Christian Lee Hutson

BIRTHDATE: November 5th, 1990

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA

CURRENT LOCATION: Nashville, TN

AMBITIONS: Mostly just survival even if it’s just treading water.

TURN-OFFS: That moment when the performer apologizes to the audience for “the low turnout”

TURN-ONS: Eye contact

DREAM GIG: I’d like to play on a big boat someday. Maybe a docked boat, though. My stomach can’t really handle open ocean.

FAVORITE LYRIC: It’s ever changing but today it’s this beautiful Paleface line.

“I saw red and yellow hues and blues you could not play”

CRAZIEST PERSON I KNOW: There’s a long list but I suppose I’m at the top of it.

SONG I WISH I WROTE: “No Place to Fall” – Townes Van Zandt

5 PEOPLE I’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Washington Phillips, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Rainer Maria Rilke, Gregory Corso, and John Prine

MY FAVORITE CONCERT EXPERIENCE: I saw Dylan when I was in high school, who was God to me at the time and honestly I don’t remember even particularly enjoying it. I had just had my first brush with any kind of heartbreak, the romantic kind, and the girl in question decided she would still be my date to concert. Whatever relationship we’d had was so short lived that it’s strange to think about now but I think I used that specific night as justification pursuing writing.

I WROTE THIS SONG: as an attempt to will some kind of hopefulness or certainty into my life. It brought neither. - American Songwriter

Going back to your childhood home can be agonizing, especially if you didn’t have the greatest time growing up. Christian Lee Hutson revisits that concept in his new video for ‘Ghost to Coast.’
The clip is set at the Echo Country Outpost in Los Angeles, Hutson’s “home away from home” and his “favorite music venue in the world.” He walks around — dressed for much cooler climes — hauling an old TV and revisiting the shuttered music venue that meant so much to him.
You can watch the video — an exclusive premiere — above.
Among all the locals lounging around in blowup pools and, later, romping at a confetti-filled dance party, Hutson stands out with his stone-faced demeanor. He looks quite bored with the whole thing, which is probably the point, given the song and video’s subject.
“‘Ghost to Coast’ is about going home, but going home to a place that doesn’t match your aesthetic,” Hutson tells us. “I went to high school in Santa Monica, and I wore a heavy suede blazer to school everyday like a total weirdo. I suppose I don’t mention that specifically anywhere in the song, but that’s an example. When I wrote it, I had just been in NYC on tour after my first record came out, and I remember riding the train while a friend gave me grief for being sober and for complaining about living in California. ‘Ghost to Coast’ is about my unparalleled talent for complaining.”
With his laid-back vocals and the song’s mellow guitar, ‘Ghost to Coast’ sets the tone for a lazy day of doing almost nothing at all. And if the song gets a bit meditative at times, Hutson says there’s good reason for that. “I wrote it in a super-gross hotel room in Las Vegas,” he says. “I was finishing up the first leg of a tour … and I was dreading returning to southern California.
“I grew up in Los Angeles, which symbolized a sort of uncomfortable consistency that made me kind of nauseous to imagine at the time, and I wanted to write something that poked fun at my tendency to be the death of the party,” he continues. “Ironically, I’ve found myself craving the coast now that I only see it every few months.”
‘Ghost to Coast’ comes from Hutson’s upcoming second album, ‘Yeah Okay, I Know,’ which will be released later this year.


Read More: Christian Lee Hutson Sings About Going Home in 'Ghost to Coast' - Exclusive Premiere | http://diffuser.fm/christian-lee-hutson-ghost-to-coast/?trackback=tsmclip - Diffuser

I've been trying to write about Christian Lee Hutson since I met him at the Communion tour but I've never been able to just sit down and write what I feel would do him justice. He was the first act to go on that night and that's a precarious position to be in but he took the stage and made it his own for that set. We talked for a couple minutes after he played and I got to learn a little more about him. I found out that he travels the country most of the year gigging his heart out and trying to just make that connection with fans that get what he's trying to express. His message is that of someone much older than him but his experience is far from lacking. He's paying his dues and putting in his time and that's making him into a true artist, unlike the manufactured pop artists or reality show contestants that have fame shoved into their lap.
What I don't know about classic country music could fill a library so there's no way in the world I can say he sounds like this person or he's channeling this person. What I know is that his music is honest. It's raw and at the heart of it, it's got teeth. Country and Western music was created to tell the stories of the people affected by the day to day life in rural America. It's built on stories and experiences that at one point in time or another in our lives, we have had the opportunity to experience. It's edgy and it's angry and it's heartbroken and it's human. Classic country music that hasn't been influenced by the more suburban influences of today is about as hardcore and punk rock as those genres. There's killing and there's loss and there's all form of emotion and anti-establishment messages. Christian pulls a lot of those same ideas into his music as well and he's created a platform in today's pop/rock country world where that storied history and those traditions of picking yourself up off the ground and knocking the dirt off your jeans and moving on is as rich today as it ever was.

