Muddy Waters and The Stooges' 1973 album Raw Power. Hunt attempted the sound in the past, but encountered discouragement from management. He discussed his direction for the album in an interview for The Boombox, stating "[I]t wasn't necessarily punk music. It was more about trying to capture the growl of a cello. That to me is as nasty as it can get. That's a beautiful sound to me. When people talk about the distortion on the guitar, I hear the same thing with that growl of a cello." Hunt wanted to take advantage of his newfound feeling of artistic freedom and lack of concern over marketability. Hunt approached the recording sessions differently than on his previous records. Rather than guiding personnel through replicating his demos for the album, he allowed members of his backing band to improvise their parts. For most songs, Hunt recorded with drummer Ruth Price, percussionist and engineer Melissa Mattey, and keyboardist and programmer Peter Dyer. Price and Dyer had auditioned for him at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood and had previously toured with Hunt. He rehearsed with Price for approximately two weeks before recording the final tracks in order to adjust to more rock-based dynamics, including a different set of tempos, chord changes, and faster time cadences, that he wanted for the songs. Price was adept in playing both loose and tight drumming styles for certain songs. Hunt and his band were inspired by recording artists Curtis Mayfield and Iggy Pop, who he said "brought this kind of intelligence along with the rawness. It was really bold. They just didn't give a shit. I was like, that's the attitude that I'm feeling right now. I feel like I've finally shed the music that I grew up with." They subsequently recorded basic tracks, and Hunt approached Peter Dyer to create a backing soundscape for the tracks. What Were You Hoping For? was later mixed by Melissa Mattey. Hunt has cited its minimalist recording process as his "most hands off approach ... thus far on an album", calling the approach "musically adept but also stringently unique. People might describe it as futuristic." Music and lyrics Expanding on his previous work's blend of R&B and rock music forms, What Were You Hoping For? incorporates hard rock, lively funk, sparse ballads, and elements of soul, punk rock, and progressive rock. The music has a loose feel, with grittier guitar and