Carlyn Hutchins - Singer/Songwriter

Carlyn Hutchins - April 2010 Newsletter

2010-03-29T20:50:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! I hope you're enjoying this early spring weather - I know we're all a bit rain and flood weary in Massachusetts, but I am choosing to look at the bright side of it. To me, it's a sign that the growing season is just around the corner, and that makes me a very happy woman!

This month's free song download is "Urban Tragedy", in honor of it having been chosen for Women of Substance Radio's program "Music With a Conscience", which aired during March. If you missed it, then just click the download link at the bottom of the email and you can get it for free! If you're reading this in a blog, then email me directly and I will send you the MP3 instead.

I have a couple of shows coming up soon: one on Saturday April 3rd and one on April 10th, which is a late addition to the schedule. Way off in the future is a show at The Soule Homestead, get it on your calendar now!

Saturday April 3, 2010 7:30 PM: Upton House Concerts in Upton, MA - Opening for Chuck E. Costa! Seats are $15 each, for reservations please email rob@robertmattson.com or call 617-899-0799.

Saturday April 10, 2010 8:00 PM: Driftwood Folk Cafe in Plymouth, MA - Opening for 2008 Guitar Magazine Guitar Superstar Vicki Genfan! The originally scheduled opening act can't make it so I'm a last minute fill in. Seats are $15- to buy in advance, please visit the Driftwood Folk Cafe website. To see Vicki's videos, visit her YouTube page.

Saturday August 14, 2010 6:00 PM: Soule Homestead Saturday Music Series in Middleborough MA - Opening for Kerri Powers! This is a rain or shine show, $7 cover charge.

SOCIAL NETWORKING! You can visit me at these social networking sites, where you can keep up with some of my wacky posts in 140 characters or less, watch video, or read about what's new or where I'm playing. Yay!

RADIO! In addition to a couple of songs placed on Women of Substance Radio, I've had airplay on Radio Crystal Blue, Something About the Women (WMFO 91.5 FM Medford, MA), Catskill Community Radio's program "The Road", MVY Radio's Local Musicafe, and most recently on the Pride Showcase on QNation FM - thanks Bill, and all the other DJ's too!

MUSIC! You can buy CDs and MP3s directly from me at The Store. But if you were interested in buying my music from other retailers, that's cool too, so here are the links!

iTunes
CD Baby
Tradebit
Great Indie Music
PayPlay

Thank you all so much for your support, and I hope to see you at a show soon!

Carlyn
www.carlynhutchins.com

2010-03-15T19:39:00.001-04:00

March 2010

Hello fine mailing list folks! Maybe you've noticed a change in email format over the past several months. Well, the reason is that I just can't seem to make up my mind which service I'd like to stick with, so I've been trying a few different ones lately.

I want to let you know that I have a couple of shows coming up, one on Friday March 19th and one on April 3rd.

Friday March 19, 2010 8:00 PM South Shore Folk Music Club at The Beal House Kingston, MA. $5 members, $6 non-members. Co-bill with Bethel Steele!

Saturday April 3, 2010 7:30 PM Upton House Concerts in Upton, MA - Opening for Chuck E. Costa! To reserve tickets please email rob@robertmattson.com or call 617-899-0799.

Please feel free to drop by and visit me at these social networking sites, where in most cases you can keep up with some of my wild and wacky posts in 140 characters or less, watch video, or read about what's new or where I'm playing. Let's hear it for microblogs!

RADIO! "Urban Tragedy", a song from Lust Love Lost can now be heard on Women of Substance Radio! It was selected for their new program "Music With a Conscience", and you can tune into the program every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 3-7 pm Eastern time during the month of March - so cool! I've also had recent airplay on Radio Crystal Blue, Something About the Women (WMFO 91.5 FM Medford, MA), Catskill Community Radio's program "The Road", and MVY Radio's Local Musicafe.

Some of you have written to ask for a list of where you can buy my music. Well, you can buy directly from me at The Store. But, if you were interested in buying my music from other retailers, that's cool too, so here are the links!

iTunes
CD Baby
Tradebit
Great Indie Music
PayPlay

Thank you for your support, and I hope to see you at a show soon!

Carlyn

"Urban Tragedy" on Women of Substance Radio!

2010-03-03T07:09:00.001-05:00

Carlyn's song "Urban Tragedy" was selected for Women of Substance Radio's new program "Music With a Conscience"! You can tune into the program every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 3-7 pm Eastern time during the month of March - so cool!

Got $500? How about $750!

2010-01-29T17:39:00.015-05:00

Thanks to everyone's extremely generous contributions, we have raised $750 to be donated to Doctors Without Borders for Haiti relief efforts! I will be making that donation soon, and submitting the paperwork to my employer, who will be matching our contribution dollar for dollar.

Additionally, the very generous attendees of the January 23rd Driftwood Folk Cafe concert helped raise an additional $515, which will also be donated to Doctors Without Borders and submitted for a matching contribution! I know that overall, this doesn't seem like a lot of money, but it is going to go far. This donation could prove the difference between life and death for some Haiti earthquake victims.

I am so proud of all of you for making these donations, because it would have been so easy to walk away, to turn a blind eye to the devastation and suffering. I have been seeing Twitter and Facebook posts stating that Americans should be ashamed of themselves for donating so much time and money to the people of Haiti when Americans are equally in need. Needless to say, I do not share this sentiment. I don't know how we cannot help, and I think it speaks to our humanity to come together and answer a cry for help, even for those in foreign countries.

To everyone who helped me meet and surpass the $500 goal, I cannot thank you enough, and I certainly can't thank everyone by name because the list would be much too long. You know who you are though, and I am very grateful for your generosity. You all rock!

A New Year, A Plea for Help

2010-01-15T08:09:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to you!

While I hope that you are having a fabulous new year so far, I'm writing mainly to ask for your support. The magnitude of the earthquake in Haiti is becoming more and more apparent with each passing day. As an individual, I, like most of you, feel pretty helpless. But as a group, we can do much by making small contributions! I am reaching out to each of you to help me try and make a difference with the relief efforts. My goal is to raise $500 for Doctors Without Borders, an international medical humanitarian organization.

I'll start off the pot with $50, and will also donate the full purchase price for each sale of my new EP "So Far From Lost" to this worthy organization. Five bucks gets you some great new music you can download for your iPod or MP3 player. More importantly, your $5 will be going to an organization dedicated to provide emergency medical care for the men, women, and children affected by the earthquake in Haiti.

Now, I understand you might not be comfortable with the whole digital download thing. Maybe you're just one of those folks who really likes simply having a hard copy CD. No worries, I have that covered too! You can order an autographed copy of the new EP directly from me for $8 including shipping. Just visit The Store to order!

My next show will be on February 27th, opening for Chuck E. Costa at the Upton House Concert series, hosted by my friend Rob Mattson. I hope you will put it on your calendar and come and hang out with us at Rob's house, because it is going to be a really fun show!

Thank you so much for your attention, and for your support! If you would rather your $5 go directly to Doctors Without Borders, please donate directly to them, but tell 'em I sent you!

Peace, hugs, and love,

Carlyn

Visit me at these social networking sites!

Twitter
Facebook
MySpace
ReverbNation
YouTube

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-16T20:47:00.005-05:00

Warm holiday greetings to you!

I'm writing to wish you and your family a very warm and wonderful holiday season! Your support throughout this year has meant so much to me, from your kind words to your coming to the shows or buying CDs, I'm simply overwhelmed by how much my music means to you. It's one of the reasons I keep writing, because it makes me really happy to make someone else's day with a little bit of music. Sounds funny I know, but totally true!

I'll be taking some time off to work on some new music and to start plotting and scheming a plan to record a new studio CD!

Yes! I want the Holiday Package!