Let's talk about this song and video now. First and foremost, you cannot deny his charisma and his stage presence on video. The man knows how to sell his performance and when you're dealing with the dichotomies of the two characters he's playing in the video, the range of emotion is staggering. There are times when he flashes a look at the camera or something slides across his face and you just have to stop for a minute because you can see there's actually something happening there. It's not forced, it's not acting. It's a connection to his music and his message that allows him to just give you all he has to give. There are expressions he gives through out the video that tear right into the heart of you and leave you going.....damn.
The song itself is full of hurt and resentment but it holds no one at fault. It's fells like a melodic exercise in Shit Happens or "Well, we tried that. It didn't work. Let's acknowledge and move on." So many of our relationships happen this way. We start out thinking that everything is going to be one way and we hope that this is going to be exactly what we want but as we get into the thick of it we realize that it's nothing like we wanted. There's no one to be blamed in the long run when the layers are peeled back and we just realize we aren't compatible so we part ways and move on.
I can't express how much this song has affected me and the video for that matter. I don't see the two characters in the video as a man and a woman but more as the person you are and the person you outwardly project to people when you're up to your neck in a relationship that's only dragging you down. You're polished and put together for everyone to see. You're charming and you smile easily but when you're alone, your makeup is a mess and you can't seem to pull yourself together. You're as fragile as glass and can break if someone looks at you hard or you've cobbled together enough gumption to smile and move on.
I own his full length album and I've listened to it many times but when the composition and the structure of the music carries as much weight as his does, you simply don't sit down and write a fluff piece about track four. You have to dig in and experience it. I plan to cover him more in the future, and want him to become an amazingly successful artist because I think the emotional territory he's willing to tread is about as deep as you can go and it's done with just him and a guitar. - Pop, Rinse, Repeat

Christian Lee Hutson is billed as the "King of Bummercore". I guess that's because he sounds sincere when he sings lines like "I can’t uncomplicate this awful mess" (I Do Mean Well) and “they should’ve hired someone more upbeat” (They’re All Gonna Hate Me). “Yeah Okay, I Know” is his second full length release and, quite frankly, it’s startlingly good. Like ‘years end list’ good. It sounds like it could have been recorded back in the golden age of radio. Only with some vital new sounds and scope. Its twelve songs cleverly crafted with great attention to detail and Hutson’s musings are wry, smart, relatable and misleading. He has a way about him that suggests he’s immersed in the traditions of country music and as a result he recalls the likes of those daring country troubadours Willie Nelson, Hank Williams and, like on That’ll Do, Townes Van Zandt.

There will, of course, be the comparisons to other notable young and vibrant ‘old souls’ of recent years such as Connor Oberst, Willy Mason, or M. Ward, but there’s also the ‘mad scientist’ vibes of the likes of Beck and Joseph Arthur on tracks like Ghost To Coast and Castles In The Air. The production, courtesy of David Mayfield, is wickedly smart and each song is packed with incredibly special little moments (like the wonderful fuzzed-up guitar that kicks in after Hutson admits to spending “too long playing dead” or the stuttering and hissing tape effect towards the end of Dirty Little Cheat). The old-timey structures are coloured by hooky melodies, unpredictable flourishes and unexpected instrumentation, which all happen to be executed with a deftness of touch. So yeah, Hutson is a maverick and, if there’s any justice in this big ol’ mad, mad music world, he’s certain to be a huge success. With ‘Yeah Okay, I Know’, he’s bypassed the difficult second album and delivered a record that's daring, vibrant and original. One of those that they would normally call a career defining piece of work and one that sets the bar high for whatever he hits us with next. A remarkable album. - Americana UK

Christian Lee Hutson doesn’t like to wait.

