Jamie Hutchings

Hello friends

Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I am starting a new crowd funding campaign. It's for my sixth solo album, which I'm calling ' A New'. Not just because it's a new album, but because it's a springtime album, a little brighter, and perhaps (even) lighter...for me at least. 

Especially throughout the '90's and '00's I spent a ton of time recording one-man-band- type demos on a four track cassette recorder. I'd record the drums at my parent's place or a rehearsal space, then I'd overdub the bass using a crappy short scale Ibanez I used to have, then overdub and bounce everything from there. As much as I was using these to guide the band, it was also a lot of fun and a very creatively satisfying experience. Hearing ideas come alive and cramming them on to the tiny reel of tape that makes up a four track recording, was an exciting, spontaneous and clumsy process. Some of it turned out great, some of it not so! Fast forward to 2022 and my four track recorders are all sadly deceased. No one makes them anymore and it's impossible to get them fixed. But the spirit of that process, particularly during lockdown, started buzzing around my brain. 

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                                              Painting by Reuben Wills

So I decided to record an album where I would play as much of the instrumentation as I could on my lonesome. Initially I was going to record it on the 16 track Fostex tape machine I'd recorded Bedsit (my 2018 LP) with. Sadly, the oxidisation from the nearby ocean killed it and it was unrepairable. I decided to hole up with Tim Kevin in his Tempe River Studio, and I'm glad I did. I'd worked with Tim quite a bit already with Mark Moldre, Peabody and Restless Leg. He kindly unearthed his Tascam eight track and fired it up for the first time in 15 years, and it worked! It swiftly carked it just as we finished; clearly timing is everything.

So you will hear me on drums (thanks to Jared Harrison and my brother Scott for lending me gear), percussion, bass, guitars and vocals. Tim plays piano beautifully; channelling an almost '40's big band sound as well as lots of ABBA-like octaves and cocktail hour tinkling. 

Stylistically, I would say much of this record has an almost 'Garage Bacharach' leaning. If that makes sense. There's a lushness and ornateness, and it's not without ambition. But owing to me playing much of it myself and mixing it at home, there's a certain charming scuzziness there as well. 

I was very grateful to have my father Lee on tenor sax and Danny Carmicheal (who played on Bluebottle Kiss' final offering Doubt Seeds) on trumpet and trombone. Clare Moore, known for her work with her partner Dave Graney as well as her solo work, recorded some ultra-ethereal  vibraphone in her home studio and sent it over. Finally Jeanne Poisson and Leanne Clarey, (who I'd worked with on Mark Moldre's Nambucca Fables) lent their glorious tonsils to a few of the tunes. 

Tim Kevin was especially instrumental in providing some objectivity to the takes. When you're playing so much of it yourself, it can blur quite quickly however putting it together like a jigsaw puzzle was very fresh and satisfying. Many of the parts were made up on the spot, and made complete and immediate sense.

When I took it home and mixed it myself, in many respects I had no idea what I was doing; but my ears found their way. My last album of more traditional songs was 2018's Bedsit; it was very much about endings. You could say that was a Winter album. A New is about beginnings, it's refreshing to release something about turning corners at this juncture. 

There's always something over the hill. 

Over recent years I've experimented with co-writing and improvisation, so on A New it was almost a challenge to see if I could sit down and conceive something alone, in a more traditonal old fashioned songwriting way. Like I used to.  It was a lockdown challenge that  took some time for me to complete, but I'm very satisfied with the results. Given that it's mostly a one man band affair, there's plenty of woozy, happy accident moments. One foot in the sleeping world, one in the waking one. 

ALBUM CREDITS FOR A NEW

Recorded by Tim Kevin at Tempe River Studios, sporadically throughout 2022

Mixed by Jamie Hutchings at home

Mastered by Mikey Young

Cover painting by Reuben Wills

Layout by Brett Curzon

Piano: Tim Kevin

Tenor Saxophone: Lee Hutchings

Trumpet and trombone: Danny Carmicheal

Vibraphone: Clare Moore

Backing Vocals: Jeanne Poisson + Leanne Clarey

All other instruments: Jamie Hutchings

I will be doing a limited run of 150 copies on vinyl, which is as you know, is extremely expensive and complicated to produce. I aim for it to be the best quality possible. I'll also be doing a small run of CDs. 

In terms of pledges, I aim to redeliver some of the classics of yore, however I will also be recording a bonus CD which will be available as an exclusive pledge. Many previous pledgers have reacted to these enthusiastically, so I wanted to make sure I delivered something special. So...i'll be making available a CD entitled Locals Only. The title may be a play on silly 'local's only' surf culture but more importantly, it serves as a tribute to many of my local friends, peers and inspirers. Rather than a covers CD where I tackle well known favourites, Locals Only will see me cover artists I've worked with and hung out with over the years. Artists such as Crow, Peabody, Sounds Like Sunset, Mark Moldre, and more. I also plan to include some of my Aussie teenage inspirations as well. As always it's for pledgers only and will not be released commercially. All copies will be signed and numbered. 

                                              Photo by Mark Moldre

As well as this, you can peruse the pledges for vinyl packs, house shows, guitar or song writing lessons in person or on zoom, test pressings and more! Also, if there's something specific you are after that isn't listed here, feel free to get in touch. 

It is my hope dear reader, that you can help bring this project to fruition. All of my affiliated releases over the past ten years have been self-released, but not without mountains of help from my loyal listeners. I continue to greatly appreciate your sophisticated ears and your continuing generosity. 

x

JH 

Vinyl record production -   $4030

CD duplication               -     $1010

Publicist                         -     $1800

Recording                      -     $4700

T-shirt printing             -  $1200

Total                                 $12,740