Just in time for the holidays, Carlyn is offering up a super special you can order as the perfect small gift or stocking stuffer! For a limited time, $15 (includes S&H) gets you the following:

An autographed copy of "Lust Love Lost"
An autographed copy of Carlyn's 5-song EP
A digital download card redeemable for a full album download of Carlyn's new live EP So Far From Lost
A sticker, a button, and a guitar pick (because I know you're a true fan!)

Order before December 20th for guaranteed delivery before Christmas!

Something cool to ponder this holiday season...

I've written in the past about how I will be making charitable donations this season as opposed to buying material gifts for my friends and loved ones. Everyone is having a hard time this year, especially the organizations that are helping the needy, be they of the human or the critter variety. It's at times like these that I feel that those who can make donations to charitable organizations should. And it doesn't have to be a large donation, because even the little donations count.

I'll use the case of my friend Amy Petty as an example. She just released a new (and very beautiful) Christmas song called "A Lullaby for a King". She is donating every cent of that $0.89 download price to Habitat for Humanity. OK, so I paid a whopping $0.89 for the download, but if 99 other people do the same, or 999 people, or more... think about how much money that could be, and how much good it could do. It just goes to show that something so little, less than the price of a cup of coffee, can ultimately do so much more good. Just something to think about. How much good is that $0.89 doing in your pocket?

And... on that note, I will sign off, again wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy, and warm holiday season!

Peace, hugs, and love,

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Visit me at these social networking sites!

Twitter
Facebook
MySpace
ReverbNation
YouTube

Carlyn Hutchins - December 2009 Newsletter

2009-12-10T06:13:00.003-05:00

Happy holidays - I hope they have been wonderful for you so far! I know you must be wicked busy so I'll keep this short.

I recently redesigned my website and online music store (henceforth to be know simply as "The Store"), so let me know what you think! Please visit The Store to find out where and how to buy my music - all of my CD's are available in hardcopy and MP3, all for a darned good price!

My brand new 6 song live EP was just released in November, and makes a perfect stocking stuffer! “So Far From Lost” was recorded at the Roslindale Open Mike in September. I'll have it with me at shows where you can buy it for $7, or you can download it for $5 (really – just $5) from my website!

I have an awesome holiday season special... for $15 (includes S&H), you get:

An autographed copy of Lust Love Lost
An autographed copy of my 5-song EP
A digital download card for a full copy of So Far From Lost, the new live EP
A sticker, a button, and a guitar pick, because I know you're a true fan!

Just visit The Store and you'll be on your way to the perfect musical stocking stuffer! Please order before December 18th for guaranteed delivery before Christmas.

And lastly, as always, keep up with me in 140 characters or less on Twitter!

Big hugs and lots of love, and the warmest of wishes to you and your loved ones this holiday season!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Buy Lust Love Lost at CD Baby, baby!

Carlyn's social networking links:
YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

MySpace

Holiday Season Special at The Store!

2009-12-07T19:48:00.006-05:00

Just in time for the holidays, Carlyn is offering up a super special you can order as the perfect small gift or stocking stuffer! For a limited time, $15 (includes S&H) gets you the following:

- An autographed copy of "Lust Love Lost"
- An autographed copy of Carlyn's 5-song EP
- A digital download card good for a full album download of Carlyn's new live EP "So Far From Lost"
- A sticker, a button, and a guitar pick (because she knows you're a true fan!)

Place your order before December 18th for guaranteed delivery before Christmas!

NERFA – Day 3…

2009-11-14T21:06:00.003-05:00

...woke up around 7:30. Yes folks, that would indeed be 4 and a half hours of sleep. I did stay in bed until 9 am, but I don’t really think I slept much more truth be told.

I think the one thing that is the most overwhelming for me is the constant din. The noise of so many people in a relatively confined space all speaking at once is sometimes deafening, and I have constant ringing in my ears as it is. The exhibit hall for instance is very loud, and I find that I have to speak loudly to the person with whom I’m speaking. Now, I have a bit of a sore throat and I feel hoarse, which is not good for me today because…

I was asked to play in the “Golden Ticket” showcase this afternoon, sponsored by Focus out of the D.C. area. It was geared for venue hosts and presenters, and one of the presenters asked me to play – it’s a huge honor, and I was very honored to have been asked! I think I did OK, got some very helpful feedback too, and managed to unload some CDs on some of the presenters there.

Meanwhile, back in the exhibit hall, I found a new-to-me custom guitar maker, Randy S. Muth, who I think I will have to look into a little bit more. The guitars were really sweet… small bodied with slimmer necks, great string action, and a surprising amount of resonance and volume for the body size. I would like to play these guitars outside of a noisy exhibit hall, to really hear what they sound like, but I was very impressed. I’m sure they must cost a small fortune, but I’m also sure they’re worth it. And besides that, they were absolutely beautiful!

Not uncommon at NERFA (from what I understand) is the impromptu jams in the stairwells. On one of my hoof-it-up-the-stairs runs, I ran into Jay Mankita and Peter Siegel, who were thoroughly entertaining and very talented. And they asked me to play a song for them as well – really nice to get some positive feedback from my peers!

Now? I'm just waiting for the Tricentric showcases to start, and then after that will be more guerrilla showcases. It's likely to be another very late night, but no worries... I have Fogbuster coffee to get me through!

NERFA – Day 2… dun dun dun……

2009-11-14T21:04:00.001-05:00

This is completely overwhelming! There is way too much to do in too short a period of time. I sat in a bit on a performance skills workshop with Vance Gilbert. I think I learned more about performance in the 30 or so minutes I sat in that workshop than in the 6 years I have been back to playing on stage. Wow. I think Vance is God. Or something god-like. I saw him help a guy completely transform a newly written song with a handful of suggestions. It went from an “OK” song to a “wow I really want to pay attention to this” song. Just amazing!

Then I sat in the exhibit hall at my table for a couple of hours. I met lots of really cool folks, including some DJs who took my CDs. Awesome! Whether or not they get played who knows, but I was happy to be able to make a connection with them. I think I have talked with more people today than I have in the last several years combined!
The formal and tricentric showcases were amazing, as expected. Not taking anything away from anyone else who performed, I was particularly impressed with Craig Bickhardt and Carsie Blanton, neither of whom I had heard before.

And then… the games began! Initially, I had looked at all the schedules ahead of time, and put together a list of who was playing where and when, and wanted to go room to room to hear them. Since I was so overloaded and overwhelmed, I decided to throw that list out, and just walk around the halls and pop in to hear whoever was playing at that particular point. It was a lot of fun, and I heard lots of folks I probably would not have heard otherwise.

I do think the highlight of the night was a story I was told regarding a friend of a friend, on an acid trip, who had a gnome in his closet. The story went that the gnome was actually a child with Down’s Syndrome who was taken from a playground during the height of the acid trip, and subsequently placed in the closet. Yeah… it was about that time I decided it was time to go to bed! So off I went, off to dreamland somewhere around 3 am.

NERFA - Day 1 Recap

2009-11-13T10:13:00.003-05:00

So, I’m at my first conference of any sort, NERFA – the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance – in Kerhonkson, NY. It promises to be a fun filled weekend of a lot of music and absolutely no sleep… well, little sleep anyway.

I arrived yesterday around 4:30. In looking around at all the early arrivals so far, I realized it’s so weird to see so many faces I recognize, probably from Falcon Ridge. Most of whom do not yet have names to go with them for me, but I’m sure I’ll be making many friends in a short time.

I am pulling double duty this weekend, because I’m here as both a musician (please book me at your venue, I’m the best rhythm guitarist and songwriter EVER) as well as a venue booking agent (please come play at my venue, we’re the best hosts EVER). In kind of a sick way, I’m looking forward to the challenge of wearing both hats. In a more realistic way, I’m wondering how the hell I’m going to pull this off, followed by “why in the world did I think it was a good idea to have a table in the exhibit hall”!