In fact, his recent album, “Yeah Okay I Know,” was just released and he’s already working on another album in Nashville, Tenn.

“I have 30 new songs from the last two months,” he says during an interview. “I’m the type of person who can’t do nothing. I need to work 24 hours a day.”

Before going solo, Hutson was a member of the band The Driftwood Singers. Since going out on his own, he has found a rhythm all his own.

“It’s really nice to be out on the road by myself,” he says. “There’s no one else to make decisions. I can just pick up and go. I think I’m good in a band setting when it comes to playing. But I’m difficult in so many other ways. I’m a perfectionist in the truest form.”

Hutson’s writing has changed since his debut album. He says the first album was inspired a lot by the break up of the band.

“It was an awful break up on both sides of my life,” he says. “The band was gone as was this girl I was dating. This time around, the style of my music is more uniform and all of the songs are written in the same head space.”

Hutson also has been sober for nearly two years, which has contributed to his writing style.

Christian Lee Hutson
WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 2
WHERE: Tortugas Gallery, 901 Edith SE
HOW MUCH: $10 at the door, all ages
“I have so much more clarity,” he says. “I was lost and can probably easily fall back. It’s a journey for me every day to keep moving forward.”

The last time Hutson performed in Albuquerque he felt bad about the show because he had laryngitis. He opted to perform a show that was completely instrumental.

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep myself healthy and I’ll have a voice,” he says. “Last time at Burt’s Tiki Lounge, it was awful because I think people were expecting music like The Driftwood Singers. There were no words at all and I couldn’t even apologize.” - Albuquerque Journal

Christian Lee Hutson wrote a song about the first night he visited Hot Springs. It was the title track of his 2013 album called The Hell with It, inspired by an unsuccessfully drunken attempt to pick a woman up at the bar Maxine’s, which was the venue he had played that evening along with AJ Gaither. As we know from country songs and so many other genres of music, the life of the touring solo artist can be a lonely road to follow, especially when too much alcohol blends into the mix. It can be a hazard of the lifestyle, visiting a different town each night and no one to keep you preoccupied except strangers. Hutson’s songs are honest, his albums an open diary of sincerity.
Sober now for nearly two years, the last time he visited Hot Springs was on a beautiful spring day last March during the Valley of the Vapors Music Festival. He was playing his 1938 Kay Television acoustic, while singing for an audience of families and pets off of Canyon Trail, in the hills of National Park that surround downtown. “It’s always a good day when you can play outdoors,” says Hutson.
He will be returning to Hot Springs this Thursday to play again at Maxine’s Live Music Venue. On a small tour with Rachael Kate, they will also be playing with Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth.
“Rachael Kate is the female equivalent of what I want to be doing with an amazing crazy voice and a killer writer on top of it all,” marvels Hutson. He has already completed his most recent album called Yeah Okay, I Know, which he is releasing as one song a month on his website www.christianleehutson.com.
As a touring musician who likes to be out on the road, Hutson has found that he enjoys having a new song to promote each month with the album and thinks that releasing the tracks individually will allow people to appreciate them and the entire album more as a whole. “I think that people’s attention span when it comes to listening to a record is different. Records are like books, I’ll listen to an album back to back but some people like to open it up to find a passage they like and put it back down. I just think that it’s also a thing for me, I was most proud of every song, there was no song I liked more than the other,” says Hutson.
Hutson also enjoys the participation of making videos for each of the songs released. He often has a lot of fun sitting down and talking about what each song might mean, and the videos help enforce the meaning within the songs. Tapping into his theatrical desires, Hutson portrays eccentric characters in his music videos, an example being the video made for the song “No Apologies, Please”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZSDFKTDhYY
While growing up, Hutson listened to Hank Williams, George Jones, and many other classic country icons. More complex singer songwriters such as Gram Parsons, who he happens to share a birthday with, were also very influential on him in revealing the style of music that he wanted to pursue. Playing now with artists like Sturgill Simpson, and other contemporary Americana/Classic Country artists, Hutson has fallen into good company, playing among artists who are doing something both valuable and original to a brand of traditional music that has dwindled in popularity for contemporary audiences. Like Gram Parsons, Hutson appeals to a vein of Americana and folk pop that has started to prevail throughout Nashville and the country. Establishing a sound that’s both sensitive and defined, he has methodically crafted a genuine approach for introducing his music to new listeners.
Sometimes revelatory and sometimes bleak, his songs are written in the same manner of his classic country predecessors. “I’m really into admission and exercising the shitty parts of yourself, it’s all about getting real, getting weird and being human,” confides Hutson. “I think the coolest thing about being a songwriter is that you single handedly get to express things that you hope others are feeling. When others let me know that I’m right, then I understand that I’m not an island. I’m not an alien, and it feels good,” says Hutson.
Come to Maxine’s this Thursday on June 26th to catch a great show and discover more about visiting bands and singer songwriters in the Hot Springs area. - Hot Springs Hot Spots

