Jamie Hutchings
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Jamie Hutchings

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | INDIE

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | INDIE
Band Alternative Singer/Songwriter

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"...Rewarding Late Night Listen (4 Stars)"

"A low key ,rewarding late-night listen that proves that there's life after blown amps and feedback." - ROLLING STONE AU - FOUR STARS - ROLLING STONE ( AU)


"" A Truly a World Class Effort. It's That Bloody Impressive.""

July 2009
After carving a niche in the indie Oz rock circuit since the 1990's with the some might say underrated Bluebottle Kiss, Jamie Hutchings moved onto a solo album, The Golden Coach back several years ago in 2003 and has now spread the proverbial creative wings with His Imaginary Choir. A record of real substance, equal parts folk, Australianerica and a touch of psychedelia done in the traditional singer songwriter style that Hutchings knows best.

Crafting mysterious narrative tales with some quite grandiose musical progressions, Hutchings and co-producer Tony Dupe, organise a wonderfully diverse sounding record that has an energy and a lifespan that holds up to several repeated listens. Harmonious , eclectic layering of instrumentation ranging from Dupe's technical touch with drum loops strings, keys , hand claps, and bass clarinet, work in tandem with Hutchings' weary vocals and guitars. Whilst Jason Walker's floating pedal steel plays off nicely against Hutchings' siblings Sophie ( piano, vocals) and Scott (drums percussion).

There's a lot happening production-wise on His Imaginary Choir, but Dupe and Hutchings manage the tempo exquisitely well - here Hutchings has balanced out the idiosyncrasies with clever sonic arrangements that recall the exoticaly driven and ambitious nature of a challenging Josh Rouse or ever Van Morrison production.

His Imaginary Choir grows with charm and perfection with each listen. The falsetto and child-like choir vocals work in unison with rustic guitars, shuffled percussion, and the storytelling that the frailty and hilarity of human connection with one another. Hutchings vocal styling hitting the sweet spot somewhere between Jeff Tweedy and Tim Rogers territory hence marking this record as a truly world class effort, it's that bloody impressive.

- Nick Argyiou - Rhythms Magazine


""...a more complex songwriter...There is an uncommon charm and quality in these songs""


"...musical richness that goes beyond the thin setting folkie. The pop of After the Flood, somewhat psychedelic,almost Beatlesiana Flamethrower and Make Me No Sense tell of a more complex songwriter and talentuoso,and each is lyric poetry. There is an uncommon charm and a quality in these songs. "

Grazie ad una scrittura ricca di immaginazione, fra confusioni sentimentali ed una predilezione per quelle relazioni umane che non riescono a trovare una via di comunicazione tra loro, Jamie Hutchings è un altro esempio di come i folksinger australiani riescano spesso ad unire confessioni acustiche e candore pop meglio di molti colleghi americani più blasonati. È una stirpe di cui concretamente fa parte anche un personaggio come Tim Rogers, leader dei You Am I che accostiamo non a caso alla figura di Hutchings. Entrambi infatti vantano carriere parallele e sfoghi in solitario: Hutchings è da tempo al timone dei Bluebottle Kiss, rock band di Sidney che può mostrare un discreto riscontro internazionale (tour di spalla a Beck e Dinosaur Jr fra gli altri) pur senza avere ottenuto quei consensi che difficilmente un gruppo australiano raggiunge fuori dai cofnini nazionali. Quindici anni sulla strada, un contratto con la Murmur, sussidiaria locale della Sony, un doppio album nel 2006 che mostrava l'eclettismo di Hutchings e soci, eppure arriviamo a conoscere quest'ultimo attraverso il suo secondo disco solista, His Imaginary Choir.

Altra vita, altra musica verrebbe da dire, perché Jamie Hutchings si riscopre qui autore dalla vena più stralunata, annullando tentazioni elettriche per abbracciare un folk dai lineamenti lo-fi e con una dolce vena pop che sfiora elementi di psichedelia sixties. Indovinata soprattutto la scelta di avvolgere la coperta acustica formata da chitarre e pianoforte con un coro femminile imbambolato, conciliante, quasi zuccheroso, una trovata ad effetto che rende ancora più stranite le atmosfere di Hurried by Trouble e You Don't Dance, quest'ultima un folk rock nitido che risplende nella melodia disegnata dal piano. Nella ricetta musicale di His Imaginary Choir - disco che fa dell'imperfezione e dei tentennamenti della voce di Hutchings un punto di forza - ricadono anche trame ritmiche un po' esotiche (Indian Ocean Virgin Show) che piacerebbero forse a Devendra Banhart, ballate disadorne e un poco tormentate (il primo "singolo" estratto, Sir I'm Going to have to Ask You To leave), paesaggi rarefatti che coinvolgono persino una pedal steel (Jason Walker) e lontane eco country (Nomads, Montgomery on Central).