On to the more important stuff… dinner last night was absolutely fabulous! I was invited to sit at a table with Siobhan Quinn, Michael Bowers, Mary Lou Troy, Fred Kaiser, and about 6 other folks whose names I did not catch. I also met lots of folks in passing with whom I have only emailed so it was nice to meet in person, and others who are Facebook friends but we’ve never met in person. I’m also looking forward to hearing in their guerilla showcases.

Then, it was off to the Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ showcase which was well attended and very enjoyable. After that, it was guerilla showcase heaven! This is where many folks here get a chance to play for an audience outside of the formal showcases. People basically go from room to room, pop in for a few minutes to listen, then run off to the next room to either listen to someone else. I was not selected to play in any of these, but maybe next year when my name and music are a little more recognized, I’ll get a few. I did get a "golden ticket" and will play a couple of songs in a showcase on Saturday afternoon, which is totally cool! With this being my first NERFA, I just want to get a feel for how this all works before jumping head-first into it all with playing in or hosting showcases. Make no mistakes, guerilla showcase time is complete and utter pandemonium, and a lot of fun! I’m looking forward to the informal jam sessions in the stairways and lobby as well!

Anyway, I'm running on about 5 hours of sleep with a very full day ahead, so I apologize if any of this in incoherent! So that’s all for Day 1, I’ll catch you up on Day 2 when I can!

Carlyn Hutchins - November 2009 Newsletter

2009-11-08T18:48:00.004-05:00

It’s amazing how quickly the year flies by… is it really November already? This is crazy – the holidays are just around the corner!

Recently, I donated my first “big-girl” guitar to the Guitars For Peace organization. It was an old Washburn acoustic/electric that I bought somewhere around 1992, and it had been collecting dust in my basement. After I read about the program, I thought “why not”? It wasn’t being used, it was taking up space, and I thought that it would mean so much to someone across the world to have it, than to me with not using it. So, off it went. While I had a brief moment of sadness in letting it go, I had, and continue to have, a bigger feeling of joy for being able to give something so meaningful to someone else. Which brings me to the subject of giving as we approach the holiday season.

On the one hand, I love getting presents, and I love giving them too. On the other hand, I have every material thing I need, and if there is something I want (within reason), I'll go out and get it, if I can. But in these hard times for so many others in true need, I’ve taken a step back to think about “giving”. I’ve decided to tell all my friends and family to not buy anything for me, if they were planning to. Instead, I will encourage them to make a donation in my name to a charity of my choice. To me, this makes the holidays less about what I receive and more about what I give, either through my own donations in the names of others or through people donating in my name. What I hope is that I get other people thinking about what they have versus what they need, and do they really need more “stuff”? Maybe it will start a true cascade of charitable donations filtering to organizations who could really use it at this time of year and beyond… ah yes, that would be ideal, wouldn’t it? I know it’s not so simple, but in economic times like this, doesn’t it make sense for people who have means to donate to charities, to provide to people who don’t?

Anyway, enough about all of that. I have other news to share, and upcoming shows to tell you about!

The biggest news I have this month is that I have just released a new 6 song live EP called “So Far From Lost”, recorded at my recent feature at the Roslindale Open Mike. I’m very excited about it, and hope you are too! In fact, I’m so excited about it that I am giving away a free album download to the first 10 people who send me an email to ask for it! Now, this link is only valid for 48 hours (don’t ask me why, it’s just how it is), so you need to act quickly if you want to take advantage of it! Don’t worry, if you aren’t one of the first 10, you can still download it for $5 (really – just $5) from my website! Or, come out to a show and get an honest-to-goodness real CD that you can hold and see the artwork and the credits and all that good stuff, and I’ll even sign it for you!

Now, for shows! Coming up in November, I have a couple of shows that I’m very excited about. On Sunday November 22^nd, I will be playing a set at the edible South Shores Harvest Market, being held under a heated tent at Pilgrim Memorial Park on the waterfront in Plymouth MA. This is a very special Emerging Artist showcase, and will also feature Caleb Hawley, Amy Petty, and Sam Chase – we’re playing from 11 to 3, so stop on by!

On Saturday November 28 I am the opening act for the wonderful John Flynn at the Third Fret Coffeehouse in Marston's Mills! The show starts at 7, and tickets will go on sale soon, $15 each!

In other fun news, my song "I Don't Know Why" was added into the rotation on Women of Substance Radio! I hope you can tune in on Monday nights, 9 to 10 pm Eastern Time to catch me on "Acoustic Show 1"! Additionally, my song "Roses & Wine" was added to the Local MusiCafe playlist on MVY Radio! Cool, huh?

Recently, I revamped my website slightly, so you can now buy single track or full album downloads of "Lust Love Lost", "Session: Live", “So Far From Lost”, or random MP3s of unreleased material, including the very popular Roses & Wine ringtone! Just click the links to check it all out!

And lastly, as always, visit me on YouTube to see a few performance videos. Or, visit me on Facebook and Twitter, to keep up with me in 140 characters or less!

Big hugs and lots of love!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Buy Lust Love Lost at CD Baby, baby!

Carlyn's social networking links:

New Live EP - "So Far From Lost" Now Available!

2009-11-05T09:59:00.004-05:00

Available for purchase now - Carlyn's new live EP "So Far From Lost" for just $5 online! http://tiny.cc/sKtSB

This CD was recorded live at my featured performance at the Roslindale Open Mike, Roslindale MA, in September 2009. Enjoy!

Carlyn Hutchins - October 2009 Newsletter

2009-10-15T18:31:00.007-04:00

I can't believe it's already mid-October and I haven't sent out an update yet, shame on me! So here it is real fast, because I know you're probably as busy as I am...

Tomorrow night, October 16th, I'll be the featured performer at Java Jo's Open Mike Night, hosted by Ana Eder-Mulhane! She is just the loveliest person in the world, and we're so grateful that she continues to run such a great open mike night. I hope you can come and hang out for a while! I will go on around 8 pm, but come out early and grab a light dinner, they have a wonderful selection of salads and sandwiches from which to choose.

Then on Saturday October 24th, I will be the opening act for Coretta Sellars at her CD release party at The Bull Run Restaurant out in Shirley MA! I'm very excited about this show, and hope that you can make it out to support me and Coretta as well! Tickets are on sale now, $10 in advance or they'll be $12 at the door the day of show. Dinner seating is available and starts at 6 pm. The show starts at 8, come on out! Good times are going to be had, Coretta is a wonderful singer/songwriter and performer!

Coming up in November, I am honored to have been asked to open for the wonderful John Flynn at the Third Fret Coffeehouse in Marston's Mills on November 28th! The show starts at 7, and tickets will go on sale soon, $15 each!

In other fun news, my song "I Don't Know Why" was added into the rotation on Women of Substance Radio! I hope you can tune in on Monday nights, 9 to 10 pm Eastern Time to catch me on "Acoustic Show 1"! Additionally, my song "Roses & Wine" was added to the Local MusiCafe playlist on MVY Radio! Cool, huh?

Speaking of songs.... keep your eyes out for a new live CD I'll be releasing within the next month or so! More news on that later, but it'll have some new and not so new material that was recently recorded at the Roslindale Open Mike. I've also revamped my website slightly, and you can now buy single track or full album downloads of "Lust Love Lost", "Session: Live", or random MP3s of unreleased material, including the very popular Roses & Wine ringtone! Just click the links to check it all out!

And lastly, as always, visit me on YouTube to see a few performance videos. Or, visit me on Facebook and Twitter, to keep up with me in 140 characters or less!

Big hugs and lots of love!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Buy Lust Love Lost at CD Baby, baby!

