Eric Hutchinson: Difference between revisions
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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Eric Hutchinson looks like the kind of guy you can trust – honest, approachable, somehow familiar. There’s just something about him that invites you to give up your innermost thoughts. And complete strangers don’t hesitate to do so, as he wryly details in “Oh!” |
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Born in [[Washington, D.C.]], Hutchinson grew up in [[Takoma Park, Maryland]], attended [[Montgomery Blair High School]] and went to [[Emerson College]] in [[Boston]], where he lived for about four years before moving to [[Los Angeles]]. Hutchinson began playing guitar around 1995, and later added piano to his repertoire. When on acoustic guitar, he plays with exuberance, often laying down [[percussive]] hand slaps on the strings. He says he "should've taken more guitar lessons," but was always "more interested in playing and singing songs I knew and liked better than [[Hot Cross Buns]] out of a workbook."<ref name="Discovering">{{cite web|url=http://www.discoveringartists.com/html/interviews/eric_hutchinson091303.asp |date=September 13, 2003 |first=Kristen |last=Fischer |publisher=Discovering Artists |title=Interview, Eric Hutchinson |accessdate=2009-06-22}}</ref><ref name="WERS">{{cite web|url=http://www.wers.org/articles/?id=340 |date=February 26, 2007 |title=Artist Interview: Eric Hutchinson |accessdate=2009-06-22}}</ref> As of February 2007, he resides in [[New York City]]. |
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Riding the subway with the scent of her hair |
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On September 26, 2007, he performed live on the nationally syndicated music radio program "[[World Cafe]]", along with singer/songwriter [[Matt Duke]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=1983 |title=World Cafe Live |accessdate=2009-06-22}}</ref> On September 15, 2008, he performed his song "[[Rock and Roll]]" on [[The Tonight Show]] with [[Jay Leno]]. |
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She took out a toothbrush started using it there |
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She explained “I’m always sure today’s the day I will die |
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I wanna look good if I get to look God in the eye” |
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And I said “Oh!” |
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“Oh” is one of 10 keenly observed songs from Hutchinson’s self-released debut album, Sounds Like This. The CD, which showcases the young singer-songwriter’s unique brand of soul, bowed at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in September 2007. But “Oh!” was penned during a dismal period of his life. His deal with Maverick Records had fallen apart when the parent company shuttered the label. With the plug pulled on his nascent recording sessions, Eric hit the road again. “It was all about getting the exposure and the experience,” he says. After a relentless touring schedule, Hutchinson, who began writing songs as a child in the DC suburb of Takoma Park, MD, put everything he had into making his album. |
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His song ''Rock and Roll'' was used in the movie ''[[Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2]]'', and was included in the soundtrack. ''Rock and Roll'' was also used as the song to end the final episode of 2008 series of [[Packed to the Rafters]]. Packed To The Rafters was the highest rating Australian show in 2008. It was featured in the Platinum selling Packed to the Rafters soundtrack. "Rock and Roll" went on to get a number #1 postition on the Australian airplay chart in early April 2009. |
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Sounds Like This was released on Hutchinson’s own label, Let’s Break Records, at the end of August 2007. Overnight it was breaking records – thanks largely to the efforts of a good friend. One of his high school buddies emailed celebrity blogger Perez Hilton a link to Hutchinson’s MySpace page. Hilton recommended it on his site and soon, Eric’s album was ensconced in iTunes’ Top 10 alongside the latest releases from Kanye West and Dave Matthews. It peaked at #5 on the iTunes album chart, becoming the highest-charting album by an unsigned act in iTunes history. No small accomplishment for a record that almost didn’t get made. |
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"Rock and Roll" has reached a number #8 position on the ARIA Australian Singles Chart and has been certified <G> Gold in Australia with more than 35,000 sales. |
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A flurry of press followed, including features in Billboard and the Washington Post, which said ““Hutchinson is undeniably charismatic, splitting his time between keyboard and guitar, crooning about stormy romances and everyday struggles.” |
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In September 2008, Hutchinson was named a "[[VH1]] You Oughta Know" Artist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/you_oughta_know |title=VH1 You Ought Know |accessdate=2009-06-22}}</ref> |
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Eric recorded most of Sounds Like This with producer Will Golden (Joe Purdy, Ian Ball) in Los Angeles and two songs with Paul Kolderie (Radiohead) in Boston. “They were both really open to letting me do my own thing, but at the same time, were there to guide everything,” he says. “They didn’t involve their egos at all – they just wanted to make music they believed in.” |
