Daily Dose: Christian Lee Hutson, “Northsiders”

Daily Dose is your daily source for the song you absolutely, positively need to hear every day. Curated by the Paste Music Team.

Los Angeles singer/songwriter Christian Lee Hutson has shared a new single, “Northsiders,” from his forthcoming, currently untitled album. The LP was produced by none other than Phoebe Bridgers, a frequent collaborator of Hutson’s. Hutson co-wrote songs for two of Bridgers’ side projects—Better Oblivion Community Center and boygenius. He’s opening for Better Oblivion Community Center on their upcoming tour and he’ll also play in the BOCC live band.

“Northsiders” features Hutson’s kindhearted vocal melodies, light acoustic guitar plucks and rousing strings that linger in the background. In his lyrics, Hutson masterfully mixes witty, dark humor with observational sentimentality. Lyrical highlights include “We were so pretentious then / Didn’t trust the government / Said that we were communists / And thought that we invented it,” “Tried cocaine at my cousin’s house / I’m probably addicted now” and “Morrissey apologists / Amateur psychologists / Serial monogamists / We went to different colleges.” Underlying all the droll comedy is a sobering reality—the kind of realization that makes you pull over your car to shed a few tears before pulling yourself back together (“Nothing’s going to change it now”). Hutson is the kind of songwriter that you’ll want to root for—painfully relatable lyrics, comforting melodies and a sharp-witted personality that money can’t buy.

Hutson says “Northsiders” is “sort of a collage of memories I have of several different friends from high school. I think it’s about the friendships you develop that make you feel seen and understood at that time in your life where you feel invisible and misunderstood.”

The album was recorded at Los Angeles’ Sound City Studios, produced by Bridgers, engineered/mixed by Joseph Lorge (Blake Mills, Perfume Genius) and features contributions from Nathaniel Walcott (Bright Eyes). Hutson will be selling a tour-exclusive seven-inch of the “Northsiders” single on the BOCC tour.

Check out “Northsiders” below, along with Hutson’s 2016 Paste Studio session, and keep scrolling for his upcoming dates with BOCC.

Christian Lee Hutson Tour Dates:

March
08 – Tucson, Ariz. @ Rialto Theater #
09 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ Bunkhouse #
10 – San Diego, Calif. @ Music Box #
11 – San Luis Obispo, Calif. @ Fremont Theater #
13 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Teragram Ballroom #
14 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Teragram Ballroom #
15 – San Francisco, Calif. @ August Hall #
16 – Portland, Ore. @ Doug Fir #
17 – Seattle, Wash. @ Neumo’s #
19 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Metro #
20 – Denver, Colo. @ Bluebird # *
21 – Omaha, Neb. @ Slowdown # *
22 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Fine Line # *
23 – Chicago, Ill. @ Lincoln Hall # *
24 – Chicago, Ill. @ Lincoln Hall # *
25 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Beachland Ballroom # *
26 – Pittsuburgh, Pa. @ Mr Smalls # *
28 – Boston, Mass. @ The Sinclair # *
29 – New York, N.Y. @ Bowery Ballroom # *
30 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Music Hall of Williamsburg # *
31 – Providence, R.I. @ Columbus Theater # *

April
01 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Brooklyn Steel # *
02 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Union Transfer # *
03 – Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat # *
04 – Carrboro, N.C. @ Cat’s Cradle # *
05 – Asheville, N.C. @ Grey Eagle # *
06 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Terminal West # *
07 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Basement East # *
09 – Austin, Texas @ Mohawk # *
10 – Dallas, Texas @ Trees Lounge # *
12 – Santa Fe, N.M. @ Meow Wolf # *
13 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Crescent # *
29 – Helsinki, Finland @The House of Culture #

May
01 – Oslo, Norway @ Rockerfeller #
02 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Berns #
03 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega #
05 – Berlin, Germany @ Columbia Theater #
06 – Cologne, Germany @ Kantine #
07 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso #
08 – Antwerp, Belgium @ De Roma #
10 – Bristol, U.K. @ 02 Academy Bristol #
11 – London, U.K. @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire #
12 – Manchester, U.K. @ Ritz #

(# – support from Christian Lee Hutson)
(* – support from Lala Lala)