La direzione impressa di comune accordo con il produttore Tony Dupe è dunque chiarissima: apparentemente spigolosa la musica di Jamie Hutchings rivela in verità una ricchezza di spunti che va oltre la scarna ambientazione folkie. La potenzialità pop di brani quali After the Flood, la follia un po' psichedelica, quasi beatlesiana di Flamethrower e del finale di Make Me no Sense raccontano di un songwriter più complesso e talentuoso, come peraltro testimoniano le sue stesse liriche. C'è un incanto e una qualità in queste canzoni non così comune.
(Fabio Cerbone)

ENGLISH ( Translation ?)
Thanks for writing imaginative, and emotional confusion between a preference for those human relationships that are unable to find a way of communication between them, Jamie Hutchings is another example of how the Australian folk singers often combine acoustic and candid confessions pop better than many more famous American counterparts. It is a race of which actually belongs to a character like Tim Rogers, leader of the You Am I not by chance that draw near to the figure of Hutchings. In fact both have solo careers parallel vents: Hutchings is some time at the helm of the Bluebottle Kiss, the Sydney rock band that can show a moderate international success (Beck tour of the shoulder and Dinosaur Jr. among others) without having obtained those consents hardly an Australian group that reaches out of the national cofnini. Fifteen years on the road, a deal with Murmur, a local subsidiary of Sony, a double album in 2006 that showed the eclecticism of Hutchings and his associates, and yet we come to know it through his second solo album, His Imaginary Choir.

Another life, another would say music, because Jamie Hutchings is rediscovered here by the author vein more bewildering, overriding temptation to embrace a power-featured lo-fi folk and pop with a fresh vein of almost elements of psychedelic sixties. Guess particularly the choice to wrap the blanket consists of acoustic guitar and piano with a bewildered female chorus, conciliatory, almost sugary, a gimmick effect that makes even stranger the atmosphere of Hurried by Trouble and You Do not Dance, the latter a crisp folk-rock melody that shines in drawn by the plan. In the musical recipe of His Imaginary Choir - which is hard imperfection and hesitation of the voice of a strength Hutchings - rhythmic patterns also fall a bit 'exotic (Indian Ocean Vir - Roots Highway (Italy)


"His Imaginary Choir -"2009 Top 25 Albums""

Doubtful Sounds "2009 Top 25 Albums"
Jamie Hutchings - His Imaginary Choir - Doubtful Sounds


""...remarkably effective melodies and thoroughly engaging arrangements.""

Some of you out there may remember the band Bluebottle Kiss (they released several albums on Murmur, the same label that boasted the more commercially successful band Silverchair). Despite critically acclaimed albums and connections with tons of other well-known artists, the band never really achieved the recognition they deserved. Jamie Hutchings was the driving force in Bluebottle Kiss...and he has now embarked on a solo career. Folks familiar with his previous band may be surprised at the sounds on His Imaginary Choir. On this album Hutchings takes a much more subtle approach to music...creating smooth, pensive almost folky pop tunes with remarkably effective melodies and thoroughly engaging arrangements. On this album Jamie was apparently inspired by artists from the 1960s and 1970s...and it shows. The tracks on this album have a nice, cool, resilient sound that is sadly missing in the recorded work of many twenty-first century recording artists. Eleven nifty reflective cuts here including "Buried By Trouble," "Indian Ocean Virgin Snow," "Nomads," and "Treasure Trove." - Baby Sue


"His Imaginary Choir Top Ten! "Best of '09""

Top Ten Albums! "Best of '09"
Jamie Hutchings - His Imaginary Choir - Indie Rock Reviews


"...One Of These Mad Geniuses...""

Jamie Hutchings is one of my favorite singer-songwriter-vocalists. As the frontman for amazing Australian band Bluebottle Kiss, he's well recognized for his talent at home yet, despite three U.S. releases on this side of the pond, criminally under appreciated in the United States.