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Although he’s been favorably compared to his early idols (Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Paul Simon), one of the most remarkable things about Sounds Like This is the sheer breadth of musical styles Hutchinson effortlessly encompasses. His ease is perhaps inherited from his grandmother, who played viola in a local orchestra, backing everyone from Tony Bennett to Aretha Franklin as they came through town. From the buoyant album opener, “Ok, It’s Alright With Me” to the thoughtful “Back to Where I Was,” depicting two friends at crossroads in their respective lives, to the soulful “You’ve Got You,” the self-described student of pop music fuses divergent styles into a sound he alone owns. Hutchinson’s vocals veer from a gritty growl to a shimmering falsetto on “Outside Villanova,” which gives way to the jazzy “Food Chain,” wherein the narrator comes to terms with a relationship marred by lies and broken expectations. |
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Fan favorite and first single, “Rock & Roll” follows a pair of players rolling their way through the bar scene and ultimately into bed with one another, while its lilting ska-inflected groove erupts into one of Hutchinson’s rapid-fire bouts of wordplay. Eric takes pride in the raw, vintage vibe of Sounds Like This. “I tried really hard to keep it organic,” he says. “Music is human expression and what’s more human than to make a mistake? So to record something and then take out all the mistakes leaves the project with no soul to it.” |
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Hutchinson moved to New York last spring and, eager to tour behind Sounds Like This, began putting together a band. With Jimmy Coleman on drums and Tom Craskey on bass, the trio hit the road in January 2008 with OneRepublic and will be touring non-stop as Eric closes in on his goal of playing each of the 50 states and embarks on his first international gigs. And, of course, he will no doubt find inspiration in the inevitable random conversations with total strangers along the way. He’s already writing material for the next record. “I need to be able to road test songs before I feel comfortable putting them on an album,” says Hutchinson, preparing to burn rubber. |
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</ref> |
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===Touring=== |
===Touring=== |
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Revision as of 19:38, 10 August 2009
Eric Hutchinson |
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Eric Hutchinson (born September 8, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter. He signed with Madonna's Maverick Records, but the label shut down before his album was released. Hutchinson recorded and released the album Sounds Like This on his own. The album won praise from gossip blogger Perez Hilton, which sent it to the top ten on the iTunes Store, where it peaked at number five in September 2007. The album was picked up by Warner Bros. Records, who released it in May 2008.
Biography
Eric Hutchinson looks like the kind of guy you can trust – honest, approachable, somehow familiar. There’s just something about him that invites you to give up your innermost thoughts. And complete strangers don’t hesitate to do so, as he wryly details in “Oh!”
Riding the subway with the scent of her hair She took out a toothbrush started using it there She explained “I’m always sure today’s the day I will die I wanna look good if I get to look God in the eye” And I said “Oh!”
“Oh” is one of 10 keenly observed songs from Hutchinson’s self-released debut album, Sounds Like This. The CD, which showcases the young singer-songwriter’s unique brand of soul, bowed at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in September 2007. But “Oh!” was penned during a dismal period of his life. His deal with Maverick Records had fallen apart when the parent company shuttered the label. With the plug pulled on his nascent recording sessions, Eric hit the road again. “It was all about getting the exposure and the experience,” he says. After a relentless touring schedule, Hutchinson, who began writing songs as a child in the DC suburb of Takoma Park, MD, put everything he had into making his album.
Sounds Like This was released on Hutchinson’s own label, Let’s Break Records, at the end of August 2007. Overnight it was breaking records – thanks largely to the efforts of a good friend. One of his high school buddies emailed celebrity blogger Perez Hilton a link to Hutchinson’s MySpace page. Hilton recommended it on his site and soon, Eric’s album was ensconced in iTunes’ Top 10 alongside the latest releases from Kanye West and Dave Matthews. It peaked at #5 on the iTunes album chart, becoming the highest-charting album by an unsigned act in iTunes history. No small accomplishment for a record that almost didn’t get made.
A flurry of press followed, including features in Billboard and the Washington Post, which said ““Hutchinson is undeniably charismatic, splitting his time between keyboard and guitar, crooning about stormy romances and everyday struggles.”
Eric recorded most of Sounds Like This with producer Will Golden (Joe Purdy, Ian Ball) in Los Angeles and two songs with Paul Kolderie (Radiohead) in Boston. “They were both really open to letting me do my own thing, but at the same time, were there to guide everything,” he says. “They didn’t involve their egos at all – they just wanted to make music they believed in.”
Although he’s been favorably compared to his early idols (Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Paul Simon), one of the most remarkable things about Sounds Like This is the sheer breadth of musical styles Hutchinson effortlessly encompasses. His ease is perhaps inherited from his grandmother, who played viola in a local orchestra, backing everyone from Tony Bennett to Aretha Franklin as they came through town. From the buoyant album opener, “Ok, It’s Alright With Me” to the thoughtful “Back to Where I Was,” depicting two friends at crossroads in their respective lives, to the soulful “You’ve Got You,” the self-described student of pop music fuses divergent styles into a sound he alone owns. Hutchinson’s vocals veer from a gritty growl to a shimmering falsetto on “Outside Villanova,” which gives way to the jazzy “Food Chain,” wherein the narrator comes to terms with a relationship marred by lies and broken expectations.