Carlyn's social networking links:
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace

Carlyn Hutchins - September 2009 Newsletter

2009-09-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

Hey, I just wanted to touch base and send a quick reminder about 2 shows I have coming up in September, as well as encourage you to put another few shows on your calendar in the fall!

This Friday September 11th, I will be playing an in-the-round with Kellee Webb and Jessi Fanuele at the Oasis Coffeehouse in Waltham MA! Ticket prices range from $8 to $12, visit their website for more info. Doors open at 7:00, the show starts at 7:30.

On Monday September 14th, I will be heading over to the Roslindale Open Mike (hosted by Mike Delaney), where I will be the featured performer. There is no cover charge, but Mike will pass the "not-hat", and encourage you to donate generously. Mike and Neal Braverman have worked really hard to make this open mike night a great success, so come on out and support them (and me of course too)! The open mike starts at 7:00, I play for 30 minutes around 8:00.

Coming up for me in October and November:

• October 16th, 7 pm @ Java Jo’s Open Mike, Jamaica Plain MA
• October 24th, 8 pm @ The Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley MA

• November 28th, 7:30 pm @ Third Fret Coffeehouse, Marston's Mills MA

In even more news, you can now visit me on YouTube to see a few performance videos. Or, visit me on Facebook and Twitter, to keep up with me in 140 characters or less!

Big hugs and lots of love!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Buy Lust Love Lost at CD Baby, baby!

Carlyn's social networking links:
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter

MySpace

Canceled - August 22nd Move the Muse Fest

2009-08-20T14:01:00.002-04:00

I had been scheduled to play in the Emerging Artist Showcase at the Move the Muse Fest, a first year festival which was to be held at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton MA this coming Saturday the 22nd. However, the group who was financing the festival, Boston Baseball Allstars, cancelled it on Monday with little explanation to the artists.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. If you had purchased tickets, please contact Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006 to obtain a full refund.

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Buy Lust Love Lost at CD Baby, baby!

Carlyn's social networking links:
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace

UPCOMING SHOWS
The Oasis Coffeehouse	Waltham, MA	Fri Sep 11 09	07:30 PM	Tickets
Roslindale Open Mic	Roslindale, MA	Mon Sep 14 09	07:00 PM
Java Jo's	Jamaica Plain, MA	Fri Oct 16 09	07:00 PM
Bull Run Restaurant	Shirley, MA	Sat Oct 24 09	08:00 PM	Tickets
> See More / Details

PRESS CLIPPINGS

"Hutchins is a pure folk artist with a bit of a kick." Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com

"Carlyn Hutchins delivers folk music that is upbeat, sensuous, contemplative, and passionate." Annette Conlon, 'Nette Radio

Carlyn Hutchins - August 2009 Newsletter

2009-08-11T13:55:00.003-04:00

Wow, it feels like forever since I sent out my last newsletter! I have been very busy, very busy indeed. I just moved from Boston to the South Shore of MA, into a cute little house near the ocean. Yeah, I am living a very difficult life. Which is half true, considering that I still work in Cambridge, which is at the least an hour and half drive if I leave at 5:30 am! At least I will wake up and smell the salt air, which can never be a bad thing!

Regarding music, July was pretty fun and music filled! I spent the 4^th of July weekend at New Bedford Summerfest, and saw some amazing talent, both new to me and not so new to me. They also had a perfectly wonderful variety of arts and crafts vendors in addition to 6 or so stages of music, which really rounded out the festival experience. What a great atmosphere, and I’m really looking forward to going again next year!

I also went to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, a four day music and mud filled extravaganza! Now, while I enjoyed the music tremendously, I have to be honest and tell you that I am not the best camper in the world. I try, I really try, but when you add in torrential rain (Thursday and Friday nights) and a lot of mud (which sometimes smelled like cow-poo), I can assure you that this wannabe happy camper was not so happy. I’m not entirely sure that the motel where I ended up on Saturday night (the threat of more overnight storms was more than I could bear) made me feel better or cleaner, but that’s a different story. The bottom line is that the music this year, as always, was absolutely fantastic, and like Summerfest, I’m looking forward to next year! Maybe I’ll stay in a motel instead of camping!

Speaking of festivals, let me tell you about a couple of new ones! I will be volunteering at the 1^st annual Berkshire Women’s Muse Fest, at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield MA this Saturday, August 15^th! The lineup includes: Cheryl Wheeler, Suzanne Vega, SONiA of Disappear Fear, Amy Petty, Gretchen Peters, Nervous But Excited, Pamela Means, Lindsay Mac, Melissa Ferrick, and Sarah Bettens. All this for $25 if you buy tickets online, $35 at the gate on the day of the show.

Also, I am playing in the Emerging Artist Showcase at the Move the Muse Fest, another first year festival being held at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton MA! Wow, I am truly honored to have been asked to play. The featured performer lineup includes: Kathy Mattea, Jesse Colin Young Band, Eliza Gilkyson, Girlyman, The Kennedys, Vicki Genfan, David Jacobs-Strain, Trina Hamlin, Natalia Zukerman, The Paper Raincoat, and Jacob Johnson. Tickets for this festival are also $25 online, or $35 at the gate the day of the show. I hope to see you out and about!

You can also come out and here me at a few other places, with more shows to be added later. Check ‘em out!

• August 22nd, time TBA @ Move the Muse Fest, Brockton MA (Festival runs Noon to 8 pm)
• September 11th, 7:30 pm @ Oasis Coffeehouse, Waltham MA
• September 14th, 7 pm @ Roslindale Open Mike, Roslindale MA
• October 16th, 7 pm @ Java Jo’s Open Mike, Jamaica Plain MA
• October 24th, 8 pm @ The Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley MA

I’m hugely excited for all of my gigs, but especially the October 24th gig, as I’m opening for Coretta Sellars and she totally rocks. I hope that you will be able to make one or two or three of them! :-)

In other fun news, my song "I Don't Know Why" was added into the rotation on Women of Substance Radio! I hope you can tune in on Monday nights, 10 to 11 pm Eastern Time to catch me on "Acoustic Show 1"!

In even more news, you can now visit me on YouTube to see a few performance videos. Or, visit me on Facebook and Twitter, to keep up with me in 140 characters or less!

Big hugs and lots of love!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Buy Lust Love Lost at CD Baby, baby!

Carlyn's social networking links:
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace

Carlyn Hutchins - July 2009 Newsletter

2009-06-28T19:55:00.005-04:00

Hey there!

It’s been too long since my last newsletter, but just to let you know, I’ve been a very busy gal! I worked quite a bit on booking shows, and managed to get me some attention, which is always a good thing! My buddy Rob would say that I’m using self-deprecating humor by telling you this, but I think not – most of the time when we try to book gigs, we don’t get any replies, so I think it’s very positive if I’ve gotten someone’s attention enough to get a reply of “not at this time” or “I’ll get back to you later”, so I think this is a step in the right direction! I’ve also been getting replies of “let’s work out a date”, which is part of the point of this email… I’ve got gigs! You can see the details of them on my calendar, but here’s what I have coming up in the next several months:

• July 11th, 2:45 @ Plymouth Harbor Folk Festival, Plymouth MA (Festival runs Noon to 7 pm)
• July 30th, 8 pm @ Rose Room Revue, Upton MA
• August 22nd, time TBA @ Move the Muse Fest, Brockton MA (Festival runs Noon to 8 pm)
• September 11th, 7:30 pm @ Oasis Coffeehouse, Waltham MA
• September 14th, 7 pm @ Roslindale Open Mike, Roslindale MA
• October 16th, 7 pm @ Java Jo’s Open Mike, Jamaica Plain MA
• October 24th, 8 pm @ The Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley MA

I’m very excited to be playing showcases at two festivals – this is huge for me as it’s my first time playing on stage at a festival, and I hope you all can come out and support them. I’m also hugely excited for the October 24th gig, as I’m opening for Coretta Sellars and she totally rocks. Just to clarify, I’m excited about *all* of my gigs and hope that you will be able to make one or two or three of them! :-)

In other fun news, my song "I Don't Know Why" was added into the rotation on Women of Substance Radio! Tune in on Monday nights, 10 to 11 pm Eastern Time to catch me on "Acoustic Show 1"!

