HuDost Information

Links:
www.hudost.com
www.facebook.com/hudost
https://www.instagram.com/_hudost/
https://www.youtube.com/hudost
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0BIeOh1cW8WcV6kyeYhQyG?si=jsVI2TbfTJadsag68CFPNg&dl_branch=1
https://hudost.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/hudost
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/hudost/115297456

Quotes: 

“HuDost makes music for the sacred and the profane…driven by Sommer’s lush expressive alto and Hines’ skilled strumming and electric guitar licks…as sacred as a church service, without the identifiers which can separate and shame non-believers.”

-Kristi Wooten (PurePop, Rolling Stone, Newsweek)

“HuDost is quite folk/postmodern.… This is not fluffy new-age music—it’s serious, complex fare. Sommer’s vocal execution is precisely orchestrated, her voice-opening, hollow-toned vortexes piercing through the tough spots.”

-Chronogram Magazine

“…everything warm and loving; featuring bright acoustic guitar progression and cozy, embracing bass progressions. HuDost creates a unique expression of emotion and solace for the listener, as if sitting by a crackling fireplace, mug in hand.” - Roots Music Canada

“HuDost is well-known for weaving their traditional folk-world sound through lyrics drawn from real-life experiences and their genuine concern for the world. The release unveils a comforting and warm welcome mat into their musical dwelling that is Anthems of Home.” - Roots Music Canada

“HuDost’s music is a powerful blend of traditional folk and bold experimentation, with lyrics that matter and performances that mesmerize.” – Americana Highways

“This is music with heart, teeth, and vision.” – No Depression

“It’s rare to find a band that can inspire both deep thought and dance at the same time. HuDost is that rare band.” – John Platt, WFUV

Bios:

Under 50 words:

HuDost is an Electric-Folk, Americana, World Rock ensemble and committed social justice activists from Quebec and Kentucky touring internationally whose albums have made it on the Billboard and Folk Charts (in the top 5 Canada and top 10 USA). Their performances are “…enchanting, moving, wild, and inspiring while infused with humor!”
 

100 word bio:

HuDost, the dynamic duo of Moksha Sommer and Jemal Wade Hines, fuses electric folk, Americana, and global influences into a rich, immersive sound. With soaring harmonies, driving guitars, and the ethereal tones of harmonium and world textures, their music blends rock, folk, and Eastern European and Middle Eastern traditions. Praised by NPR and charting on Billboard, they create songs that are both deeply personal and socially conscious. As ONE Campaign Representatives, they use music as a force for change. Their new album, The Monkey in the Crown (2025), furthers their mission: music that moves hearts and shifts realities.
 

Long bio:

“HuDost makes music for the sacred and the profane…driven by Sommer’s lush expressive alto and Hines’ skilled strumming and electric guitar licks…as sacred as a church service, without the identifiers which can separate and shame non-believers.”

• Kristi Wooten (PurePop, Rolling Stone, Newsweek)

Long before receiving praise from NPR, ranking on the Billboard charts, or winning prestigious awards, something magical happened. A teenage Moksha Sommer sat in her Montreal apartment, immersed in the lush poetry of Rumi, when she impulsively joined friends on a spur-of-the-moment trip to North Carolina for a Rumi Festival hosted by Turkish Sufis. There, in a room of whirling dancers, Jemal Wade Hines was playing frame drum when he heard Sommer’s voice cut through the crowd—a sound that jolted his heart awake. That moment was the beginning of HuDost.

Since then, Sommer and Hines have woven their lives together—as partners in music, in activism, in parenthood, and in love. They are deeply engaged advocates, working as Representatives for ONE (a nonprofit fighting to end extreme poverty) and collaborating with other organizations to create change. Through their journey, they’ve discovered the alchemy of music and activism—how the two, when combined, have the power to move hearts and shift realities.

