We had the good fortune of connecting with Macmillan (Hunter) Hasselfield and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Macmillan, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
My parents homesteaded a log home In Northern Alberta, Canada, along the Peace River valley near a place called Dunvegan Provincial park. There was so much wildlife and it was an incredibly beautiful place to have been brought up. I’m sure that the ability to roam in a wild place alone gave me a sense of freedom that not every child is lucky enough to have. I could bound off into nature with my dogs and let my imagination go wild. That has definitely affected my art, music and the rest of my life for that matter.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Having grown up in rural and fairly remote area of Northern Canada, I was very lucky to be involved in the arts since childhood. Piano lessons led to other instruments. Drawing led to art books and school band became touring with a Vancouver youth orchestra as a percussionist. This experience was a great foundation and gave me a versatile skillset for playing in many different and diverse bands. Touring with the orchestra and various bands, allowed me to travel throughout North America and Europe.

Now I compose music for films (mostly short ones) and make all kinds of art: drawing, painting, filling art books (book making) ceramics and even sculpture.

Composing for film has been the most rewarding musical work I’ve ever done. Touring can be really fun and making albums is a very important process for me, but being allowed to be part of a team making a piece of art as a group is an indelible experience. Getting to work with so many artists and technicians doing their very best work is truly wonderful. Sometimes all the elements come together and you end up being a part of something way bigger than anything you could have done alone. It’s a really fulfilling process.

In 2022 I made an album for vinyl and digital called Artificial Kingdom. It was a decade in the making and definitely a passion project for me. It was inspired by the Golden record which was onboard the Voyager 1 mission launched by NASA in the 1970’s and is the only human-made object to leave the solar system. The Golden record itself is a collection of wonderful music from all over the world as well as the sounds of our planet: whales, wind ,water, trees, fire. So for my record I decided to do a personal version of my own. I’ve been recording moments from my life with walkman’s, mic’s and other recording devices since I was ten years old – in fact the oldest sound recording on the album was of a horse chewing a bridle on our farm when I was about ten or eleven. It’s a pretty relaxed instrumental album and I’m proud of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m assuming that you mean LA but I actually don’t live there. When I traveled there i had a great time but one of my favourite spots was actually Watts Towers. I love artists that live their art. It’s a very cool place. LA is full of amazing art and music. It’s impossible to not come across it when you are there.

These days I live in Brant county in Southern Ontario. My favourite thing to do locally is hike along the Grand River. I’ve been walking and canoeing there the past few years and it’s a really beautiful place. I guess most of my favourite spots are not really in a city at all.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
If it’s cliche to thank your partner it shouldn’t be. My beautiful partner, Miriam, has been a truly bright spot in my life but this year was an especially dark one for me. My own cancer diagnosis and several major surgeries gave us a big scare last year. That’s what makes her humour and unfailing kindness even more remarkable. I only wish everyone who has gone through something like this could be as lucky as me in their partner.

In terms of inspiration i’ve usually looked to my own friends first. Such a large number of them are extremely talented and have been a part of my growth as an artist. One that has been a great inspiration and insightful collaborator for much of my recent work has been Megan Dietrich. Megan lives in Vancouver, British Columbia and is an incredible artist. She is a serious painter, designer and digital creator. as well as a wonderful parent and partner to her young family. Megan took the photographs for the cover of my 2022 album, Artificial Kingdom, and was able to visually translate the spirit of the album in such a masterful, creative and beautiful way.

Instagram: @macmillan_hunter

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@machunterlab

Other: https://macmillanhunter1.bandcamp.com/album/artificial-kingdom-2 https://open.spotify.com/album/2HGD3vcHHyTbkGtYxdoSuc

Image Credits
Leigh Righton, Megan Dietrich, Miriam Blier.

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