Eric Hutchinson

Hey everyone, James Campion here. You may have heard of Eric Hutchinson, or at least you’ve heard his songs. They’ve appeared on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and NBC’s Growing Up Fisher. He’s also played them on the Late Show with David Letterman and the Today Show. Perhaps you’ve seen him in your town, as Eric has been a touring songsmith now for sixteen years. His versatile solo performances or with bands through five albums filled with spectacularly crafted and exquisitely sung pop, rock, soul songs that brim with tasty melodies and infectious rhythms are a unique experience.

Frank GermanoJanuary 4, 2019uwsArtist, blog-ericHutchinson, artist

Red Wanting Blue

That’s a strong start to the record, because his friends, presumably, are standing next to him, getting drunk on blood in the vampire club, all trying to be “never-ending” (*which strikes me as quite different than immortal, but I’ll find a way to work that into a poetry class later so y’all don’t have to suffer). And that’s not even to touch my favorite line— “I got a lamp-post-God/ On the corner of who gives a shit.” I think if we close our eyes and go into a dark street, we have either seen or been that person. And it’s a terrifying place to be. So how can someone who can so effectively personify evil and then write rock ‘n’ roll that kicks off new record this convincingly have the range of a band that can also write a soft (still driving) song with the delicacy and gentleness of “Survival Song”? The tempo is slowed, his voice is kind…

Frank GermanoDecember 14, 2018April2019, artist, blog-redWantingBlue

Marcy Playground

I know. Now the question is, “What on earth could possibly be better than ‘Sex and Candy’?” I have an answer for you later. (This is not an invitation to try that combination out at the Festival, by the way…) Marcy Playground is one of those bands who was both lucky to have a song that came out right at a time when the cultural landscape was ready to hear it— and unlucky, in that almost every music fan I know knows their other albums as well. They’re a band who has made several good records, and now, coming off the road with Local H and Everclear for the Summerland tour, songwriter John Wozniak and crew are tighter and more ready to perform than ever.

Frank GermanoAugust 10, 2018uwsArtist, artist, Oct2018

Stephen Kellogg

Kellogg is an amazing persona writer, and he seems to enjoy delving into these different geographic regions and finding out what glues them together. The expanse in “The Open Heart” absolutely fits the bill. What’s most remarkable about the record, perhaps, is that it’s all glued together and united, like we all consider this country to be, though that’s a very difficult thing to do with music. The regions flow seamlessly together, and Kellogg’s voice, earnest and clear, excels in every area.

Frank GermanoAugust 3, 2018artist, uwsArtist, Oct2018

Boy Bjorn

It is extraordinary to be able to relive the moments in which you are staring down the demons of your own anxiety, stare them in the face, and back them down: in songs like “Anchorage,” Holl lets the listeners get to know him in a completely different way.

Frank GermanoJuly 20, 2018artist, Oct2018

Mikaela Davis

Mikaela Davis isn’t what you expect her to be— no matter your expectations. The first time someone told me about her and said that she played a harp, I’ll be honest, I was not sure how that was going to fit in with a Festival— though, as someone who desperately appreciates different sounds and instruments when seeing bands back to back— hoped she would fit in with ours. To say I had nothing to worry about is an understatement. Davis doesn’t “fit in” with anyone. She is her own force to be reckoned with.

Artist FeatureFrank GermanoJune 22, 2018uwsArtist, artist, Oct2018

RYVOLI

RYVOLI is made up of two women and two cities, and the duality shows in the music. Jenn Whiteman and Samantha Howard are a folk band, but they’ve found a way to take the delicacy of their art and make it slightly less like the product of some sewing attempt and more like the needle. Their music is overwhelmingly lovely at first listen, but don’t be fooled: they have taken the Lexington, KY grit and infused it with the Parisian colors and flavors that the band is named after, the street Rue de Rivoli, where they met…

Artist FeatureFrank GermanoJune 15, 2018artist, uwsArtist, Oct2018

Essays From the Deep

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