Derik Hultquist

"reflects a maturing of his particular musical vision. “Whether
Report” and “I Fell In Love with a Ghost” are particularly compelling.
At 25, Hulquist shows plenty of promise" - The Amplifier Online

Derik Hultquist grew up in Blount County, and has spent his recent years around the country, mostly between here and Nashville of late, with one focus: songwriting.

"I've been writing songs since I was a kid. I work a gig, save up money, and then quit with the intention of writing songs until I go broke again."

It may not be the sort of plan that inspires financial planners, but listening to his self-produced debut, "Blue Blues", and his just-released second album, "Anthologies", you can definitely appreciate that he's been putting lots of work into songcraft.

Blue Blues was recorded mostly in musical friends' kitchens between Bowling Green, New Orleans and Nashville, "because we couldn't get the right sound in the bathroom."

Hultquist says, "Anthologies has a little more production and fuller wider sound." I would say that's an understatement. Anthologies has a great production sound that's reminiscent of Amos Lee's most popular recordings, and though I enjoyed the songwriting in Blue Blues, it matured and expanded significantly in Anthologies, which was Hultquist's 10 favorites of his most recent 100 songs.

A few of Hultquist's favorite tunes on the record, and my own as well, include "Wolves", "Linger" and "Cowboy Cliche" - but it's a solid record throughout.

Anthologies is the type of recording that gets people's attention, and it's a worthy addition to Knoxville-area artists' recordings. Buy Anthologies on iTunes here.
- Knoxvillejukebox.com

Derik Hultquist
Anthologies
Nashville, TN

“Easy listening songs of self-reflection”

Anthologies, Derik Hultquist’s latest record, features ten gently flowing, catchy songs comfortably nestled in a reflective singer/songwriter style with a dash of country flavor added in.

LISTEN NOW: “Linger”


The twangy, up-tempo “Ferris Wheel” kicks things off, showcasing the rich musical layers prominent on most of the album’s songs. “Wolves” has a slower, brooding tone that gives it a feeling of starkness, despite the many layers present throughout the track. On “Linger,” the piano work heightens the longing tone set with the lyrics, “In my dreams / she lingers on.”

The sad tale of “Methamphetamine” unfolds as Hultquist sings, “What have you got to lose but everything.” On “Whether Report,” the music intensifies as the song progresses, building upon the steady, opening drum beats and rolling organ. The album finishes with two simpler, acoustic songs: “Dollar A Day” and “Cowboy Cliché.”

Anthologies is a thoughtfully produced, easy listening record with an abundance of ear-catching musical arrangements and tender, expressive lyrics that showcase Hultquist’s passionate vocals. (Self-released)

Engineered and Produced by Steven Page in Bowling Green, KY
Additional Engineering and Production by Andrew Chapman
Mastered by Andrew Chapman at 16th Edge Studios in Nashville, TN

- Performer Magazine

No musician is an island. Singer/songwriter Derik Hultquist is seemingly landlocked in Tennessee for the moment, but his newly released record Anthologies is triumphantly making waves all over the country. Hultquist’s sound beholds Nick Drake’s legacy with Joshua Radin riding in the passenger’s seat. True to a singer-songwriter’s credo, Hultquist’s states, “The song is more important than what you say. I’m always suspicious of people who have an outright message – the banner across the top of the song.” And Anthologies follows suit. At times the record builds off of a vulnerable acoustic rift, and at others, it’s a bit more nostalgic than Hultquist had in mind.

Recording Anthologies in the studio proved to be a tricky and interesting task. Hultquist’s closely-knit network of friends and socialites in the industry, courtesy of Nashville’s hospitable musical vibe, allowed Hultquist to “swindle” time in the studio. A fellow in charge of a studio on Music Row, the country music metropolis in Nashville, allowed Hultquist to record early in the morning and late at night, when the studio was typically closed for business. When he exhausted Nashville’s resources, he was able to continue recording with a similar agreement in Kentucky. While there, a friend of a friend knew an aristocratic cotton manufacturer who coincidentally built a recording studio in his plantation home and let Hultquist lay down some tracks during off hours. Hultquist then took his demo tapes from Nashville and Kentucky and shipped them off to a musician he used to play with who would eventually send them back, with edits. The recording triangle saw a continuous flux of music being sent from one locale to the next.

When Hultquist felt burnt out, he often sought refuge with an old friend and mentor in Nashville, Gary Hook. Hultquist recalls his nights spent with Hook, “We’d light a little incense and brainstorm and try to put the whole thing into context, because the one thing I was worried about was when you’re recording stuff in a bunch of different places, was if it would all come together, as a whole.” Anthologies provides the perfect backdrop to waking up with the scent of a one night stand. The record also makes a valiant attempt to comfort the weary at heart. “I Fell in Love with a Ghost” boasts Hultquist’s romantic quandaries – “I fell in love with a ghost / And now you’re here, and I don’t need it anymore.” While Hultquist’s social networking skill-set pushes his projects further along downstream, gaining recognition, financial woes still loom overhead. He quit a full-time job to pursue a career doing something he loves, songwriting. He has over 100 songs pent up in his song-bank reserve and now he’s able to concentrate on recording them. Hultquist’s first love is songwriting, but he is also working on marketing. “Making bumper stickers,” as he puts it. Hultquist sees all the different roles involved in the music industry as analogous to the way Saul Bellow saw “various jobs” as the “Rosetta Stone of his life” in The Adventures of Augie March – Hultquist believes in his music and wants to see it through.

The soft-spoken Southerner is currently attempting to put a mini-tour together in support of Anthologies. Hultquist’s live performance is not to be missed.

- Perfromer Magazine