With a steady croon across a buoyant melody, Christian Lee Hutson welcomes listeners to his sophomore album with a pleasantly low-key invitation in the form of “One, Two, Three”. Its a considerably greater down-home picture than the acoustic, Americana-flavored inflections paint it offbeat, lo-fi blues of 2013’s The Hell With It opener “Texico”, but easier listening doesn’t pave way for a worse-off time. A quiet confidence exudes from Hutson’s grit-tinged vocal as he handles the miniature journey crafted by the rollicking folk-influenced opener like never before – a telltale sign that, in the two years since his debut album, he has become more relaxed in his skin as an artist. It’s his best song so far by a miles-long stretch, and a defining moment on the album.

That said, as with his previous effort, Hutson doesn’t merely decide to stay in a singular soundscape without his fair share of musical meandering. “One, Two, Three” follow-up “Playing Dead” plays with a lo-fi rock inflections, whereas “That’ll Do” takes the classic Bright Eyes technique of finding something worthy of a tune in melodramatic imperfection and runs with it, though with a dependably balanced delivery more akin to the key of Elliott Smith. Hutson goes on to further his musical portfolio with the wah-wah friendly doo-wop progressions of “I Do Mean Well” with a jagged trill, and the old soul-meets-haunting electronica melodies and instrumentation of “Dirty Little Cheat”.

One would think that, for one as musically inclined as Christian Lee Hutson, a great album would just about come easy. However, even with all of the aforementioned above being said, even with Hutson’s abilities as a songwriter reaching greater experimental heights, and even as he gains more stock in himself as an overall performer, there is still something distinctive missing from his general presentation. Regardless of the impressive stylistic design of the track, Hutson proves himself to be more of an engineer than a singer.

Though there is emotion to be had, the overall delivery of his lyrics oftentimes comes off as one-track and trite, making it hard to uncover them from beneath the blanket of clever arrangements and slick production. It may have been the intention to make them second-rate on tracks like “Castle in the Air” or “Ghost To Coast”, both of which feature wildly unique instrumentation but ultimately fail to transition beyond the overarching Americana infrastructure of Yeah Okay, I Know enough to warrant not invoking a feeling beyond sardonic into his work. With that said, however, small tinges of genuine yearning and actual dynamism are to be cherry-picked from the album, and in it come its greatest moments. He strikes a chord midway through “Ghost To Coast” for an iota of a moment, and “No Apologies, Please” and “Late November”, despite their equally sleepy pace, are truly affecting.

As it stands, it seems like Hutson is at a crossroads between Yeah Okay, I Know and however many dues are paid in between it and the next album. Yeah Okay, I Know is a work brimming with promise for the young singer-songwriter, and for what it’s worth, is a definite step-up from his previous effort in To Hell With It. With that said, there is still some way to go before he hits that intangible line that defines an artist who has totally filled their shoes.

All in all, the album has shown remarkable growth for Hutson, especially in the line of production and crafting his own muted instrumental atmosphere. Right now, however, he’s in this bizarre space between Dave Van Ronk and Radiohead while lacking the pertinent substance of either. Going beyond semi-brilliant experimentation, letting go of any studious tendencies, and letting loose will be key for Hutson to really hit his stride as a troubadour. As it stands, he’s all of the right parts without the sum. - Pop Matters

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I consider myself somewhat of a movie connoisseur–and by that I just mean I watch A LOT of movies and typically have a strong opinion on whatever I see. However, sometimes I find that even a mediocre film can be saved by a stellar soundtrack, and a great movie can be dulled by a poor choice of a cliché song. But those really beautiful movies that have both an engaging storyline as well as a thoughtful soundtrack are the ones that stick out in my mind as classics that I will revisit time and again. Like who could forget Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides that introduced to us the lust-worthy Trip Fontaine to the sexy beat of Heart‘s “Magic Man,” and again when Lux Lisbon snuck out of the house to straddle Trip in his car for a quick make out to “Crazy on You”? But most notably remembered was the soft childlike twinkling of Air’s “Playground Love” that leaves you with a uncomfortably numb feeling long after the credits.