On the music front, aside from booking gigs, I have also been working on some new songs, and polishing up a couple of older songs, because I’m thinking that it’s time to start working on a new CD! Yes, it’s been almost 3 years since Lust Love Lost was released, and I have a bunch of new songs since then. One of these songs is “North Carolina Called”, and if you haven’t heard it yet, be sure to click on this TunePak link!

In other news, you can now visit me on YouTube to see a few performance videos. Or, visit me on Facebook and Twitter, to keep up with me in 140 characters or less!

Big hugs and lots of love!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Buy Lust Love Lost at CD Baby, baby!

Carlyn's social networking links:
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace

Carlyn Hutchins - May 2009 Newsletter

2009-05-04T23:18:00.002-04:00

I hope you’re enjoying the lovely spring weather! I just got back from a fabulous 3 days at the Kripalu Center in Western Massachusetts, at a songwriting workshop hosted by Val Denn, The Nields, Eliza Gilkyson, and Gretchen Peters. I am feeling a burst of creativity since I left, not just because of the things I learned, but because of the feedback I got on my singing, songwriting, and performance skills. It’s easy to lose focus on the things we love to do, especially in these busy times, so being able to spend some time getting positive reinforcement was incredibly welcome.

Have you heard my demo of North Carolina Called yet? You can hear it by clicking on this link!

You can catch me on stage this coming weekend, I’ll be playing at The Burren on Sunday night, May 10th! The show starts at 8 pm, no cover charge but tips are appreciated! Also playing that night will be The And Company (Brian Tavener, Mally Smith, and Alle Santiago) and other special guests. You never know who will show up for a pint! My thanks to hosts Danielle Miraglia and Tom Bianchi for asking me to play!

The Burren
247 Elm Street
Davis Square, Somerville MA
http://www.burren.com

Driftwood Folk Cafe in Plymouth MA will be presenting its last show of the season on Saturday May 9th, featuring the Jason Spooner Trio with opening act Sam Chase! I highly recommend purchasing advanced seats for the show, $15 each.

Driftwood Folk Cafe at First Parish UU Church
19 Town Square
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-224-7024

Carlyn's social networking links:

YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace

I hope to see you at my show on Sunday, but if you can't make it, I hope to see you soon!

Squishy hugs and love!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Carlyn Hutchins - April 2009 Newsletter

2009-04-16T21:47:00.001-04:00

Happy spring everyone! Every day I drive home from work and pass the Arnold Arboretum. Every day around this time of year I get to watch the buds come out on all the trees, and it never ceases to amaze me how what was once brown and barren will “green up” in a week’s time. I hope you’re enjoying the early spring as much as I am!

I only have a few announcements this month:

• First, thanks to everyone who came out to the gigs I had in February and March. I had so much fun opening for Chris Pureka and Ellis, and even more fun meeting so many new fans!

• Second, I got some recording software and a digital interface (meaning I can hook up my guitar and a microphone into my computer), and made a recording of “North Carolina Called”, one of my newer songs. You can listen to it here. The first 10 people who send me an email (carlyn AT carlynhutchins DOT com) with some feedback will get it as a free MP3 - constructive feedback is preferred of course, but say what you must! If you hate it, then please tell me, because there is no sense in me sending it to you if you hate it, right?

• Third, I will be attending a workshop called “Powerful Women, Powerful Voices” in late April at Kripalu in Western MA. All you creative type women (sorry boys) should seriously think about coming. Here’s more about the workshop:

Women and Songwriting Retreat April 26 to April 29 at Kripalu Yoga Center

For all women who love music. We have a few spaces left for an intimate writing workshop with Eliza Gilkyson, Gretchen Peters, The Nields and Val Denn for intensive writing and creativity workshop in a nurturing environment.

Come together in community with other women to connect with your creative self and explore the power of words and music to express the human experience. Co-created by a bevy of talented grassroots musical artists, this workshop will awaken you to your own inner well of creativity and strength.

Eliza Gilkyson, The Nields, Gretchen Peters, and Val Denn have created a program for women who want to write and gather together to enhance that desire. They will share their creative journeys, and delve into what it means to make music out of the tumult and beauty of their inner lives and then offer their songs to the world.

The program includes experiential workshops, panel discussions, live performances, open mic sessions, nuts and bolts discussions, and singing together as a group to draw you deeper into the heart of your own unique, essential, powerful voice, no matter how you express yourself. Whether you are a musician, writer, or music lover, Powerful Women, Powerful Voices offers a wealth of ways to use creative expression as a spiritual practice and move toward your creative dreams with balance and integrity.

Kripalu is a Yoga Center in the Berkshires that provides a quiet place to do yoga, to retreat, eat organic food in the beauty of the Berkshires. Call and tell them your a FA member and receive a 20% discount on the program tuition, Housing is separate and prices vary from dorm style to private rooms, http://www.kripalu.org/program/view/PWPV91/powerful_women_powerful_voices or call Val Denn if you have questions. 512 391-3855

Speaking of Gretchen Peters, she will be performing at Driftwood Folk Café in Plymouth MA on Saturday April 25th, with opening act Lisa Martin! You may not recognize Gretchen, but she has been nominated for Grammys, is a Country Music Award winner, was the 2008 Folkwax Magazine artist of the year, and has more ASCAP awards than you can shake a stick at! Oh yeah, she’s written for the likes of Martina McBride, Bonnie Raitt, Bryan Adams, George Strait, Shania Twain… the list goes on and on! I highly recommend purchasing advanced seats for the show, $20 each.

Driftwood Folk Café at First Parish UU Church
19 Town Square
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-224-7024

In other news, you can now visit me on YouTube! I have a few performance videos for you to check out. Visit me on Facebook too! And if you Twitter, you can follow my tweets too. Oh yes, I'm all hooked up on social networks now!

Happy Spring, and hope to see you at my next show on May 10th! Come out at see me at The Burren's Sunday Night Songwriting Series! Always a good time, especially with Danielle Miraglia and Tom Bianchi as hosts!

Squishy hugs and love!

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

March 2009 Newsletter

2009-03-02T19:42:00.004-05:00

Hello! I have a big show coming up in March, and wanted to give you some details on it. I’m also working hard to book some more gigs, so keep yer eyes peeled on the calendar!

Recapping February, it was much busier for me musically than it has been in some time. This is good! I wrote a new song and started working on another. The show at The Songwriter Sessions was a lot of fun, as was the show at Me&Thee. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my feature at the new Roslindale Open Mike but I hope to get rescheduled there in the late summer or early fall.

On March 14th, I will be playing at Driftwood Folk Café in Plymouth MA, opening for Minnesota based Ellis. I highly recommend purchasing advanced seats for the show, $15 each. I’m especially excited to be opening for Ellis! There’s just something really special about opening for a musician who tours nationally, it’s quite an honor. Believe me, this is not a show to be missed, I guarantee that she will leave you laughing and feeling good!

Driftwood Folk Café at First Parish UU Church
19 Town Square
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-224-7024

Looking ahead, I’ll be playing at The Burren’s Songwriter Series on Sunday May 10th, hosted by Danielle Miraglia and Tom Bianchi. Looking way ahead, I’ll be the featured performer at Java Jo’s Open Mike Night on Friday October 16th, hosted by the lovely Ana Eder-Mulhane!

In other news, you can now visit me on YouTube! I have a few performance videos, most recently from the show at the Me&Thee Coffeehouse, where I opened for Chris Pureka. Check them out, and bookmark the page or subscribe to the RSS feed to stay updated when I post new videos.

