Last week I stumbled upon two new loves in my life: the first is the Grayston Unity in Halifax (known as the UK’s smallest gig venue). The second is Hutch.
Travelling all the way from beautiful Brighton the “Twang-pop Post Yacht-Rock Soft Psychers” gave northern gig-goers an excellent night of music.
Opening for the band were local talents Millie Milner and the Dead Names, giving an equally brilliant performance – there was great stage presence from the lead singer and they treated us to some heartwarming anecdotes about their identity as a nonbinary performer.
Hutch are most certainly a band you should have on your radar, having had an astounding first year of releasing singles, receiving BBC and international radio attention, and even making the Glastonbury longlist 2022. With tunes as infectious as their personalities, I have my fingers crossed they will go far.
The venue may have had the illusion that you were standing in someone’s grandma’s house. However, that didn’t distract the crowd from being immersed in the whimsical, almost Fleetwood Mac style storytelling abilities of the band. It is certainly something that is part nature, part nurture, with Hutch describing themselves as “well rehearsed” which could be responsible for their ability to effortlessly harmonise playful lyrics with the sophisticated shoe gazed guitar riffs, harps and occasional synth.
Tapping into their Brighton roots, the band played their song Radiator Centre, which is a story surrounding a girl who works at the infamous store in their hometown, along with previously released single Mechanical Bull and even some new tracks.
If you are gutted you missed out on this leg of shows from Hutch, you can catch them at their London show at the iconic Shacklewell Arms on the 18th April and follow on socials @hutch.band to keep up with any new releases.
