“Strictly instrumental, with no vocals to muddle the message, the songs on Wilderness Tales are typically slower, sprawling, meditative, and sparse- a mood sometimes contrasted with the occasional outburst, dense arrangement, or driving repetition. The music sits comfortably in the experimental and alternative rock categories while occasionally incorporating elements of desert, drone and post rock reminiscent of bands like Earth, Grails, and OM.”

The Long Hunt is an instrumental trio from Pittsburgh performing original experimental rock who are releasing their debut album Wilderness Tales this Friday (2/17). I want to thank Allison Kacmar Richards (Bass), Mark Lyons (Drums), and Trevor Richards (Guitar/Electric Sitar/Mellotron) for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

• The first album you ever bought?
• Allison Kacmar Richards: The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
• Mark Lyons: Bad Brains.
• Trevor Richards: Alice In Chains Jar of Flies.
• Your last album bought?
• Allison: Thumbscrew Thumbscrew.
• Mark: Leonard Cohen.
• Trevor: Neurosis Fires Within Fires.
• Favorite album of all time?
• Allison: For the sheer scope and variety, let’s say Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Though, if I used other standards, I may say Grails Burning Off Impurities.
• Mark: The Monks Black Monk Time.
• Trevor: Since Allison already mentioned that Grails album, I’ll do a two way tie between Mahavishnu Orchestra The Inner Mounting Flame and Soundgarden Superunknown.
• Least favorite/most disappointing album?
• Allison: Can’t really think of one for this. I’ve recently listened to a lot of songs on Garbage’s third album and I really didn’t like those – which I found surprising and disappointing. But that’s from 2001 and they’ve since released 3 more albums.
• Mark: Most Disappointing would be Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins.
• Trevor: I was disappointed by the last two Radiohead albums. I’m more of a Kid A kind of guy.
• First concert attended?
• Allison: Todd Rundgren – New World Order Tour, 1994 – Gray’s Armory – Cleveland.
• Mark: Depeche Mode.
• Trevor: Foo Fighters on their Colour and the Shape tour at the Agora in Cleveland.
• Last concert?
• Mark: Oneida with Terry and the Cops.
• Trevor and Allison: As far as national acts go, it was Sleep. We were ten feet from the stage! Our hearing has never been the same.
• Favorite concert ever?
• Allison: Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, 2005 – Agora Theatre – Cleveland, OH or Grails – Garfield Artworks – Pgh. Both were small, intimate settings with good, instrumental music.
• Mark: Jesus Lizard at the Beehive in 1993.
• Trevor: Soundgarden or the first time I saw Tool back in 1998.
• Least favorite concert?
• Allison: Foo Fighters, probably.
• Mark: Joe Bonamassa.
• Trevor: I got my arm twisted into seeing 311, Papa Roach, and Unwritten Law with a group of friends who I hadn’t seen since high school. Lots of early 2000’s frat boys with cargo shorts and tribal tattoos drinking cheap beer. Not my thing.
• Favorite thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
• Mark: I love the eclectic art Scene!
• Trevor and Allison: We’ve only been in the city for a little over 10 years and It’s been a nice place to make a home. The parks are great, there’s a lot of good and diverse food available, and we’ve met a lot of great friends, artists and musicians.

Thanks, all. Wait… you have an album that is listed as Allison’s favorite and Mark’s least favorite? That is what I call ‘creative differences’ within a band.