Christian Lee Huston, the 24-year old described best as the “King of Bummercore,” writes the type of songs that are begging to be featured in an indie romantic drama or a self-discovering coming of age tale of some sort (and make no mistake I mean that in a good way because I thoroughly enjoy those movies.) A Nashville-via-LA singer/songwriter, Christian is debuting his sophomore full-length album Yeah Okay, I Know on Trailer Fire Records following up 2013’s The Hell With It along with a previous career in the now-defunct Driftwood Singers. A disguised voice of experience delivering lines like, “I’m old enough to know that I know nothing” and “You only want me because I’m a mess” are picture perfect for a scene where the young antagonist is downing whiskey at a local dive contemplating his next move after the grand fuck-up. The self-loathing drunken lyrics are paired with folky acoustics that pulse with the honest energy of Christian’s vocals. The album closes with a somber track appropriately titled, “Monster,” that depicts the type of ending in a movie where the lead character finds himself to be his own worst enemy–uncomfortably numb.

Alas, it seems Christian might still be a true romantic at heart because his Nashville Five consists of creative date ideas for anyone who may need an excuse to go out for a good time. Christian Lee Hutson’s album Yeah Okay, I Know is available now on Trailer Fire Records and you can bring a date to his album release show at The Stone Fox February 17th. - Lockeland Springsteen

Christian Lee Hutson spends at least half of each year on the road performing concerts all around the United States. That doesn’t leave him a lot of time to write songs. So, a few years ago, he began using the idle hours of travel by himself as a kind of workshop. The results—many of them, at least—can be heard on his new album, Yeah Okay, I Know. - KMUW

There is something so strangely affecting about Christian Lee Hutson's video for "They're All Gonna Hate Me."

The clip is packed with completely irreverent dance moves, weird camera quirks and a creeping orange tabby -- all backed by a slow burning country chord progression.

And to top off the absurdity is Hutson himself, planking on rooftops while wearing a sweater that reads "FUCK everything," his voice croaking in slightly twangy sadness.

"[Producer] David Mayfield and I were shivering in our freezing cold house together while I confessed my limitless neurosis which had been accelerated by excessive coffee drinking," Hutson tells The Sitch.

"The track breaks down a particularly unique form of vanity in which I relentlessly participate, where you assume in any given situation that people are judging you harshly, as if you're 'important' enough for anyone to even be able to break away from their own self-centeredness to see anything beyond your surface traits."

What sounds like the dragging of a chain provides dark textured percussion, while a high-pitched synth bathes dueling guitars in subtle screams. And in the end, the 24-year-old Nashville-via-Los Angeles singer is left only with some blue sky blues. - The Bluegrass Situation

As I’m writing this, it’s late on a Sunday night and I just came from watching a truly spectacular set here in Rock Island by Christian Lee Hutson. He literally plays somewhere every damned night of the year. He will change you. Go see him tonight, or at least tomorrow. - Paste Magazine

Christian Lee Hutson, 24-year-old Nashville-via-Los Angeles roots singer-songwriter, has released a video for his song “Dirty Little Cheat” from his David Mayfield produced album “Yeah Okay, I Know” (Trailer Fire Records)
“Dirty Little Cheat” is a moody glitch-folk gem, or “bummer-core” as Hutson describes his sound, and the shadowy dark-hued video that reflects it fits its alienated dark heart perfectly.
Of the video’s production Hutson says “I met (director) Matt McCormack (Mack Productions) at the Valley of the Vapors festival in Hot Springs, AR after hearing of him through a mutual friend who had shown me some of his work. I asked if he’d be interested in making something for this song that was really precious to me and he pitched me this wonderful idea that plays exactly how he imagined it with his beautiful sister, Anna McCormack, who plays the bane of my existence.
We had a window of roughly 5 hours to shoot it, as I was in the middle of a tour that brought me through Hot Springs and had to drive to Fort Worth the following morning. I think my show wrapped up at 1 am so we must’ve shot the whole thing between 2 am and 7 am, at which point I hit the road. ”
Hutson has been touring throughout the year in support of his upcoming sophomore full-length release, Yeah Okay, I Know (Trailer Fire Records), including a Daytrotter session and an appearance in April at Communion Nashville, a monthly club night curated by Mumford and Sons’ Ben Lovett, sharing a bill with Johnny Stimson and Sturgill Simpson.
Hutson, who has shared many a stage with notable performers like Damien Jurado, Ralph Stanley and Father John Misty, worked with Grammy-nominated producer David Mayfield on the new album which you can buy from the link below. - Twang Nation

