Christian Lee Hutson
Christian Lee Hutson in 2017
Background information
Born (1990-11-05) November 5, 1990
OriginLos Angeles, California
GenresIndie folk[1]
LabelsAnti-
Websitewww.christianleehutson.com

Christian Lee Hutson (born November 5, 1990) is an American singer, musician and songwriter.[2] He began his career as a member of The Driftwood Singers,[3] before signing to ANTI‐ as a solo artist in 2019.[4] Hutson has since released two full-length albums: Beginners (2020) and Quitters (2022). Both records were co-produced by his friend and fellow musician, Phoebe Bridgers.[5]

In addition to his collaborations with Bridgers, Hutson is known for co-writing and performing songs with Samia,[6] Marshall Vore,[7] Whitmer Thomas,[8] Conor Oberst and Ethan Gruska.[7]

Early life

Hutson was born in Kansas City, Missouri on November 5, 1990.[9] He relocated to Los Angeles, California at the age of five;[10] shortly after his mother remarried. According to a 2020 Under The Radar profile, Hutson attended a fundamentalist Christian elementary school.[11]

Hutson began playing guitar at the age of 12;[11] the first song that he learned to play was Elizabeth Cotten’s ‘Freight Train’.[11] His earliest attempts at songwriting were influenced by vintage country records housed within his father’s record collection, including those released by Hank Williams.[10]

As a teenager, Hutson enjoyed the music of John Prine, Bright Eyes and Elliott Smith.[10] He ultimately dropped out of high school to pursue a musical career – a decision that was not supported by his parents.[11] Hutson’s adolescent experiences later inspired the lyrics of ‘Northsiders’ and ‘Seven Lakes’,[12][10] which are included on the 2020 album Beginners.

Career

The Driftwood Singers (c. 2010–2013)

Prior to embarking on a solo career, Hutson performed with Pearl Charles in The Driftwood Singers.[3] The Driftwood Singers were described as having “an affinity and talent for the traditional country folk sound” in a 2011 Amarillo Globe-News profile.[13] They began as an eight-piece ensemble, composed of students from the California Institute of the Arts, before reforming as a duo.[13]

Hutson and Charles released their first EP, Look!, in November 2011.[13] The Driftwood Singers also released a single, 'I Don't Live Here Anymore', and a self-titled album in 2012.[14] By February 2013, Hutson and Charles had ended their musical partnership.[15]

Solo career and collaborations with Phoebe Bridgers (2014–2019)

Hutson recorded his debut EP, We Will Never Break Up, in 2012.[16] His first solo album, The Hell With It, was released on the independent label Trailer Fire Records the following year.[3]

Trailer Fire Records also released Hutson’s sophomore solo record, Yeah Okay, I Know, in 2014.[3] The album was produced by Grammy Award nominee David Mayfield.[16] It spawned numerous singles, such as ‘They’re Gonna Hate Me’, ‘Dirty Little Cheat’ and ‘Mess’.[17] As with The Hell With It, Yeah Okay, I Know was not widely reviewed and is not available on any streaming services.

Hutson was introduced to Phoebe Bridgers by her touring guitarist, Harrison Whitford, in 2018.[12] Hutson has since co-written numerous songs on three projects featuring Bridgers – boygenius (2018), Better Oblivion Community Center (2019) and Punisher (2020).[18][19] He also supported Bridgers on her 2019 world tour,[11] and performed in the same capacity for boygenius’s 2019 European tour.[11]

Hutson performed as a touring guitarist for Jenny Lewis during this time,[20] in addition to supporting musical acts like Julia Jacklin and Okkervil River.[11]

Beginners and The Version Suicides (2020–2021)

Hutson was signed to ANTI– in 2019.[4] He released his first studio album, Beginners, on May 29, 2020.[4] Beginners was named after the Raymond Carver short story cycle of the same name.[21] Maeri Ferguson describes the album as “a spare and quiet collection of songs about the tenderness of adolescence, first love, heartbreak and the value of having a little perspective”.[22] It was preceded by the single ‘Northsiders’.[3]

