Sadness, Madness, & Mishaps:
An unexpected folk-rock orchestra experience

“Outrageously interesting arrangements!”  
-August March, Weekly Alibi  

“Best live show I’ve seen in Albuquerque!”  
-Bruce Ponder, Audience Member  

"A breath of fresh air"
-John R.F. Nichols, 5 Cent Productions

"I would love to see a movie based on this album!"
-Ashley Paskill [on Alien Summer], That Mag

“This [group] of unique artists and instrumentalists
are the epitome of vibrancy"

-The Aquarian

"Hunton's ... perfectly and poetically deranged  
sentiment can raise a smile as well as a shiver"  

-Mel Minter, Musically Speaking

"This gothic opera is sure to blow everyone away"
-Philip Laniere, 1st Day Fresh

“A very eclectic and energetic mix of styles”
- Josh Muncke, Sonic Perspectives

“Plays out like an epic drama…with their cinematic,
ambitious, splashy approach to music”

– Aaron Willschick, V13 Media 

“Satisfying new collection of songs”
– Kristy Rose, Top Shelf Music Magazine 

"[DCO takes] listeners on an intergalactic,
apocalyptic journey unlike ever before"

-Philip Laniere, 1st Day Fresh

GO TO RECENT NEWS

ALIEN SUMMER

Awarded Best Rock Album at the 2023 NMMAs!

DUST CITY OPERA

This unexpected folk-rock orchestra materialized out of Albuquerque, but they might as well have slipped through an intergalactic portal or stowed away on a derelict spacecraft before crashlanding in the desert.

Dust City Opera tells harrowing tales of sadness, madness, and mishaps. With each performance illuminating the space between death and humor, this quintet becomes the soundtrack to stories steeped in cosmic horror and transformation. 

In many ways, it fulfills frontman and sonic ringmaster Paul Hunton’s destiny. Under the influence of everything from H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King to Tom Waits and Soundgarden, he founded Dust City Opera at the top of 2018.

In the wake of losing both of his parents to suicide, Paul initially transmuted the pain of these harrowing losses into the group’s 2019 full-length debut, Heaven.

“After my parents passed, I felt free to make my own choices and live my own life,” he admits. “In the past, there was a lot of pressure for me to be something other than who I was. So, I pursued songwriting. My sense of humor got a little darker through my experiences.” 

This honesty appealed to audiences. After building a cult following and raising tens of thousands of dollars on Kickstarter to launch their next chapter, the group perfected their otherworldly vision on the band’s 2022 full-length album, Alien Summer.

Dust City Opera will draw you deep into their mad world of storytelling, so enter with caution. You may find yourself abducted by ancient aliens, lost in haunted fog, or more fascinating yet: face-to-face with your own insanity, with no way out.

L-R: Jesse Thomas Culberson, Scott Brewer, Paul Hunton, Clara Byom, Travis Rourk