Monster the final track from Christian Lee Hutson's latest album "Yeah Okay, I know" feels like an American tragedy. It's breathtakingly sad tone and depressive underbelly is part melodrama and part so crushingly real that it made me want to wrap myself up in a warm blanket and coddle myself in a fetal position on the couch. I have a thing for sadly moving music and Monster is just that times 2 and that oddly enough makes me happy.

The production, some nuanced and some quite dynamic is artfully done and bolsters the emotional impact. At the onset, Christian's vocals veer off center and sound canned a bit. The effect is detached as if the recording is old or the emotionally muted words are from a distant (past) phone call. When the tone shifts effortlessly to his crystal clear voice it feels so goddamn intimate. Enter the evocative vocals of Lizzie Eggert on the second verse (and chorus) and the song shifts to a dysfunctional relationship, of two "monsters" sharing their bed so to speak. As this intimate, tortured song erupts into full blown dramatics (or hysteria) it only sounds more beautifully sad. A truly lovely, unique and, yes, sad introduction to Hutson's work. Now that I have heard this stirring piece of work I look forward to hearing the rest of the album.
- - American Pancake

Christian Lee Hutson brought what he called his “parade of bummer hits” about growing up, getting sober, and things going terribly wrong. Something of an amalgam between Mark Oliver Everett of Eels and Hank Williams, Hutson’s croon was especially exceptionally palpable on his heartbreaker tune “No Apologies Please.” - Flagpole

Singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson returns to Athens with some new emotional, bluesy ballads at the Flicker Theatre and Bar on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
The Los Angeles born artist released his sophomore album "Yeah Okay, I Know" on Jan. 6 and is excited to be back in the Classic City since playing AthFest last year.
“I have some friends in Athens and it’s one of the live music capitals, in my opinion, in the country,” Hutson said.
The touring never stops for Hutson, who spent a month at the beginning of the year in Europe, with his favorite shows being in the small towns in southern Germany.
He appreciates the smaller shows because it feels like the people there actually want to listen to the music instead of being there simply to hang out at the bar.
Hutson played 236 shows in 2014 and will continue to tour for most of 2015 to promote his new album.
This time period represents a step forward in Hutson's career as well as personal life.
“I’m two years sober now and when I made my first record, I was very much not sober,” Hutson said.
The modern folk duo Cicada Rhythm will open for Hutson at the show. Tickets are $5 for 21+, and the show starts at 8 pm.
He wrote the majority of the songs on the album himself, except for two which he co-wrote with David Mayfield, a Grammy-nominated producer.
“I drew inspiration from my chronic loneliness and really heightened self-awareness, to the point that I even feel bad for feeling lonely,” Hutson said.
His music has been compared to that of The Tallest Man on Earth, with both having a folk, bluesy sound. However, Hutson listens to anything from '70s folk to even Taylor Swift.
Hutson filmed a music video for every song on the album, since he couldn’t decide on which few songs to make videos for.
He released one video a month last year as he made stops along the tour, shooting the videos in places such as New York, Los Angeles, Nashville and Texas.
However, Hutson has even more plans ready for 2015.
“I’ve made two more records after this one that I will release at some point, but I’m anxious because I have a lot that people haven’t heard yet. So we’ll possibly put out another record toward the end of the year,” Hutson said. - The Red and Black

See link - The Oklahoma Gazette

It’s nothing new for Christian Lee Hutson to be labeled as an “old soul.” But such is the case when, in your early 20’s, you’re blessed with a voice that has a maturity beyond your years. From his debut EP, Will Never Break Up, to his debut full-length, The Hell With It, and just as powerfully on his latest release, Yeah Okay, I Know, you have the impression of an individual who’s seen it all. Perhaps that’s what he’s responding to with the recent album title: “Yeah okay, I know. I sound older.” However, even with the brooding, knowing tones in his ballads, there is Hutson’s youthful energy adding contemporary twists to classic styles. - KUTX

“I wrote “Mess” in September of 2013 while packing my car to move to Nashville.”