Beginners was produced by Phoebe Bridgers.[12] Prior to the recording sessions with Bridgers, four versions of Beginners were completed.[10] The first was assisted by Dawes and Dash Hutton, a former drummer for the band Haim, and recorded in 2015.[10] The third version was produced by Ethan Gruska, who has previously collaborated with Fiona Apple and Blake Mills.[10] Meanwhile, the second and fourth versions were produced by unknown parties and failed to materialise.[10]

The final version of Beginners features contributions from Lucy Dacus, Conor Oberst and Meg Duffy of Hand Habits.[21] It was well-received by critics; earning a score of 7.8 from Pitchfork,[19] alongside a Metascore of 75 that signals ‘mostly positive reviews’.[23]

Hutson also released three EPs between 2020 and 2021, which are collectively known as ‘The Version Suicides’.[24] The three volumes feature contributions from musicians like Shamir, Fenne Lily and Julia Jacklin, and involve a combination of humorous and sincere covers.[24] Liz Phair’s ‘Why Can’t I?’, Taylor Swift’s ‘betty’ and The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ rank amongst the songs that Hutson has covered.[24]

Before the release of Quitters in 2022, Hutson also performed on projects released by Hand Habits, Ada Lea, Whitmer Thomas and Sasami.[8]

Quitters (2022–present)

Hutson began writing Quitters, his second album to be released via ANTI-, during the COVID-19 quarantine.[25] The record was produced by Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst and ultimately released on April 1, 2022.[26] Quitters was preceded by the lead single ‘Rubberneckers’, which was co-written by Alex Lahey.[27] Two additional singles, ‘Age Difference’ and ‘Strawberry Lemonade’, have also been released in support of the album.[28]

Hutson states that, lyrically, Quitters touches on “adult experiences and changes and trying to become okay with yourself”.[7] The LP also draws from numerous influences, including the Sofia Coppola film Somewhere, The Sarah Book by Scott McClanahan and the Paolo Sorrentino film Youth.[7] Quitters was recorded directly to analog tape – rather than in digital format – in an attempt to add warmth to the arrangements.[29]

Like its predecessor, Quitters was reviewed by music publications like Pitchfork and The Line of Best Fit.[26][30] Pitchfork bestowed a rating of 7.5 upon the album,[26] which also received a 74 Metascore that suggests ‘generally favourable reviews’.[31]

Between and 2022 and 2023, Hutson opened for Phoebe Bridgers on her international Reunion Tour.[32]

Musical style

Rolling Stone describes Hutson’s music as a combination of “folk”, “Americana” and “retro-country”,[10] while Hutson cites his musical influences as Elliott Smith, Hank Williams, Gillian Welch,[10] Randy Newman[33] and John Prine.[10]

Hutson plays acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle in addition to singing.[13] His early recordings possess a DIY or lo-fi quality;[10] Bridgers attempted to preserve the “homespun” nature of Hutson’s original Voice Memo demos when producing Beginners.[34]

Hutson also enjoys the prose of George Saunders, Haruki Murakami, Sally Rooney[20] and Raymond Carver,[21] and claims that all four authors have informed his songwriting.[20]

Personal life

Hutson was married to Los Angeles singer-songwriter Sharon Silva.[35][36]

Hutson has also been diagnosed with Pure OCD;[37] he describes writing the Quitters song ‘OCDemon’ as a “therapeutic exercise”.[37]

In 2020, Hutson gave free guitar lessons over Zoom to support the Black Lives Matter movement.[38] He has also supported various bail projects throughout the United States.[38]

Hutson has several tattoos, one of which pays tribute to Hank Williams.[12]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details
The Hell with It
  • Released: 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: CD
Yeah Okay, I Know
  • Released: 2014
  • Label: Trailer Fire
  • Formats: CD, LP
Beginners
Quitters
  • Released: April 1, 2022
  • Label: Anti-
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

Extended plays

Title Details
Will Never Break Up
  • Released: 2012
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: CD
Christian Lee Hutson on Audiotree Live
  • Released: August 3, 2016
  • Label: Audiotree
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Jam in the Van – Christian Lee Hutson
  • Released: February 25, 2017
  • Label: Jam in the Van
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
The Version Suicides, Vol. 1
  • Released: January 15, 2021
  • Label: Anti-
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
The Version Suicides, Vol. 2
  • Released: March 15, 2021
  • Label: Anti-
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
The Version Suicides, Vol. 3
  • Released: August 6, 2021
  • Label: Anti-
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