According to a comment on Amazon.com for Doubt Seeds, Bluebottle latest release and a two-disc tour-de-force like no other, "Bluebottle Kiss are one of Australia's most adventurous guitar bands and arguably merit the tag of ‘national musical institution.'"

His Imaginary Choir is Hutchings' second solo release. It's still the same voice, the same well-thought-out words, but without Bluebottle's rock and slow-jam prowess. I've always wondered what drives an artist who writes and directs all of his band's music to release a solo album; isn't it much the same thing as the full-band effort but with different backing players? Whatever the reason, the disc is a must-have for Bluebottle fans, as well as for fans of thoughtful, carefully constructed songs anywhere.

Following the jovial "After the Flood," Hutchings gives us "The World Goes Tinier"; female voices provide an uplifting chorus behind the refrain. Intricate guitar work introduces the bridge before a piano line takes over. A slower "You Don't Dance" is a mellow pleaser; this is followed by the intricate guitar work on "Sir, I'm Going to Have to Ask You to Leave." The aching "Nomads" has a bit of a rootsy quality, thanks to what sounds like a pedal steel in the background. "Flamethrower" is an old Bluebottle Kiss song, here rawer and more straightforward, probably as it had initially been conceived.

Whether you slip this disc on as thoughtful background music or up-front intricate brilliance, it's an enjoyable listen. The instrumentation—at times stripped down and simple, other times orchestral and soaring—is what you've come to expect from Hutchings.

The only drawback here is that I've got an advanced copy; no lyric sheet to read along with Hutchings' narratives. However, upon repeat listens, I'm sure lines will become more familiar and insightful; that's one thing you can count on with this songwriter.

Hutchings is one of those mad geniuses who constructs every aspect of every song in his proverbial bedroom. Though other artists may play on the recordings and live performances, each instrument, each melody and every word are his. That alone is reason enough to love his work, whether with Bluebottle Kiss or on his solo endeavors. A- | Laura Hamlett

Available on import only. For more information, visit http://www.myspace.com/jamiehutchings or http://bluebottlekiss.com

RIYL: Bluebottle Kiss, Ryan Adams, Van Morrison - Playback STL


""His Lyrics are Populated with Vivid Imagery and Movement. ""

"Hutchings remains a unique vocalist. His lyrics are populated with vivid imagery and movement. He orchestrates his sentence completions and structural technique around the cause and will of the chord
changes, stretching lines out over the span of both time and logic,with often fascinating results." - PopMatters


""...One of Australia's Most Gifted Songwriters.""

"It's another step along an evolutionary pathway that continues to reinforce Hutchings' reputation as one of Australia's most gifted songwriters...though these 11 songs are all built around the traditional singer-songwriter framework of acoustic guitar and the human voice, Hutchings manages to separate himself from the pack by layering the album with a diverse array of often-unexpected sounds...a remarkable chapter to his already highly impressive discography." - MESS & NOISE


""...Positively Gorgeous...""

"While these songs are positively gorgeous, there's this terrifying
undercurrent flowing beneath." - CENT.COM


"Impressive."

"Given that Australia has only got around to giving the likes of the Go-Betweens and Ed Kuepper their rightful due in recent years, it's going to be a long wait for Jamie Hutchings. Yet the Bluebottle Kiss frontman continues, seemingly without pause, to grow his body of work to canon status. Impressive."-
- SYDNEY MORNING HERALD


""...Strongest Work To Date.""

"In an unexpected turn of events, this unassuming lil solo effort could well prove Hutchings' strongest work to date." - THE CANBERRA TIMES


""Hutchings is Ahead of the Pack.""

"...he is in acoustic mode, creating a record that has a pastoral, summery feel, tinged with 1960’s exotica. Lyrically, Hutchings is ahead of the pack." - ANOTHER LOST SHARK.COM


"...Has an Admirable Ability to Change his Voice to Suit the Mood of the Song.""

