Eric Hutchinson is an American
singer-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. He signed with
Madonna'sMadonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
Maverick RecordsMaverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
, but the label shut down before his album was released. Hutchinson recorded and released the album
Sounds Like ThisSounds Like This is the third studio album by singer/songwriter Eric Hutchinson. It was released on May 20, 2008.In the United States, the album is available as a single release in most retail and online stores....
on his own. The album won praise from gossip blogger
Perez HiltonMario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
, which sent it to the top ten on the
iTunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, where it peaked at number five in September 2007 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. The album was picked up by
Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, who released it in May 2008.
Biography
Born in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Hutchinson grew up in
Takoma Park, MarylandTakoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
, attended the Communication Arts Program at
Montgomery Blair High SchoolMontgomery Blair High School is a public high school located in unincorporated Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States...
, and went to
Emerson CollegeEmerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
in
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where he lived for about four years before moving to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. 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"Hot Cross Buns" is an English language nursery rhyme, Easter song and street cry referring to the spiced English bun associated with Good Friday known as a Hot Cross Bun...
out of a workbook." As of February 2007, he resides in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
On September 15, 2008, he performed his song "
Rock and Roll- Charts :The song has since gone Gold in Australia, with sales in excess of 35,000. It was also certified Gold in New Zealand, selling over 7,500 copies.- Year-end charts :...
" on
The Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
with
Jay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
. Eric has also performed "
Rock and Roll- Charts :The song has since gone Gold in Australia, with sales in excess of 35,000. It was also certified Gold in New Zealand, selling over 7,500 copies.- Year-end charts :...
" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!,
The Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
and
Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. Eric debuted his single "Ok It's Alright With Me" on
The Tonight Show with Conan O'BrienThe Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
on July 24, 2009.
Before his opening date in New York on the
Kelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
tour, Eric was interviewed by Scott Vollweiler, owner of Broken Records Magazine. Eric told BRM that "he just wants to write stuff he will enjoy playing. It's all about songwriting". He goes on to mention that
Stevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
,
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
and the Beatles were all primary influences on his style of music writing.
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 RaftersPacked to the Rafters is an Australian family-orientated television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and...
. 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 attain the #1 position on the Australian airplay chart in early April 2009.
"Rock and Roll" has reached #9 on the ARIA Australian Singles Chart and has been certified Platinum in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. "Rock and Roll" has also reached Gold in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Gold in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Gold in
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Hutchinson has also been named an AOL "About To Pop" artist, Yahoo! Who's Next Artist, MSN "One To Watch" Artist and a "
VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
You Oughta Know" Artist. Hutchinson recorded a theme song for ESPN's popular "Fantasy Focus" podcast.
Moving Up, Living Down - which will be released in sometime of 2011 - is the follow-up to Hutchinson's breakthrough debut, Sounds Like This.
Touring
Hutchinson plays venues across the U.S. and Canada, and has toured with
Joe JacksonJoe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
, Justin Nozuka,
Jason MrazJason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
,
G. LoveG. Love & Special Sauce is an alternative hip-hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are known for their unique, "sloppy", and "laid back" blues sound that encompasses classic R&B. The band features Garrett Dutton, better known as G...
,
Marie DigbyMarié Christina Digby is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actress. She is known for her acoustic cover version of Rihanna's "Umbrella", which attracted attention on YouTube in 2007...
,
Anya MarinaAnya Marina is a singer-songwriter based in San Diego, California. Her music has primarily gained notice after being on a variety of television sitcoms and has been featured on prime time dramas.the ABC television drama Grey's Anatomy as well as CBS's How I Met Your Mother, MTV's The Real World,...
,
Matt HiresMatt Hires is an American singer-songwriter from Tampa, Florida. Drawing inspiration from influences as disparate as The Band, Sufjan Stevens, Wilco and Ryan Adams, Matt became the first artist to sign with F-Stop Music, an imprint of Atlantic Records.- Biography :As a cabinet store worker by day...
,
Matt NathansonMatt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band. His work includes the platinum-selling song "Come On Get Higher".-Early life and college...
,
Meaghan SmithMeaghan Smith is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. While her independently-recorded debut album, The Cricket's Orchestra was picked up by Sire Records/Warner Music Canada and released in early 2010, she received a great deal of exposure by contributing a cover of alternative rock group...
, Pete Francis,
Rachael YamagataRachael Yamagata is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her musical career with the band Bumpus before becoming a solo artist and releasing four EP's and three studio albums...
,
Bob SchneiderBob Schneider is an Austin, Texas-based musician and artist. He currently resides in Bee Cave, Texas.- Early career :...
,
Blind MelonBlind Melon is an American rock band active from 1989 to 1999, and from 2006 onward.Best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain", the group enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock...
,
David MeadDavid Worth Mead is a Nashville-based pop singer-songwriter, best known for his soaring vocals and such albums as Indiana and Almost and Always...
,
Marshall CrenshawMarshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
,
Jonatha BrookeJonatha Brooke is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from Illinois.Her music merges elements of folk, rock and pop, often with poignant lyrics and complex harmonies...
