BURBANK, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Warner Bros. Records) - "It's ok, it's alright with me,"
Eric Hutchinson sings in the opening bars of "Sounds Like This," his full-length debut album. The song speaks to going with the flow in romance, but the phrase could just as easily be Hutchinson's mantra for making it in the music business. Just a year ago he was dropped by Warner Bros. Records when the company shuttered
Maverick Records. Undeterred, he recorded "Sounds Like This" and released it last fall on his own label, Let's Break Records. Soon the album was breaking records - landing at No 5 on iTunes' Top 10 album chart and becoming the highest-charting album by an unsigned act in iTunes history. It debuted at No 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, at No 5 on Billboard's
Digital chart and entered the Billboard 200 at No 134 - with no physical product in stores at the time. Numerous labels courted him and he re-signed with Warner Bros., which will release "Sounds Like This" on May 20th.
Produced by Will Golden (Joe Purdy) and Paul Kolderie (Radiohead), "Sounds Like This" showcases Hutchinson's unique brand of blue-eyed soul. Lead single "Rock & Roll" will go to radio in June and San Diego's 102.1 KPRI has already added it. Hutchinson will be shooting a video for the track later this month.
A dynamic live artist, Hutchinson toured earlier this year with OneRepublic and will hit the road with Jack's Mannequin and Blind Melon this spring. After his recent performance at Perez Hilton's SXSW Showcase, Entertainment Weekly named Hutchinson one of the festival's "biggest buzz bands" on its website, www.ew.com. (Hilton, an early fan, discovered his music when a high school friend of Hutchinson's emailed the internet gossip phenomenon a link to the artist's MySpace page. Hilton recommended the album in his blog last fall.)
"Hutchinson is undeniably charismatic, splitting his time between keyboard and guitar, crooning about stormy romances and everyday struggles," said The Washington Post in a live review while The Baltimore Sun observed: "From start to finish, Hutchinson... engages with exuberant, piano-based tunes glimmering with elements of reggae, gospel and soul."
ERIC HUTCHINSON TOUR DATES:
4/2 Columbia, SC Univ. of South Carolina/Russell House Patio
4/8 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
4/11 Kingston, PA Kingston Armory opening for Jack's Mannequin
4/14 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
4/15 Lancaster, PA The Chameleon
4/19 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
4/24 Clinton, NY Hamilton College/The Barn
4/25 Little Rock, AR Juanita's opening for Blind Melon
4/26 Fayetteville, AR George's Majestic Lounge
4/27 Tulsa, OK Otherside
4/29 Tempe, AZ Club Red
4/30 Las Vegas, NV Jillian's
5/2 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
5/3 San Juan Capistrano, CA The Coach House
5/4 San Diego, CA Canes Bar & Grill
5/6 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
5/8 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly Recreation Center