“This song is about being pursued by the “Mama Bear” type, who wants to coddle you and help you figure out how to convert what ails you into something sustainable or at least temporarily manageable. I think it implies some kind of question as to the true motives of that type of person.

It was a time in my life when I felt immense vulnerability; like I was wet clay and wasn’t comfortable being shaped. “Mess” is another chapter in the long and tedious tale of the exorcism of my egomania.

Kim Griffith directed, shot, and edited this video in Fort Worth last month. This is a snapshot of what life on the road can be like, and was inspired by an early tour I did where low turn out was repeatedly blamed on the fact that The Avett Brothers were playing in the same town on the same night and ‘anyone that would be here is probably at their show.'” - The Vinyl District

Christian Lee Hutson is one of a new generation of American singer-songwriters clearly drawn toward the traditional, but not hampered by tradition. His music has a certain elegance, more Bulleit than Jack, which likely accounts for the 24-year-old Huston's having already shared stages with Damien Jurado, Ralph Stanley and Father John Misty. All the aforementioned stages were likely bigger than the room at Redwood Curtain Brewing Co., where you can find Hutson at 10 p.m. The show is 21-and-over and free. - North Coast Journal

I started out Thursday night at the Hi-Dive to catch psych-rockers Hollow Talk, who started late and stalled on their opening tune, but managed to hit their stride soon after. A pretty solid opening once it got started. Afterward, I hiked up to The Hornet to catch a Nashville-based artist named Christian Lee Hutson (well, actually, it was Christian Lee Hutson and a female friend on BGVs). A really cool vibe for those who like their country “old-school”. - Oomph Music Blog

The artistry of singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson is an interesting contrast in styles.

On one hand, his biography information reads like a self-loathing diary full of darkness and despair. But talk to Hutson and bring up his "depressing" outlook and he laughs in response.

"I've thought about this a lot recently and I feel almost a sense of obligation to apologize," he says with a slight laugh. "It makes it seem a lot heavier than it is."

Though Hutson admits his music is an introspective look that isn't always pretty, often quite the opposite. As with most art, Hutson said it is ultimately left up to the audience to make a determination.

"Think about how many songs you like where you don't pay attention to what the lyrics are actually saying," Hutson said. "The interpretation of song lyrics is almost subjected to what your sensibility is in general. If you're a happy person you're going to interpret it in the most optimistic way. So I must be a pessimist I guess (laughs)."

The slightly awkward banter from Hutson (who admits he is "ironically" shy) is what fans can expect when he plays at The Sanctuary in Montgomery on Sunday. Hutson will be playing from a discography that consists of an EP and one full-length studio album.

While his lyrics and song titles may suggest otherwise ("I Do Mean Well," "They're All Gonna Hate Me") Hutson has a confidence in performances. And he needs it as he spends most of his time on the road.

"I spent 240 days on tour last year and played 236 shows," he said. "I haven't lived anywhere in a long time."

Hutson said his connection with his fans is what keeps him going on the road as he often tries to be friendly with people that comes to his shows.

"There's so much art to consume and if anybody takes two seconds to consume anything that I've made, I want to be friends with them," Hutson said. "I try to be close to people that are giving 45 minutes of whatever portion of their day they are with me."

Hutson describes his music as folk pop, though he knows most won't see it that way.

"The easiest thing to say is Americana because that seems to encompass so much," he says.

One emotion Hutson can define clearly is his excitement to come to Montgomery.

"It's really funny because I've been on tour like the last five years nonstop," he said. "I'm really excited to come to Montgomery because Hank Williams is from there and he is the reason for everything I've ever done." - The Montgomery Advertiser

This might not surprise you, but there are a lot of great young songwriters in Nashville. Even among the Music City’s elite talent pool, Christian Lee Hutson rises to the top. The 22-year-old already boasts a finely honed singing and songwriting voice developed well beyond his years. Part of a generation influenced by the generation influenced by Townes Van Zandt, Hutson’s ragged, raspy country finds easy comparisons to Justin Townes Earle and Bobby Bare Jr. — though his richly detailed songs are on par with those of Hayden Desser. - Columbia Free Times