Come and visit me on Facebook and be a fan! I just recently joined and created a fan page, so you have one more place you can go to get more news and information, listen to music, and watch videos, all in one place! It’s been really fun to be able to reconnect with old friends, but it’s been even more fun to have Facebook help me promote my music and make new fans. Feel free to share my Facebook fan page on your page too!

So that’s all I have for this month! Thanks for your continued support and hope to see you at Driftwood Folk Café on March 14th!

Warm hugs and love,

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

Lust Love Lost CDs and MP3s available at:

CD Baby
iTunes
Carlyn Hutchins Music Store

Carlyn Hutchins - February 2009 Newsletter

2009-02-10T13:51:00.009-05:00

Hello! I have several shows coming up in February and March, and wanted to give you some details on them.

On Thursday February 12th, I’m playing in Lisa Martin’s Songwriter Sessions, an in-the-round with Lisa Martin, Robin O’Herin, and Ian Fitzgerald. The theme for which each of us needed to write a new song is “don’t wait for me”. I know most of you who are familiar with my music are probably thinking that I wrote something very tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic. You could not have been more wrong! If you want to hear it, I guess you’ll have to make your way to The Vanilla Bean Café!

The Vanilla Bean Café
450 Deerfield Road
Pomfret, CT 06258
1-860-928-1562

If you can’t make it to The Vanilla Bean, then please try and make it to see me open for Western MA based Chris Pureka on Friday February 20th! This show is at the Me&Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead MA. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be opening for her, it’s quite an honor. You can read more about me and Chris, or purchase seats in advance for $15 each from the Me&Thee website.

Me&Thee Coffeehouse
28 Mugford Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
781-631-8987

Have you heard the news? There’s a new open mike that recently started up in Roslindale, MA called Roslindale Open Mike. It’s hosted by Mr. Mike Delaney at the Roslindale Congregational Church every 2nd and 4th Monday. I am honored to be their featured performer on Monday February 23rd. Signups start at 6:30 and the music starts promptly at 7:00. I will play a 30 minute set starting around 8:00. There is no cover charge, but there will be a “pass-the-not-hat” as they call it (which I think is a basket). I will be donating 100% of the “not-hat” back to the church, to thank them for giving us wee musicians a new space to play in Roslindale. Please be generous!

Roslindale Open Mike at Roslindale Congregational Church
25 Cummins Highway
Roslindale, MA 02131

Lastly (but of course not leastly) on March 14th, I will be playing at Driftwood Folk Café in Plymouth MA, opening for Minnesota based Ellis. I highly recommend purchasing advanced seats for the show, $15 each. I’m excited about all of my shows, but like the Marblehead show, I’m especially excited to be opening for Ellis. There’s just something really special about opening for a musician who tours nationally, it’s quite an honor. Believe me, this is not a show to be missed, I guarantee that she will leave you laughing and feeling good!

Driftwood Folk Café at First Parish UU Church
19 Town Square
Plymouth, MA 02360
508-224-7024

Well, there’s nothing much else going on. You can see me at some area open mikes, just played at The Vine in Plymouth (every Thursday night, hosted by Sherri Malone – lots of fun!). Also, I’m still hosting, booking, and helping to run Driftwood Folk Café in Plymouth. Our next show is on March 14th and features Ellis with opening act Carlyn Hutchins (hey, that’s me!).

So that’s all I got! Thanks for your continued support and hope to see you at some shows!

Warm hugs and love,

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com/

Carlyn Hutchins - January 2009 Newsletter

2009-01-17T14:49:00.009-05:00

Greetings, and happy 2009 to you! I haven’t written since before the holidays and just wanted to touch base to let you know about some of the new and exciting happenings in my world.

If you need a little live Carlyn Hutchins music fix, I do have several shows coming up in February and March. You can see the details of the shows down below in the calendar section. I’m very excited about each of these, first and foremost because it gets me back out on the stage and playing for you (instead of to the coffeemaker in my kitchen). Secondly, it gets the creative juices flowing and I’ll probably be writing some new songs that I can put on a recording. Yes, there may be one in the works for late 2009 or early 2010, we’ll see, no promises!

On February 12th, I’m playing in Lisa Martin’s Songwriter Sessions, an in-the-round with Lisa Martin, Robin O’Herin, and Ian Fitzgerald. We have each been tasked with writing a new song based on the theme of “don’t wait for me”. My first instinct was to write something bitter and sarcastic (shocking, I know!), but this song seems to be taking an entirely different direction, which makes me very happy. If you want to hear it, I guess you’ll have to make your way to The Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret CT on February 12th!

I will be the opening act for a couple of nationally touring indie songwriters in February and March. On February 20th, I’ll be playing at the Me&Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead MA, opening for Western MA based Chris Pureka. On March 14th, I will be playing at Driftwood Folk Café in Plymouth MA, opening for Minnesota based Ellis. It would be great to see you at these shows, not just to support me, but also to support these very talented performers who are fortunate enough to be touring and performing for a living.

In addition to playing at these shows, I will also be playing more and more at the area open mike nights. As many of you know, I didn't play many shows during 2008 but I’m getting back into the swing of things. Recently, I played at the Me&Thee in Marblehead and at South Shore Folk Music Club in Kingston open mike nights. Although I was nervous, it felt really good to be on stage and playing again.

What about other news in my world? Well, there’s nothing much else going on. I’m still hosting, booking, and helping to run Driftwood Folk Café in Plymouth. Our next show is on February 7th and features Greg Greenway with opening act Amy Petty. You can read more about them and purchase advanced seats at Driftwood Folk Café.

So that’s all from here! Thanks for your continued support and hope to see you at some shows!

Warm hugs and love,

Carlyn

www.carlynhutchins.com

Buy Lust Love Lost CDs and MP3s from CD Baby!

Carlyn Hutchins - December 2008 Newsletter

2008-12-05T11:57:00.004-05:00

It's been much too long since my last newsletter (how do you like the new look, do you like the "Play Songs" feature, do tell!) and I wanted to touch base with you to wish you very warm holiday greetings! My Thanksgiving was very nontraditional, as I opted to laugh in the face of, well, tradition, and eat sushi instead! It was homemade and I have to say, was by far some of the best I have ever had - quite yummy!

It's been a little quiet in the world of Carlyn Hutchins music lately, but the creative juices are flowing and I should be coming out with some new material in the next couple of months. You may have heard that my open mike night was shut down (without notice) by the owners of the cafe where I was hosting it. That was a bit of a blow... not completely unexpected but it is fair to say that it could have been handled a bit differently. However, I soldier on. I'm still not entirely sure I want to try and get it running somewhere else at this time, but those kind of things usually sort themselves out.

I will be doing some studio work with Bethel Steele, laying down some shaker tracks on a handful of songs coming out on her new CD. I'll keep you posted when that is released! I'm very honored that she asked me to shake for her! Snicker snort, snicker snort, giggle giggle giggle... I really make myself laugh sometimes!

In other music news, Driftwood Folk Cafe, a new music series that I host, book, and help operate in Plymouth MA is doing very well! Our next show is on Saturday December 13th, featuring the incredible Brooks Williams! Opening the show is the very lovely and talented Danielle Miraglia. We're very excited to present this show, and hope that you'll take an evening out of your busy holiday schedule to join us. Seats are available online in advance for $16, it's highly recommended to get them before the show, it just makes it easier for everyone. Doors open at 7:30 and the show starts promptly at 8:00. I don't know yet exactly which goodies will be at the treat table, but I can assure you, there will be plenty and it will all be tasty!