Title Year Details
"Northsiders" 2019 Beginners
"Strawberry Lemonade" 2021 Quitters
"Rubberneckers" 2022
"Age Difference"

References

  1. ↑ "Christian Lee Hutson: Beginners Album Review". pitchfork.
  2. ↑ "Daily Discovery: Christian Lee Hutson, "One, Two, Three"". American Songwriter. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Christian Lee Hutson Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  4. 1 2 3 ANTI-. "Christian Lee Hutson Signs To Anti, Announces New Album 'Beginners' | News". Anti Records. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  5. ↑ "Christian Lee Hutson announces new album produced by Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  6. ↑ "Samia shares Christian Lee Hutson's version of "Does Not Heal"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "On collaboration and community". thecreativeindependent.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  8. 1 2 "Christian Lee Hutson | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  9. ↑ "Christian Lee Hutson Concert & Tour History (Updated for 2023) | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Bernstein, Jonathan (2020-07-16). "Christian Lee Hutson is Ready for His Close-Up". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Redfern, Mark; Small, Samantha. "My Firsts: Christian Lee Hutson". www.undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  12. 1 2 3 4 ""It feels like I'm reacting to stuff that happened years ago": Christian Lee Hutson on the long gestation of his Phoebe Bridgers-produced album". Guitar.com | All Things Guitar. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  13. 1 2 3 4 STAFF, GLOBE-NEWS. "Driftwood Singers bring in folk sound". Amarillo Globe-News. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  14. ↑ "I Don't Live Here Anymore, by The Driftwood Singers". The Driftwood Singers. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  15. ↑ "Anti-Vday Desert Nights with Christian Lee Hutson, Matt Taylor, and Slums". www.standardhotels.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  16. 1 2 "Event | RECORD STORE DAY". recordstoreday.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  17. ↑ "Christian Lee Hutson - Rubberneckers Lyrics | Lyrics.com". www.lyrics.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  18. ↑ Rogers, Jude (2020-07-18). "One to watch: Christian Lee Hutson". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  19. 1 2 "Christian Lee Hutson: Beginners". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  20. 1 2 3 Rose, Francesca (2020-06-01). "Interview with Christian Lee Hutson: From Collaborator to Solo Storyteller". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  21. 1 2 3 "Christian Lee Hutson: Beginners | Music | Metropolis Magazine Japan". Metropolis Japan. 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  22. ↑ "Christian Lee Hutson Combines New and Nostalgia on 'Beginners'". No Depression. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  23. ↑ Beginners by Christian Lee Hutson, retrieved 2023-02-09
  24. 1 2 3 ANTI-. "Christian Lee Hutson Releases 'The Version Suicides Vol. 3' | News". Anti Records. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  25. ↑ "Who Is Christian Lee Hutson?". Scene+Heard. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  26. 1 2 3 "Christian Lee Hutson: Quitters". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  27. ↑ "Rubberneckers, by Christian Lee Hutson". Christian Lee Hutson. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  28. ↑ Wallock, Matt (2022-02-24). "Video: Christian Lee Hutson, 'Age Difference'". buzzbands.la. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  29. ↑ Newcomb, Brian Q. "Christian Lee Hutson: Quitters [Album Review]". The Fire Note. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  30. ↑ "Quitters proves that Christian Lee Hutson could be one of his generations strongest songwriters". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  31. ↑ Quitters by Christian Lee Hutson, retrieved 2023-02-09
  32. ↑ "Christian Lee Hutson to Play Debut Australian Headline Shows". Music Feeds. 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  33. ↑ Wolper, Caitlin (2022-04-28). "Christian Lee Hutson Just Wants You to Laugh". SPIN. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  34. ↑ Inc, Deathwish. "Christian Lee Hutson "Beginners"". Deathwish Inc. Retrieved 2023-02-09. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  35. ↑ "@chrisleehutson". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  36. ↑ Lavin, Will (2020-05-07). "Watch Christian Lee Hutson's new video featuring cameos from Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst". NME. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  37. 1 2 "Christian Lee Hutson Walks Us Through His Reflective New LP "Quitters" Track by Track". FLOOD. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  38. 1 2 "Christian Lee Hutson is on the rise | Interview". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.