Fan favorite and first single, “Rock & Roll” follows a pair of players rolling their way through the bar scene and ultimately into bed with one another, while its lilting ska-inflected groove erupts into one of Hutchinson’s rapid-fire bouts of wordplay. Eric takes pride in the raw, vintage vibe of Sounds Like This. “I tried really hard to keep it organic,” he says. “Music is human expression and what’s more human than to make a mistake? So to record something and then take out all the mistakes leaves the project with no soul to it.”
Hutchinson moved to New York last spring and, eager to tour behind Sounds Like This, began putting together a band. With Jimmy Coleman on drums and Tom Craskey on bass, the trio hit the road in January 2008 with OneRepublic and will be touring non-stop as Eric closes in on his goal of playing each of the 50 states and embarks on his first international gigs. And, of course, he will no doubt find inspiration in the inevitable random conversations with total strangers along the way. He’s already writing material for the next record. “I need to be able to road test songs before I feel comfortable putting them on an album,” says Hutchinson, preparing to burn rubber. </ref>
Touring
Hutchinson plays venues across the U.S. and Canada, and has toured with Joe Jackson, and G. Love.[1][2] He has opened shows for such artists as Pete Francis, Rachael Yamagata, Bob Schneider, Blind Melon, David Mead, Marshall Crenshaw, Jonatha Brooke, Ari Hest, Jack's Mannequin, Steadman, Jason Mraz, OneRepublic, O.A.R., and Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers.[3][4] During September 2007, recognition from Perez Hilton catapulted Hutchinson's Sounds Like This album onto iTunes list of top-ten sellers.[5][6] Eric Hutchinson played in Omaha, Nebraska at the Sokol Auditorium on April 2, 2009. The concert was a philanthropy event which supported ALS in the Heartland. In the summer of 2009 Eric will be opening some shows for Kelly Clarkson's "All I Ever Wanted Summer Fair Mini-Tour".
Reception
Hutchinson has been widely acclaimed for his prowess as a pianist, songwriter, and performer.[7] He has been called "one of the most talented singer-songwriters that Boston has to offer," with comparisons to Pete Francis, Jason Mraz, Stevie Wonder, Ben Folds, Cat Stevens, Ryan Montbleau, Billy Joel, Squeeze, Neil Finn, and even The Beatles.[8][9][10][11][12] Journalist James Campion calls Hutchinson "a major talent with nary a trace of pretension" and "a sure thing."[13]
Hutchinson's debut album That Could've Gone Better has been called "clever, heartfelt and witty."[14]
Hutchinson placed second at the 2002 Los Angeles Songwriter's Grand Slam.[15]
Style
Hutchinson's music walks a line between rock, folk pop, and powerpop. It has been called "intelligent pop" with "painstakingly placed lyrics, brimming with sarcasm and wit",[16] and "sunshine pop" with "feel-good playfulness" and a "plucky demeanor".[17] Hutchinson cites his influences as Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Prince, Billy Joel, Ben Folds Five, and G. Love & Special Sauce.[18]
Discography
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| Album | Tracks |
|---|---|
That Could've Gone Better
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Before I Sold Out
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Sounds Like This
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References
- ^ "New York City-based singer-songwriter". Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
WERSwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Editorial Review, Eric Hutchinson". NewYorkCity.com. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ Smith, Jaqueline (October 27, 2005). "Sounds". Los Angeles City Beat.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Eric Hutchinson: Perez Hilton Hears a Hit". September 7, 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Holy Shiz!!!!!!!". PerezHilton.com. September 6, 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Discoveringwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Richards, Chris. "Singer Caught the Right Ear and Landed At the Top of iTunes". Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ Stefanovich, Nick (June 6, 2007). "Artist Interview: Eric Hutchinson". Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ Almond, Steve. "Not That You Asked". Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Eric Hutchinson". Last.FM. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Eric Hutchinson, That Could've Have Gone Better". Ear Candy Magazine. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Eric Hutchinson, The Cutting Room NYC 10/17/06". Aquarian Weekly. November 22, 2006. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Eric Hutchinson's debut album That Could've Gone Better is clever, heartfelt and witty". Dreams Awake. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "George Cowan Records Eric Hutchinson with Sennheiser, Neumann and True Systems". Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Eric Hutchinson". Milkboy Coffee. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Eric Hutchinson". Bostonist. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Artist's MySpace page". Retrieved 2009-06-22.
External links
{{subst:#if:Hutchinson, Eric|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1980}}
|| UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}||LIVING=(living people)}}
| #default = 1980 births
}}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}
|| LIVING = | MISSING = | UNKNOWN = | #default =
}}