But wait... there's more! Since the holidays are approaching, I'm sure there is a music lover on your gift list... why not give the gift of music! My CD Lust Love Lost is available online at any of the retailers listed below, either as a real honest-to-goodness CD or as a digital download! They're also available through me directly, and as a holiday special, you can get two for the low low price of $17 ($8.50 each - what a deal!)... and I'll throw in a couple of copies of my 5-song EP too! That's 4 CD's for the low low price of $17! Send me an email, I'll tell you how you can pay... PayPal works... checks work... and... I'll even ship them to you for free! You will not get a better bargain than that!So, have yourself a very happy and healthy holiday season, and thanks for all of your wonderful support during the year.

Squishy hugs and love,

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com/

Buy Lust Love Lost at these retailers:
CD Baby
iTunes
Amazon
Rhapsody

Subject: Dear Red States

2008-11-04T11:19:00.003-05:00

Just got this from my good friend and couldn't resist reposting it!

Subject: Dear Red States

Dear Red States:

If you manage to steal this election too we've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly:

You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states.
We get stem cell research and the best beaches.

We get the Statue of Liberty.
You get Dollywood.

We get Intel and Microsoft.
You get WorldCom.

We get Harvard.
You get Ole' Miss.

We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs.
You get Alabama.

We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families.
You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and soybeans (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% believe that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.

Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico

Peace out,
Blue States

Emack's Open Mike Night Shut Down

2008-10-17T17:40:00.004-04:00

It seems just a couple of weeks ago I was writing with the news that the Emack's Open Mike Night was continuing indefinitely. Now, it saddens me to write with the news that our open mike has been shut down again, effective immediately. I apologize to those of you who have already received the email I sent to the performers. This email is for everyone: musicians, fans, and patrons, who have been supporting the open mike over the past couple of seasons since I became host.

I received a voice mail from Dave, who is the manager at Emack's, so I haven't actually spoken with anyone directly just yet. The decision to shut down, as best as I can tell, is nothing more than financial, that it just was not economically feasible for them to keep it open at this time. While Dave went to bat for us and tried to convince the new owners to keep it open at least for a little while longer, they disagreed, and we are shut down. I use terms like *we*, *us*, and *ours* because although I am the host, the open mike was really all about *you*, and I was very happy to have been able to give you all a place to play and listen.

Many of you have already written back to me, offering words of support and encouragement, which I appreciate immensely. In all honesty, I have not decided if I want to find a new venue in which to continue the open mike. The roller coaster ride with Emack's, get it running-shut it down-get it running-shut it down, has really taken it's toll on me emotionally.

So, I will be taking some time to try and decide if I should find another venue. It's clear that an open mike at an ice cream shop is not going to work year round, and I'm tired of owners yanking me (and you) around. I think it's also clear that in these tough economic times, sometimes tough decisions have to be made, and I think we just fell victim to that, nothing more, nothing less.

Once again, thank you all for all of the support you've given over the past couple of years. When I make a decision, if/when I find a new venue, or when I have other news, I will be in touch with you all again. Until then...

Love and hugs,

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

A rare sight...

2008-10-16T06:53:00.003-04:00

Wow... a very rare sight these days, me actually playing my T5! Yep, decided to "pick up my guitar and play" last night at my open mike night. Felt pretty good too! It was just a few songs, but for me these days, that is a huge victory!

October 2008 Newsletter

2008-10-07T10:03:00.005-04:00

I just recently joined the Reverb Nation revolution, come and check out my new artist profile and become a fan or sign up on the mailing list! Just to entice you a little bit, I've made what they call a Tunepak - simply click the Tunepak link and listen some of my songs for free! Of course you can still buy or download my CD by following the links at the bottom of the page. Feel free to forward the Tunepak along to your friends - anybody can use the link and have a listen. And yes, this is what we call "shameless self promotion"!

You'll soon be getting an email from me, asking you to join my Reverb Nation mailing list. If you don't want to be on it, that's fine and I certainly won't take it personally, but you will not receive any more of my newsletters, and how sad would that be? You can sign up now if you'd like!

By this time you should already know about the new concert series I'm promoting called Driftwood Folk Cafe. Are you on the mailing list for it yet? If not, you can sign up by clicking this link. This is the best way for you to stay up-to-date on the latest news and information about the series. Our next show is Saturday October 11 at 8 pm, featuring Cliff Eberhardt with opening act Teresa Storch. Tickets are $16 and are available for purchase online, or at the door if seats are still available.

Fall 2008 Season Schedule (Doors open at 7:30, shows start at 8:00)
October 11: Cliff Eberhardt with opening act Teresa Storch - $16
November 1: Co-Bill: Anne Heaton and Chris O'Brien - $15
December 13: Brooks Williams with opening act Danielle Miraglia - $16

Spring 2009 Season Schedule (Doors open at 7:30, shows start at 8:00)
February 7: Greg Greenway with opening act Amy Petty - $15
March 13: Ellis with opening act Carlyn Hutchins - $15
April 11: The Kennedys with opening act Larry Zarella - $20
April 25: Gretchen Peters with opening act Lisa Martin - $20
May 9: Edie Carey with opening act Mally & Tom Smith - $15

Recently, I got great news regarding my Open Mike Night at Emack & Bolio's in Roslindale - it's under new ownership and is now going to remain open indefinitely! This is fantastic, because the previous owner shut the open mike down for the winter months. So get out your guitars and come out every Wednesday night to hang out with me!

I've added a new part of the monthly newsletter, "Carlyn's Fun Links", highlighting a few websites or videos that I run across that make my day to day just a little bit brighter. Or maybe they just speak to my sad and sometimes sick sense of humor!

Carlyn's Fun Links:

Gretchen Peters' MySpace Blog post (not to get too political, but this blog post from Gretchen is too precious to not get out there... this is the epitome of irony, and has had me chuckling all day long!)
LOL Cats (captioned pictures of cats doing all sorts of cat-type things - face it, it's just fun to say "I can has cheeseburger"!)
LOL Dogs (captioned pictures of dogs doing all sorts of dog-type things)
YouTourLikeaGirl.com (blog from Wendy Layton, Trina Hamlin's tour manager)

Lastly, I want to remind you all to get out there and vote in November. This is not a right, this is an obligation.

As always, with much love and appreciation for all of your support,

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com
http://www.myspace.com/carlynhutchins
http://www.sonicbids.com/carlynhutchins

My CD "Lust Love Lost" is available at CD Baby and as a digital download from my website!

September 2008 Newsletter

2008-09-04T06:59:00.006-04:00

This is a super special edition of the Carlyn Hutchins Newsletter. I'm not going rattle on about me, because this newsletter isn't going to be about me per se, although it is rather heavy on the shameless promotion end. Rather, it's about my new concert series called Driftwood Folk Cafe! Are you on the mailing list for it yet? If not, you should be, and you can sign up by clicking this link! This is going to be the best way for you to stay up-to-date on the latest news and information about the series.

We are so excited to have started this series, which will be held in Plymouth, MA, also known as America's Hometown. There is already quite a buzz about it around town, because this series is the first of its like in Plymouth, and folks are quite stoked about it. This makes us very happy!

Our first show highlights 2 fantastic performers, Natalia Zukerman with Trina Hamlin as the opening act. If you've not seen or heard these women play, then you are missing out and you should make it a point to be here for this show! Tickets are available online, and we expect the show to sell out so please reserve your seats now. Check out our lineup for the fall and spring seasons:

Fall 2008 Season Schedule (Doors open at 7:30, shows start at 8:00)
September 13: Natalia Zukerman with opening act Trina Hamlin - $15
October 11: Cliff Eberhardt with opening act Teresa Storch - $16
November 1: Co-Bill: Anne Heaton and Chris O'Brien - $15
December 13: Brooks Williams with opening act Danielle Miraglia - $16
Spring 2009 Season Schedule (Doors open at 7:30, shows start at 8:00)
February 7: Greg Greenway with opening act Amy Petty - $15
March 13: Ellis with opening act Carlyn Hutchins - $15
April 11: The Kennedys with opening act Larry Zarella - $20
April 25: Gretchen Peters with opening act Lisa Martin - $20
May 9: Edie Carey with opening act Mally & Tom Smith - $15

And now, I'll leave you with a few fun little things to check out, because what good is a day without a little fun and smiles!

