A new, ambient sound has arrived and it stars Santa Barbara–raised songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maxton Hunter and his journey learning the sitar. The tracks “Dhara” and “Jaya” were released this week in three versions: each song individually and then together as one cohesive, flowing piece.
This marks the start to a new journey that steps beyond Hunter’s traditional experience with indie rock and Western instruments. He plays in The Caverns , is the drummer for Evan Blix , and is a member of blues-soul band East Valley Road. But at the same time, Hunter’s solo musician journey found him looking for something different that leaned into ambient music.
The new pieces focus on Hunter’s love for the sitar, an Indian classical instrument, and takes the listener on a relaxing journey that honors traditional sitar pieces while blending in some Western musical feel. Hunter’s sitar journey began in 2021, when he began taking lessons in Los Angeles with Rajib Karmakar , a sitar maestro who has performed and collaborated with numerous artists and has even been featured in several films. Karmakar quickly became Hunter’s guru, and worked with him through lessons and the composition process of the pieces.