"Vocalist/ songwriter Jamie Hutchings has an admirable ability to change his voice to suit the mood of the song, which is another addition to the band's array of talents." - FIRESIDEOMETER.COM


Discography

Airplay throughout Australia including: 2SER Album of the Week, FBI, ABC Radio National, RRR, 3pbs, RTR, JJJ, ZZZ

US
Triple A, Specialty & Satellite

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JAMIE HUTCHINGS

The Golden Coach (Nonzero Records 2002)
After the Flood  (come to the dark side luke music 2008  LTD. CDR)
His Imaginary Choir (Nonzero Records 2009)
Avalon Cassettes ( Laughing Outlaw 2011)

BLUEBOTTLE KISS

Higher Up the Fire Trails (Murmur/Sony 1995)
Fear of Girls (Mumur/Sony 1996)
Double Yellow Tarred EP (Mumur/Sony 1995)
Somnambulist Homesick Blues EP (Troy Horse 1997)
Tapdancing on the Titanic EP (Troy Horse 1998)
Return to the City of Folded Arms SINGLE (Citadel 1999)
Patient (Citadel 1999)
Girl Genius EP (Citadel 1999)
Gangsterland EP  (Nonzero/Longshot 2001)
Ounce of Your Cruelty  SINGLE (Nonzero/Longshot 2001)
Ounce of Your Cruelty SINGLE (Sugar Shack/Shellshock UK 2001)
Revenge Is Slow  (NonZero/IMWT 2002)
Hasten the Blows SINGLE (Nonzero 2002)
Come Across  (NonZero/IMWT 2003)
Last Playboy in Town EP (Nonzero 2004)
A Little Bit of Light EP (Nonzero 2005)
The Women Are An Army EP (Nonzero 2006)
Doubt Seeds (Nonzero 2006)
Slight Return + Out Seeds EP (Nonzero 2007)

COMPILATIONS

"Brother You Were Built For Speed" - 7'split seven 'inch compilation - Two Minute Noodle (Blind Records 1998)
"All Over the World" - Pixies F###n' Die! (Pixies tribute album - Life Like Records US 1999)
"Sixteen Blue" - I'm in Love With That Song  (Replacements tribute album - Antfarm Records/Shock 1999)

Photos

Bio

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NEW ALBUM "AVALON CASSETTES" SLATED FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 2011 on LAUGHING OUTLAW

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As leader of one of Australia’s most consistently creative and critically acclaimed rock bands Bluebottle Kiss, Jamie Hutchings has written and released over 130 songs, toured relentlessly in Australia, the US and Europe and played alongside bands as diverse as Beck, Midnight Oil, and Dinosaur Jr.

Despite being signed to major label Murmur/Sony (alongside Silverchair) the band’s unique fusion of the traditional and experimental elements of rock and folk were at odds with, and perhaps ahead of, the times. BBK has always been regarded as somewhat left of centre. Indeed to those who entered the band’s world, it was clear that there was no one else vaguely in the same building.

It is somewhat of a surprise therefore to find that Jamie Hutchings’ new solo album ‘His Imaginary Choir’ is a warm and user-friendly collection of concise, narrative driven songs. Hutchings grew up around Sydney Harbour and the city is reflected in the album through pictures and blurred scenarios where characters struggle to connect with one another as Hutchings revels in exploring the simple notion of how we imagine we communicate.

Inspired by the exotica movement of the sixties and the singer/songwriter movement of the early seventies ‘His Imaginary Choir’ is built on a foundation of light and barely contained joy. Using simple yet alien arrangements and minimal studio resources, the album layers percussion & instrumentation with sublime, almost child-like choral arrangements. Siblings Sophie and Scott Hutchings and multi-instrumentalist co-producer Tony Dupe bring this Imaginary Choir to life, creating a delightful and deceptively naïve sound which defines much of the album and breaks the boundaries of convention.

His Imaginary Choir firmly cements Jamie Hutchings reputation as one of Australia’s most relentlessly adventurous and intelligent musicians.

Hutchings has shared the stage with such notables as J Mascis, Cat Power, Beck, Dinosaur Jr, Intepol, Ed Kuepper, Steve Kilbey and Mark Eitzel.

He has performed at major festivals worldwide including:
Binic Folk & Blues Festival ( France 2010), Balla Coi Cinghiali (Italy 2010) Marrickville Festival (2009) SXSW (2006) Peats Ridge (2006) Homebake ('98, '99, '02, 03') Big Day Out (2002) Big Sound (2002) Glenworth Valley (1998) Newtown Festival (99, '02)

After touring Australia and two successful European tours in 2010, Hutchings plans to return to Europe in 2011, as well as throughout Australia in support of his upcoming album AVALON CASSETTES slated for release in February 2011 on Laughing Outlaw.

VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/crosspurpose

For Further Information Please Contact:

Amanda Case
AIC Entertainment
+1.206.781.3956
info (at) aicentertainment (dot) com