Vonti's 'Toxic Fantasy' Launches Him into Pop-Star Reality

On a blistering July evening, singer-songwriter Hunter Avant is laying the groundwork for his solo era. Taking on the identity of Vonti, he is gearing up to release his single, “Toxic Fantasy,” which will tell the story of a toxic relationship that spawned his alter ego. As the sun begins to set with the blush horizon, several friends show up to meet him in a field near Carrollton, where he is shooting a fireworks scene for the “Toxic Fantasy” video.

Despite the scorching conditions of a Texas summer and the fact that Vonti has just wrapped up shooting hours of steamy scenes for the video at Fevermatic studios, he has not lost his momentum.

“‘Toxic Fantasy’ represents the idea of being thrown into something because of issues [in the relationship],” Vonti says. “Where instead of the turmoil being something bad, it's like something that keeps you latched on to someone else.”

Over hypnotic synths and bubbling bass loops, Vonti keeps the listener intrigued by way of sharp, wide-ranged vocals and anecdotal lyricism, reminiscent of that of Jon Bellion or Charlie Puth.

“I don’t want to sleep unless you’re in my dreams / You always get the best of me / The daydreams turn to nightmares in my arms,” he sings on the song’s intoxicating pre-hook.

“Toxic Fantasy” was poised to be the song of the summer, but blessings kept arriving in abundance for Vonti. Soon after the shoot, he signed a deal with Sony/AWAL to distribute the song and some of his other upcoming music.

We catch up with Vonti again on Halloween, days before the official release of “Toxic Fantasy,” which finally dropped earlier this month. As of our FaceTime conversation, he is making edits to some of his upcoming songs on Logic Pro.

This marks Vonti’s first solo single, but he’s certainly no novice to the game. The singer briefly had stints in bands like Lightfall and Polyphia. He’s also ghostwritten “about 50” songs for other artists, and has recently performed cover sets at Texas Live! When he’s not performing or writing music, Vonti teaches vocal lessons and music theory to students.

“I always tell my students that there's no right or wrong place that a song can come from,” he says. “Because I know personally, for me, the strongest songs I've ever written were all derived from a different place. Sometimes I started with a melody, something I was just humming in my head, but no words. Sometimes I had like, two lines of lyrics, and I pulled everything from there and then found a good melody for it. I think that if you've got a good natural start to a song, where it comes from isn't necessarily super important.”

The act of passing the knowledge down comes full circle, as Vonti’s parents fostered his love of music at a young age.

“I would say that my dad was like the demon on my shoulder, and mom was like the angel,” Vonti says. “My dad loved the hard stuff, like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. My mom liked the lighter stuff like The Monkees, John Mellencamp, Jimmy Buffett and stuff like that. My sister was a huge grungehead — she loved Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden.”

Vonti started dipping his toes into the waters by age 8, when he began playing flute, shaping his musical prowess and penchant for theory. By “fourth or fifth grade” he began singing, and then taking vocal lessons in eighth grade to help hone his gifts.

Though much of Vonti’s professional career thus far has taken place in the realm of alternative, he seeks to bring a male pop element he feels is missing in Dallas’ musical landscape. When he performs covers, much of his set list includes material by Justin Timberlake, Daniel Caesar, Backstreet Boys and Jason Mraz. He admits he sometimes feels like an outlier within a local scene filled with country rock, and hip-hop acts, but he's grateful for the camaraderie of Dallas in general.

“That Southern hospitality of Dallas really does play a role in how you make it as an artist,” he says. “If you’re a personable person, it’s definitely going to aid you.”

Still riding the highs of “Toxic Fantasy,” Vonti remains two steps ahead. Coming soon from the artist are a bluesy, heartbreak track called “What You Want,” which features his crooning over a punchy, pop-country fusion track and delivering a scream-laden bridge that recalls his rock days. He is also putting the finishing touches on a single called “Spark,” which he plans to drop next year.

Though Vonti has built a strong resume behind the scenes, sharing his words with other artists and bands, he is finally ready to become a household name in his own right. By introducing Vonti to the world, he begins a soul-feeding journey, as he finally gets to tell his story on his own terms.

“I know a lot of the hardest work is still in front of me,” says Vonti. “This is a strong beginning, and I’m thankful for that. But there’s still a long road ahead.”