,
Ari HestAri Hest is an American singer-songwriter and a native of Riverdale in the Bronx borough of New York.-Early life:Ari took piano lessons as a child and later, as a teenager, taught himself to play his mother's nylon string guitar by ear with influences from both his parents' record collection and...
,
Cary BrothersCary Brothers is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained national attention with his song "Blue Eyes" on the Platinum-selling,...
,
Jack's MannequinJack's Mannequin is an American rock band formed in 2004, originally hailing from Orange County, California. The band began as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the frontman for Something Corporate, and is composed of guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey "The Kid" Wagner, and drummer Jay...
,
SteadmanSteadman is a British indie rock band, formed in Hastings in 1998. The band's original name was The Dharmas, but they changed the name after they canceled their contract with the label Arista, and signed with lead singer Simon Steadman's own label, Freeloader Recordings. Steadman's first album,...
,
OneRepublicOneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
,
O.A.R.O.A.R. is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge , Chris Culos , Richard On , Benj Gershman , and Jerry DePizzo...
, and
Stephen Kellogg and the SixersStephen Kellogg and the Sixers is an American rock band formed in Western Massachusetts in 2003. The band features lead singer Stephen Kellogg , bassist and keyboard player Kit 'The Goose' Karlson, drummer Boots Factor, and electric guitar/pedal steel player Sam 'Steamer' Getz...
. Eric Hutchinson played in
OmahaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
at the Sokol Auditorium on April 2, 2009. The concert was a philanthropy event which supported ALS in the Heartland. In the summer and fall of 2009 Eric was one of the opening acts for
Kelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's North American, Australia & New Zealand of her "All I Ever Wanted Tour".
Reception
Hutchinson has been widely acclaimed for his prowess as a pianist, songwriter, and performer. He has been called "one of the most talented singer-songwriters that Boston has to offer," with comparisons to Pete Francis,
Jason MrazJason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
,
Stevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
,
Ben FoldsBenjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
,
Cat StevensYusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
,
Ryan MontbleauRyan Michael Montbleau is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He annually tours across the U.S. with the Ryan Montbleau Band.-Background:...
,
Billy JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Squeeze,
Neil FinnNeil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
, and even
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Journalist James Campion calls Hutchinson "a major talent with nary a trace of pretension" and "a sure thing."
Hutchinson placed second at the 2002 Los Angeles Songwriter's Grand Slam.
His song "Ok, Its Alright With Me" was featured in the premiere episode of
American IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
s ninth season.
He performed in the 2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.
His song "Rock & Roll" was featured in advertisements for Season 1 of Australian drama series
Packed to the RaftersPacked to the Rafters is an Australian family-orientated television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and...
, and appeared on the accompanying soundtrack.
"Rock & Roll" was also featured in the trailer for the film Away We Go.
His upcoming single "Watching you watch him" was featured in Grey's Anatomy premier episode of season 8.
Style
Hutchinson's music walks a line between
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, folk pop, and powerpop. It has been called "intelligent pop" with "painstakingly placed lyrics, brimming with sarcasm and wit", and "sunshine pop" with "feel-good playfulness" and a "plucky demeanor". In particular, "Rock and Roll" has a ska-inflected groove that busts into a rapid-fire bout of wordplay. Eric Hutchinson wanted to achieve a raw and vintage vibe to his debut album Sounds Like This. As the album progresses, he ranges from buoyant, thoughtful, soulful, and jazzy. Hutchinson cites his influences as
Stevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
,
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
,
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
,
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
,
Paul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
,
PrincePrince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
,
Billy JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
,
Ben Folds FiveBen Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...
, and
G. Love & Special SauceG. Love & Special Sauce is an alternative hip-hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are known for their unique, "sloppy", and "laid back" blues sound that encompasses classic R&B. The band features Garrett Dutton, better known as G...
.
Discography
| Album | Tracks |
That Could've Gone Better
- Released: March 25, 2003
- Label: Let's Break Records
- ASIN: B000CAEI9
|
- "Subtitles"
- "Rock and Roll"
- "Jettison"
- "Breakdown More"
- "All Used Up"
- "Same Mistakes"
- "Please"
|
Before I Sold Out
- Released: March 14, 2006
- ASIN: B000FTL0A0
|
"Modern Age"
"All Over Now"
"Outside Villanova"
"Breakdown More"
"Don't Hold Back"
"Call Me Back"
"Rock and Roll" |
| Sounds Like This Sounds Like This is the third studio album by singer/songwriter Eric Hutchinson. It was released on May 20, 2008.In the United States, the album is available as a single release in most retail and online stores....
- Released: May 20, 2008
- Label: Let's Break Records / Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
- Songwriting credits: All songs written by Eric Hutchinson
|
"OK, It's Alright with Me"
"You Don't Have to Believe Me"
"Outside Villanova"
"Food Chain"
"Rock and Roll"
"Oh!"
"All Over Now"
"It Hasn't Been Long Enough"
"Back to Where I Was"
"You've Got You" |
External links