Mongolian way, and musical instruments that define it, predate those dates by some time. In today’s age, metal is a versatile genre that’s prone to experimentation. And throughout their music, The HU champion their roots all while dabbling in modern-day interpretations. It;s allowed the band to develop quite a fanbase; proof that metal is a universal language.
in 2026, The HU celebrate 10 years as a band. That’s 10 years of producing music that unites fans and combines history with today’s vivacious heavy music scene.
Following a dominant performance on the main stage at Iron Maiden’s Eddfest, where they played track from their forthcoming record ‘Hun’, due for release on July 24, Rock Sound sat down with multi-instrumentalist Jaya to talk about through it all.
Rock Sound: It’s no secret that your music has taken on strong Mongolian principles. For this record, you’ve gone deeper with the use of instruments such as the horsehead fiddle and throat singing. Why is it important to you to embrace your culture in your music?
Jaya: So, when we started this band, the idea behind it was to use the uniqueness of Asian instruments. The traditional instruments of [the] horsehead fiddle, tovshuur, the jaw harp, the wind instruments and the throat singing technique we adapt into our songs. Mixing [this] with modern rock music has been the most crucial part of our music evolution.
On this album specifically, we wanted to show that evolution. It is important from a song standpoint because it helps us to be unique. It [also] helps us to encourage people to use these ancient instruments in their culture too. To adapt it and make it modern.
RS: ‘Hun’ comes four years after your last full-length [‘Rumble of Thunder’]. This time around, it sees you tap into a more spiritual world. Embracing the unity between heaven and earth. How did you manage to convey those themes into sonically moving concepts?
Jaya: We wanted to include all the experiences that the human can have between heaven and earth in our third album.
In fact, we were going to name the album itself, ‘Hun: Between Heaven and Earth.’ [But], because it was too [long], we changed it to ‘Hun,’ which translates as ‘human.’ We wanted to adapt the ancestral wisdom and perspective of [how people] see life.
The problem we saw was [that], in these modern times, so many people are so far removed from the actual living world. They’re often guided by their greed. So, we wanted to make these songs to serve as a guide to introspection.
RS: The song ‘Echoes of My Father’ is a sombre and emotionally captivating offering. What’s the story behind it?
Jaya: To put it in simple terms, it’s a very light statue for our fathers. [A boy] becomes a man by looking at their father, what they do and how they live their lives. When you’re a kid or a young person, you kind of have a judgmental way of looking at your father. But eventually you grow out of that.
You go through what your father went through. You marry someone, you have children, and then you finally understand what your father has been through. [Sometimes] that lesson comes far too late. Often, you don’t understand that lesson until your father dies.
In Mongolian culture, we respect our parents dearly. On this album, specifically, we decided that it was time to sing about good fathers. It was a time to remind people what it means to be a good father, and what the impact is on the family dynamic and these unspoken words.
RS: ‘Warrior Chant’ really stands out on the album. How do you make sure to bring out epic energy in each of your songs, without them sounding the same?
Jaya: We call the ‘Warrior Chant,’ the ‘Wolf Totem 2.0,’ because ‘Wolf Totem’ has that upbeat rhythm. We wanted to reimagine that. Bring that feeling back to our fans.
For me, it helps to understand the lyrics first. So, we come up with the lyrics [and then work on the] composition to capture what feelings we’re gonna perform. Concept is crucial, the lyrics [are] really important and then the composition. So that is kind of the process that we have. That helps us to differentiate all these songs because we focus on the concept so much.
‘Warrior Chant’ is a really upbeat song, as you pointed out. It has a very dynamic, explosive nature to it as well. So, we really hope that our fans are able to rock into that song as much as they did for ‘Wolf Totem.’
RS: The song titles are in English, but the words embrace the Mongolian way. Is there a reason behind this crossover?
Jaya: So, we name our songs in Mongolian first. We’re already singing in Mongolian and [playing Mongolian instruments], so we wanted to make that a little easier for our fans all around the world to understand. English is the universal language (not to get too political about it), but it’s a very highly spoken language. We want to make it easier for our listeners to understand the concept before listening to [it].
RS: You recently played at Eddfest in support of Iron Maiden. What was your favourite part of doing that show?
Jaya: It was such an experience, because the band is legendary. They have this huge legacy. Being on tour with them was such a great experience that they invited us back to EddFest. This time around, we came to the UK, and it was amazing. The graphics were great. Everyone knows the Eddie mascot. It’s very popular, so the characteristics and the festival theme were amazing. Overall, it was such an experience to have as an artist and obviously as a fan of Iron Maiden.
The place they chose was at Knebworth, where Robbie Williams, Led Zeppelin, and others have played festivals. We’re very fortunate to be part of the Iron Maiden version of that.
RS: This autumn, you’re embarking on a headline tour. Is there any location on the lineup that you’ve not played before, that you can’t wait to play? If so, where and why?
Jaya: Generally speaking, it’s nice to go to new places and see the energy of each country or city. We’re looking forward to going back to the UK the most. UK fans have this specific energy that is so amazing. So, we want to come back very quickly.
RS: Lastly, what message do you hope fans will take from your new album?
Jaya: We hope our fans look very introspectively within. [We want to help people] evaluate their lives. [To give a] perspective of what is right and what is good. We really hope that this album will serve as a guide, philosophically speaking.
You can only move forward after you internally understand what’s important and who you are as a person. So, we really hope the flow of the songs will take you to an emotional whirlwind.
We hope that our fans listen to our songs and understand that they’re important and who they are.
The HU will hit the road across the UK and Europe later this year, with support coming from SKALD.
Here are all the dates:
SEPTEMBER
29 – GLASGOW O2 Academy
OCTOBER
01 – BRISTOL Prospect Building
02 – BOURNEMOUTH O2 Academy
03 – NEWCASTLE O2 City Hall
05 – BELFEST The Telegraph
06 – DUBLIN 3Olympia Theatre
08 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy
09 – LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
10 – MANCHESTER O2 Apollo
11 – NORWICH UEA
14 – BRUSSELS Ancienne Belgique
15 – HAMBURG Sporthalle
17 – MUNICH Tonhalle
18 – BERLIN Columbiahalle
19 – WARSAW Stodola
20 – WARSAW Stodola
22 – COLOGNE Palladium
23 – UTRECHT TivoliVredenburg
24 – TILBURG 013
27. – PARIS L’Olympia
28 – LYON Le Radiant
30 – ZURICH X-Tra
31 – ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE Rockhal
