EPK

Raised in Gympie, the Gold Coast based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Chris Hutchison (a.k.a. HUTCH), embodies an inspired intertwining of country grit and laid-back, coastal charm. Both in person and through his music, an overlapping of two worlds is ever-present, and upon the release of his newest single ‘Let it go” and “Dead to Me”, HUTCH masterfully marries an unmistakable country twang with a catchy pop backbone that makes you think that this isn’t his first rodeo.

And, honestly, it isn’t.

Wind back the clock to the heyday of MySpace in 2006 and a 17 year-old HUTCH was blowing up online with a style of country music that was somehow distinctly Gold Coast. Harnessing this sheer volume of coastal support, he hit the studio and emerged with an album that seemed to resonate throughout the entire community. For a locale better known for channelling their hype and energy into a world-class surf scene, HUTCH captured an overwhelming amount of Gold Coast passion. Even the local bus company pushed the record with unmissable advertisements that scooted all the way from Surfers Paradise to North Tweed.

HUTCH’s style in these early days paid homage to the pop sensibilities that were part of his soundtrack of growing up: Fleetwood Mac, INXS, Eric Clapton, The Police (Sting in particular), Keith Urban was always a massive influance though it was guitar idiosyncrasies and pure emotion of John Mayer that really drove his sound forward. 

Packaging these diverse influences up into a captivating set, HUTCH sold out what is now the fabled HOTA theatre on the heels of his trailblazing debut album. At only 18, he filled 2000 seats to showcase his unique form of Pop/country. It was only natural that HUTCH went on to catch the eye of various Australian and international sensations over the next few years, cutting his teeth in the industry as the opening act for the likes of Guy Sebastian, Thirsty Merc, Shannon Noll, Damien Leith to name a few.

As life goes, however, a career on the road gave way to a family, and HUTCH sidelined his exploits in the limelight to pursue a successful path as a wedding singer on a slightly smaller stage for the better part of 15 years. Although he was constantly performing and enjoying a life enveloped in music, HUTCH eventually accepted that the big stage was the ultimate goal. He got back in the studio in 2019 to realise that lifelong dream and released “The Truth is Out”, a passionate maturation on his original sound and an instant hit on the Australian country charts. Even COVID was unable to flatten HUTCH’s tyres as he built an in-home studio ready to take on a new chapter of success.

With his son Cruze (now 8) jamming by his side, HUTCH’s vision is set skyward with these two singles only the beginning. A new EP is on the horizon, and with an album’s worth of content ready to showcase, he’s channelling all of his gold-mining grit towards his ultimate goal - packing out the HOTA theatre all over again. The Gold Coast country icon is truly back for another crack at the whip.

Who is HUTCh