Meg Hutchinson

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Meg Hutchinson
BornSouth Egremont, Massachusetts
OriginUnited States
Genres folk
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrumentguitar
LabelsRed House Records
Website meghutchinson.com

Meg Hutchinson (born 1978, in South Egremont, Massachusetts) is an American folk singer-songwriter. Originally from rural westernmost Massachusetts, Hutchinson is now based in the Boston area. She has won songwriting awards in the US, Ireland and UK, including recognition from John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Billboard Song Contest and prestigious competitions at Merlefest, NewSong, Kerrville, Falcon Ridge, Telluride Bluegrass and Rocky Mountain Folks festivals. [1]

Contents

She has been described as delivering "music as powerful as it is gentle". [2]

Biography

Meg Hutchinson was raised by English teachers in a small town outside of Great Barrington, Massachusetts called South Egremont. After graduating from Bard College at Simon's Rock, with a BA in Liberal Arts with concentration in creative writing, Hutchinson quit her job on an organic lettuce farm and settled in Boston, Massachusetts. In between gigs at pubs, coffeehouses and subway train stations, she won a Kerrville New Folk Award (2000) and was nominated for a Boston Music Award for her first studio album Against the Grey. She went on to win awards at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, the Telluride Troubadour Songwriter's Showcase in Colorado and The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest in North Carolina, all in the course of a year, causing national publications like Performing Songwriter to take notice, calling her "A master of introspective ballads filled with understated yearning and an exquisite sense of metaphor."[ citation needed ]

After recording her live CD Any Given Day in 2001, she went into the studio with producer Crit Harmon (Lori McKenna, Martin Sexton, Mary Gauthier) to record The Crossing.

2008 Album Come Up Full

Come Up Full was inspired by Maine lobster fishermen and was Hutchinson's first collaboration with Connecticut sketch artist and painter Mary Devaney. MegHutchisnon MaryDevaney Nets.jpg
Come Up Full was inspired by Maine lobster fishermen and was Hutchinson's first collaboration with Connecticut sketch artist and painter Mary Devaney.

Come Up Full was Hutchinson's first release on Folk label Red House Records. A record about encountering good things when you least expect them, Hutchinson's introduction to the folk community was well-received within the genre.[ citation needed ]

2010 Album The Living Side

"The Living Side" was Meg Hutchinson's first collaboration with Polish modern art photographer Asia Kepka. MegHutchinson 4C Lamp smaller.jpg
"The Living Side" was Meg Hutchinson's first collaboration with Polish modern art photographer Asia Kepka.

Upon the release of The Living Side, Hutchinson's second album on Red House Records, songwriter John Gorka said, "After you hear Meg, you feel you've been somewhere." [3] [ failed verification ]

"I grew up in the country without a TV or internet," Hutchinson says. "There were so many quiet hours in the day. So many spaces between events. We have forgotten how to be alone in our thoughts. All the best work comes out of that rich stillness of waiting." [4]

Discography

Solo albums

YearAlbumRadio ChartsSales ChartsSong notes
Folk Roots [5] [ failed verification ] Billboard [6] [ failed verification ]
2010The Living Side27, [7] 23 [8] 1532"Hard To Change" reached No. 2 on Folk radio; [7] "Seeing Stars" reached #109 in iTunes-US Singer/Songwriter [9]
2008Come Up Full10, [10] [11] 11-"Home" reached No. 6 on Folk radio [12]
2004The Crossing74 [13] --While this album did not appear on most charts, it was the first serviced to radio stations in New England primarily, received heavy airplay from WERS Boston.
2001Any Given Day (Live) (remastered in 2009)---While this album did not chart, "True North" was the song that introduced Hutchinson's music to the Folk community at festival competitions.
1999Against The Grey---
1996Meg Hutchinson---

Singles

Collaborative albums

(with Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, and Natalia Zukerman)

References

  1. "Home". meghutchinson.com.
  2. "Meg Hutchinson's The Living Side (Red House) - Americana and roots music - No Depression". www.nodepression.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2011.
  3. "Home". johngorka.com.
  4. "Home". meghutchinson.com.
  5. "Home". rootsmusicreport.com.
  6. "Home". billboard.com.
  7. 1 2 "February 2010 Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart".
  8. "Top Folk Albums, Songs, Artists and Labels of January 2010 (with DJ list)". www.folkradio.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  9. "Seeing Stars by Meg Hutchinson - Song Analysis | ITunes Music Chart A…". Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  10. "April 2008 Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart".
  11. "Top Folk Albums, Songs, Artists and Labels of April 2008 (with DJ list)". www.folkradio.org. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008.
  12. "May 2008 Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart".
  13. "August 2004 Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart".