B-Side Guys

Just hours after its midnight release, Are We Hunting’s “Cover from the Thieves” emerges as one of today’s most intriguing New Music Friday offerings. Ryan Ayala, the Northern California songwriter behind the project, demonstrates why geography sometimes matters in music – his work feels carved from the same coastal cliffs and redwood shadows that have inspired generations of Bay Area storytellers.

The track’s narrative thrust reveals Ayala’s careful study of masters like Dylan and Lou Reed, but his delivery owes more to Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock in its ability to make personal revelations feel like universal declarations. Where some songwriters hide behind metaphor, Are We Hunting finds power in directness, crafting melancholic observations that land with the weight of lived experience.

“Cover from the Thieves” balances its folk-rock foundation with cinematic flourishes that suggest Tom Waits’ influence without mimicking his theatrical growl. It’s in this space between intimate confession and sweeping arrangement that Ayala finds his distinct voice. The hooks are immediate but never simple, serving the story rather than overshadowing it.

What sets the track apart from today’s crowded release calendar is its refusal to choose between accessibility and depth. Are We Hunting has crafted something that rewards both casual listeners and those who prefer to dig deeper into their musical archaeology. For a Friday full of new releases, this one feels less like a debut and more like a discovery.