The length of time between the original idea of Hungry and the actual composition was about 16 years. The piece was inspired by an episode of X-Files (also titled Hungry), in which a young man struggles with his almost primal need for consuming meat, which later leads to murder. Over those 16-or-so years of thinking about this piece, the idea moved from a cool, sci-fi story to an analogy for the addiction. So many aspects of the story can be directly linked to addiction: the obsession, the withdrawal, the sacrifices, and, worst of all, the inability to stop.
This piece goes through the repeating cycle of addiction, starting with the obsession and withdrawal, continuing to the horrible risks during the frantic time in getting the fix, and finally, the sheer momentary bliss that caps off one cycle, only to start the cycle all over again.
Hungry was written for Lyris Quartet.