HuDost’s upcoming album, The Monkey in the Crown, is set for release in 2025. Their past albums have earned critical acclaim, reaching #4 on the Canadian National Folk/Roots Chart, #9 on the US Folk Radio Charts, and #24 on the Billboard Folk/Americana Sales Chart. They’ve also won an Independent Music Award for Social Action Song and received two Best of Nashville awards in 2020. Their work has been shaped by collaborations with GRAMMY-winning producer Malcolm Burn (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris) and GRAMMY-winning mixers Oz Fritz (Tom Waits, Bill Laswell) and Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton).

Whether performing as a duo or with a full band, HuDost brings in guest musicians from diverse backgrounds, often incorporating dance into their shows. Their instrumentation includes vocals, harmonium (Indian pump organ), live looping and beats, NORD keys, guitars, Dulcinet, percussion, and an array of ambient sonic effects. Musically, they bridge worlds—blending pop and rock with traditional Sufi influences, Eastern European folk traditions (Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian, and Balkan), and the rich sounds of Farsi, Turkish, and Arabic music. Their sound defies borders, taking listeners on an unforgettable journey.

HuDost’s music is a powerful voice for life’s raw beauty—its struggles, its healing, its triumphs. In 2008, Moksha underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor, a process that forced her to relearn language skills, regain her sight, and navigate seizures. Instead of breaking her, the experience deepened her understanding of music as a tool for healing. In 2013, she and Jemal welcomed their son, Kaleb, and in 2022, their sweet baby Sylvan was born. Their music gives voice to both the pain and wonder of life, a resonant expression of empathy that critics and fans alike return to time and time again.

“Teeming with rich, iridescent vocals layered over powerful electric guitar licks, driving percussion and the haunting church organ-esque tones of the harmonium accented by the shimmering strings of Shahi Baaja (Electric Indian Auto-Harp), Bazouki and Dulcinet, HuDost’s one-of-a-kind sound is built on the impeccable musicianship of life-partners Jemal Wade Hines and Moksha Sommer. HuDost performs as either a duo or along with a band of fellow eclectic musicians—often engaging concertgoers through multiple mediums by weaving performance art and dance into their shows for an unforgettable experience that will leave audiences spellbound.” 

—  Levitt Foundation

Highlight Performances/Collaborations:

Highlight performances include Bonnaroo, FloydFest, BlissFest, The ARK, Vancouver Island MusicFest, Salvador Dali Museum, Levitt Pavilions, WoodSongs, Nashville’s Bluebird Café, Music City Roots, Tim Robbins’ WTF?! Fest, Montreal Folk Festival, Hillside Festival, LEAF Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Fest, BhaktiFest, World Café Live, Alex Grey’s CoSM, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, CaveFest (The Caverns, TN) and many more.

Highlight collaborations and opening slots for other artists include Ani DiFranco, Philip Glass, Jon Anderson (YES), Snatam Kaur, Steve Kilbey (The Church), SistaStrings, Jars of Clay, Ramy Essam, California Guitar Trio, Bell Orchestre, Neko Case, Jim Lauderdale, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Mercan Dede, and many more.

HuDost World Bio:

HuDost World is a music project that merges sacred chants and songs with vibrant exploratory beats. It is comprised of the husband and wife team; Moksha Sommer and Jemal Wade Hines. They have been fortunate to have incredible performance opportunities throughout the years, touring  internationally and their audience-participatory performances are “…enchanting, moving, wild, and inspiring while infused with totally Canadian humor!”

“Teeming with rich, iridescent vocals layered over powerful electric guitar licks, driving percussion and the haunting church organ-esque tones of the harmonium accented by the shimmering strings of Shahi Baaja (Electric Indian Auto-Harp), Bazouki and Dulcinet, HuDost’s one-of-a-kind sound is built on the impeccable musicianship of life-partners Jemal Wade Hines and Moksha Sommer. HuDost performs as either a duo or along with a band of fellow eclectic musicians—for an unforgettable experience that will leave audiences spellbound.” 

—  Levitt Foundation

They also teach workshops and lead retreats that aim to guide people back to their true and empowered selves through things like creative process, songwriting, breath and chant, painting, meditation and more. They regard sacred music as compassion-based activism and allow it to guide them and others on the path.