Solid sonic textures, a dash of grit, and embellishments such as faraway whistles and multi-tracked vocals make Christian Lee Hutson’s song “Ghost to Coast” convincing and endearing. The song feels like Wilco at their best, as Hutson’s earnest, breaking voice draws in listeners. Hutson’s tour will come to Austin tonight for a show at Holy Mountain that features our own Lonesome Heroes as support. Fans of somber, sincere folks such as the aforementioned Lonesome Heroes or other Austin acts like Patch or Reservations will find much to like about Hutson. - Pop Press International

With all the alternative/indie/whatever folk submissions we get on a regular basis, it’s nice to get one with some true-blue, no-funny-business-folky vibes. This track (which he describes as “another chapter in the long and tedious tale of the exorcism of my egomania” is off his forthcoming album Yeah Okay I Know. - Rex Manning Day Music Blog

Christian Lee Hutson, 24-year-old Nashville-via-Los Angeles Americana singer-songwriter rooted in country tradition and vibrating with youthful energy (think a drunk and sedentary George Jones being channeled through a drunk and animated Conor Oberst), is touring throughout the summer in support of his forthcoming sophomore full-length Yeah Okay, I Know (Trailer Fire Records). Hutson worked with Grammy-nominated producer David Mayfield on the album, which is being released digitally in installments throughout the year with one new song and video revealed per month, culminating in a physical release at the end of the year on vinyl and CD formats. Recent tracks have been featured on Diffuser.fm, The Vinyl District, Americana Daily, and Mad Mackerel. View all seven videos from the forthcoming album that have been released so far at his media page. - Mountain Xpress

Within the latest crop of rising musicians is the clique of tormented 20-somethings who shave the sides of their heads, sport neatly-drawn tattoos of esoteric counter-culture symbols on their necks, and try to dress like the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird. They are the ones with sinewy arms poking out of cuffed t-shirts, hiding behind two pounds of facial hair in the middle of July; one hand on their cigarette, the other on their guitar. When they sing, each of their voices has the same hint of mopiness built around a finely practiced Americana timbre, with their fingers flirting around a hollow progression of chords. The genre’s newest standout, Christian Lee Hutson, hints at a new, substantive direction with his debut record Yeah Okay, I Know, despite the various hiccups plaguing what might be a promising start.

He has ability, but little urgency; there is no hint of necessity, nothing to qualify that Yeah Okay, I Know needs to be heard. Behind its Kerouacian aims the album bites with a toothless smile, seeming to hope that its infrequent instances of inspiring lyricism might encourage a lion’s share of praise. Typical of the record are “Playing Dead” and “No Apologies, Please”, which stay comfortably within the blandness of country and folk. It is hard to figure out if Hutson is content with his formula or if he pines for something greater just out of his grasp, as there are songs (“Ghost to Coast”, “I Do Mean Well”) that glimmer with potential- though they largely seem unfinished and more like a wishful skeleton of guitar chords.

Fortunately, the record does eventually find a sort of footing with “Monster”, the album’s tender climax featuring a duet between Hutson and an unknown female talent. With a gradual melodic build “Monster” best understands how I Know wanted to desperately sound, ending the album with an unfortunate probing into what could have been. For all of his dour charm, Hutson could be doing a lot more with what he has, and with any luck he’ll figure it out by his second release. - MXDWN

Old soul Nashville singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson has been described as "George Jones was being channeled through a drunk and animated Conor Oberst." He'll head up this backyard show behind Oak Cliff bookstore/coffee shop/hot spot The Wild Detectives that also features former The Fox & the Bird songwriter Raymond Weyandt and fellow Nashville folky Rachel Kate. -- Cory Graves - Central Track

This North Carolina songwriter mixes folk, electronica, country and strong singer songwriter stylings for his mildly acerbic confessionals. Each song is arranged to its own needs, so there is no attempt to achieve a unified sound. The results shine. The up tempo "One, Two, Three" is thematically like a John Prine song, jauntily light melodically and spiritually dark at once. "Monster" is a dramatic duet that has a matter of fact casualness belying the deep recognition of just how selfish and egotistical lovers often are. With titles like "Playing Dead", "That'll Do", "I Do Mean Well", "No Apologies Please" and "They're All Gonna Hate Me", well you get the idea. Hutson opens himself up to us. Beautifully. - KUCI

Christian Lee Hutson - I Do Mean Well - Americana Daily