Christian Lee Hutson

A Los Angeles singer/songwriter with an acute gift for intimate and detailed introspection, Christian Lee Hutson threads together avenues of light Americana, smart indie pop, and lo-fi folk storytelling. The tone of his music is gentle, but there’s an insistence and clarity in his lyrics that gives his performances a subtle strength. Although he began his solo career in the early 2010s, he gained popularity as a writer and collaborator during the latter part of the decade, working on projects with Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers, the latter of whom helped produce Hutson’s Anti- debut, Beginners, in 2020. Bridgers went on to become one of Hutson’s primary collaborators, co-producing his next two albums, 2022′s Quitters and 2024′s Paradise Pop. 10, which followed his cross-country move to New York. Growing up in Santa Monica, Hutson began playing guitar at the age of 12, attracted to the experimental homegrown indie folk of Elliott Smith. He later formed the Americana duo the Driftwood Singers with fellow songwriter Pearl Charles, and the duo released an independent album in 2012. Hutson made his solo debut a year later with The Hell with It, which he quickly followed in 2014 with Yeah Okay, I Know. Over the next several years, he toured occasionally, released a couple of EPs, and continued to sharpen his songcraft. After befriending fellow singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers in 2018, Hutson co-wrote several songs for the debut of Boygenius, the supergroup Bridgers formed with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. He also contributed to the Bridgers/Conor Oberst project Better Oblivion Community Center in 2019. Bridgers returned the favor the following year by co-producing Hutson’s third album, Beginners. His first since being signed to the Anti- label, the 2020 release paired the songwriter’s warm, intelligent folk style with delicate string and orchestral sections. Later in 2020, Hutson contributed his skills as a songwriter and instrumentalist to Bridgers’ LP Punisher. He also found time to play on projects by Hand Habits (Fun House), Ada Lea (One Hand on the Steering Wheel the Other Sewing a Garden), and SASAMI (Squeeze). 2022 brought Hutson’s second album for Anti-, Quitters, with Bridgers and Oberst joining him in the studio as producers. The low-key sophistication of the arrangements was abetted by their decision to record to analog tape rather than in digital format, adding warmth to the finished product. After touring as Bridgers’ support act, the two friends reconvened in Hutson’s new home of Brooklyn to begin working on his next album. The cross-country move helped him reframe his relationship to California, bringing a tender, if quirky mood to the recordings. Named after a tiny Indiana town he used to visit with his father, 2024′s Paradise Pop. 10 was again co-produced by Bridgers and featured contributions from Maya Hawke, Katy Kirby, and Shahzad Ismaily. ~ Timothy Monger & Mark Deming