Blending classic rock, blues, soul and psychedelia, Jack J Hutchinson returns with his new album, ‘Soul Believer’. Its lead single, ‘Rise Again’, explores fear, anxiety, resilience and finding a way forward with the help of those around us. Ahead of his North East dates, Jack spoke to Lee Allcock about starting over, the inspiration behind his latest material, his musical influences and what audiences can expect from his upcoming Newcastle show.
‘Rise Again’ explores fear, anxiety and finding a way forward with the help of those around you. Was there a particular experience or period in your life that inspired the song? And what does “rising again” mean to you personally?
The last 18 months have been tricky from both a personal and professional perspective. I always took the piss out of bands that referenced their ‘tricky second album’…but with me, it happened with my fifth. I basically started writing the album with a view to making my version of Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ and ‘Harvest Moon’; so, very little electric guitar, lots of acoustic guitars and strings, and less full-on rock. I worked on it for about four months, got about halfway through writing and recording, and then had a week off. When I listened back to what we’d done, I thought it sounded like me trying to be someone I’m not. So, I scrapped a bunch of songs and started again. It was a costly decision, but it was the right one in the end. ‘Rise Again’ was the first track we recorded for the new session, and I think you can hear the relief in the song. It’s about accepting that there will always be outside noise and opinions, with people telling you who you should be. But the people who are close to you will help you see the light and find the right path to walk.
You’re heading to Sunderland to support Robin Trower at The Fire Station. What does it mean to bring the new material back to the North East? And do you feel there’s something distinctive about the region’s rock and blues audience?
There’s always something special about playing in the North, whether it’s east or west. Maybe it’s because that’s where I’m from – I grew up in Burnley – but people seem to understand the themes of my music more. There’s a weird mixture of melancholy and positivity in most of my songs. I used to work as a gardener in Burnley, and my memory of that time is just relentless bloody rain. But I was always down the pub with my mates in the evening. So, no matter what shit I’d had to put up with during the day, I had some bloody good evenings out. With my songs, maybe they mirror that. The verses are the hard graft before the choruses smack you in the face with three shots of tequila and a banner that says: “Things are going to be alright!”
You’ve described ‘Rise Again’ as having influences ranging from Led Zeppelin and Blackberry Smoke to Neil Young. How do you balance those classic rock influences with developing a sound that feels distinctly like Jack J Hutchinson?
I love a lot of classic rock bands like Zep, The Stones and Humble Pie, but if you look at it, a lot of those guys were actually heavily influenced by soul music. When I was growing up, my mum would often have Aretha Franklin or Tina Turner on, and their music had superbly catchy vocal lines. I think that has worked its way into my music, even if it isn’t immediately apparent. Perhaps my biggest influence over the years has been Paul Weller. He’s not tied to one genre and fluidly moves between different types of music. When I look back on my career, I want to be the same. You’ve got to constantly evolve; otherwise, it’s dull for everyone.
You’ll be back in the North East at Newcastle’s Cluny 2 on Sunday 24th January, just two days after ‘Soul Believer’ is released. What can North East fans expect from that show? And how different will the live set be now that the new album is out?
We’re really excited about that show, which will be my biggest one yet in Newcastle. We’ll basically be playing the new album from start to finish live for the first time, so that will be fun. It’s been tricky working out which tracks to drop, to be honest, as there are certain ones my fans still like to hear, even if they are five years old. But my head is in the new stuff now, and I think it’s some of the best material I’ve written.
For further information about Jack and his upcoming releases and gigs, head to jackjhutchinsonmusic.com.