Carlyn's Fun Links:
YouTourLikeaGirl.com (blog)
Anne Heaton & Rose Polenzani - Where Your Scar Is (video)
The Corn Incident featuring Trina Hamlin and Amy Speace (video)

Oh yeah, as for me, I'm doing fine, thanks for asking! :-)

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com
http://www.myspace.com/carlynhutchins
http://www.sonicbids.com/carlynhutchins

My CD "Lust Love Lost" is available at CD Baby and as a digital download from my website!

August 2008 Newsletter

2008-08-08T17:14:00.002-04:00

Well hey there! Isn't summer great? Sun, fun, and music festivals!July started out with a bang, you know, being the Fourth of July and all. I spent a lot of time at the beach with bonfires and fireworks. The really cool thing was being able to see all of the neighborhood fireworks displays in communities along Cape Cod from Plymouth to Provincetown. Stunning, just stunning!

Then there was the New Bedford Summerfest, which was held on the 4th of July weekend. Six stages, countless performers, all for $15 for the weekend - probably the best music deal I've ever had! I was able to meet and speak with musicians such as Brooks Williams, David Jacobs-Strain, and Natalia Zukerman, and also lots of booking agents (funny how they all want to talk with you when they know you're booking a venue!). All great folks, let me tell you, and everyone had a great time.

I also went to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, which was a major coup... most people who know me know one thing for sure.... Carlyn does not do camping, and if she does, she certainly doesn't do it very well! I did manage to get through it, a couple of minor (or major) meltdowns, but I hung in there pretty well. I think more importantly, the people I was camping with managed to get through having me camp with them! If you were not there, the festival started out wet, very wet, from the heavy rain that blew through. The grounds became a mud pit, and I hate having dirty feet. Worse than that, they were cold, wet, and muddy feet! But we also had a couple of days of dry and warm weather before more rain moved through. I even have "Teva tan" on my feet to prove it! Oh yeah, and my poor little ears got sunburned and peeled - gross! I left late on Sunday morning, before the mini tornado/hail storm blew through, thank goodness. There are some YouTube videos... here's one, check it out.... scary... so, so, so very glad I was not there.

I am so excited about Driftwood Folk Cafe, the new music series that I am helping to run in Plymouth, MA! It is a monthly series with our first show on September 13th, featuring Natalia Zukerman and Trina Hamlin - tickets are $15 and can be purchased here. We are located in Kendall Hall at the First Parish Church in downtown Plymouth. We are looking for volunteers, so if you're interested, please don't hesitate to get in touch! We have booked the entire 2008-2009 season, and are very excited about our lineup. I hope that you can make it out to some shows. If you'd like to be added to the Driftwood Folk Cafe email list, please click here and sign up!

Please stop in to see me at Emack & Bolio's Open Mike Night in Roslindale Village where I am the humble (sometimes not so humble) host every Wednesday night. Our featured performers this month are: Terence Hegarty, Allegra Fletcher, John Gerard, and The Grass Gypsys. The open mike will run until October 29th and then be on indefinite hiatus but I'll let you know when it's up and running again.

Oh, and one more thing before I sign off, I found a few things in my travels through the internet that make me smile and/or laugh (always a good thing). One is a blog by Wendy Layton, who is Trina Hamlin's tour manager, called You Tour Like a Girl. It is chock full of funny pictures and anecdotes, but more imporantly, she posts a lot of videos of Trina performing with the likes of Susan Werner and Natalia Zukerman, sometimes all three together. This video from that blog is my personal favorite, cracks me up something good! (Be warned... there is potty-mouth language in this one.) Another video that makes me smile is one of Anne Heaton with Rose Polenzani singing Anne's new song "Where Your Scar Is"... it's so adorable!

As always, much love and appreciation for your support.....Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

http://www.myspace.com/carlynhutchins

http://www.sonicbids.com/carlynhutchins

My CD "Lust Love Lost" is available at CD Baby and as a digital download from my website!

Oh Gracie my Gracie

2008-06-10T13:31:00.008-04:00

I got Gracie in October 2003. It was never my intention to have a dog, as I had always been a cat kind of gal, but she needed a home. You see, she belonged to an ex of mine, who just so happened to commit suicide the month before. The Sheltie rescue folks said that Gracie was too much of a liability, because she was a fear biter. I think they just put her in the wrong foster home and didn't get a chance to know her as a dog but that's another story.

Anyhow, she came to me, and immediately she battled through all manner of stomach distress. It was never my intention to have a child but there I was, seemingly taking care of one. "Lordy lord, what the hell have I gotten myself into?" I kept asking myself. But I loved Gracie from the first day I laid eyes on her. When she needed a home, I gave her one. Hell, I *bought* her one! Having been an apartment dweller for years, I ended up buying a condo near a park! I always said I would have that condo until Gracie died. I put it up for sale a month ago, only because my life circumstances have changed and I needed to do so. But I somehow knew she would not make it to see the new house.

Gracie's been winding down for several weeks now. She became very fussy about her food and sometimes didn't want to eat. Sometimes she would go into stomach distress. Her eyesight deteriorated dramatically. I suspected kidney failure, someone else said liver failure. She became very ill over the weekend, so ill in fact that I had to get her hydrated on Sunday, and shots to keep the stomach stuff at bay. It worked for a little while, keeping her comfortable for half a day or so, but she went right back to more stomach distress and she dehydrated again. It was time, I knew it was time, I just had the feeling that she was not going to recover from this.

The vet who treated my dog on Sunday told my partner that Gracie was a seriously ill little dog, so I felt very much at peace with my decision. At 4:15 on Monday afternoon, we sent Gracie to chase rabbits and squirrels. Lynn and I were with her the whole way, and held her and petted her as she drifted off. I cried, but kept reminding myself of a promise I made to myself and to Gracie. I always said that I would not let her suffer. She had been abused in the early part of her life, clearly, by someone who had her before my ex did. And while I loved my ex, I'm not sure that Gracie had the best life with her either. My goal was to give her a home, and lots of love, and lots of treats! She got it all, my friends, oh yes she did! And I'm glad that I was the one who was able to give it to her.

Rest peacefully, my beautiful little girl, rest peacefully.

Gracie (1995-2008)

April 2008 Newsletter

2008-03-24T21:53:00.001-04:00

Carlyn Rocks Java Jo's in Jamaica Plain

March 28th @ 8 pm!

March 24, 2008

Upcoming Events

Java Jo's March 28th

Emack & Bolio's April 2nd

JP Unplugged April 12th

Featured performer @ Java Jo's Open Mike Night hosted by Ana Eder-Mulhane

Hello Everyone!

See? I told you the rumor was true - really and truly I am playing a show! Please come and join me at this fantastic open mike in Jamaica Plain. I'm completely stoked to be playing out again!

And if that isn't enough open mike for you, then come and join me when I start hosting the Emack & Bolio's Open Mike Night on April 2nd! It'll run weekly up until they tell me it can't, probably sometime in November. It's been a long time since we've been there and I am welcoming everyone back with door prizes, a small *thanks* for waiting out the winter slow season with me.

Still want more music? JP Unplugged is presenting Anne Heaton with Laura Bullock on April 12th. I hope to see you there!

With love and appreciation for your support,

Carlyn

http://www.carlynhutchins.com

http://www.myspace.com/carlynhutchins

http://www.sonicbids.com/carlynhutchins

My CD "Lust Love Lost" is available at CD Baby!

Featured Performer @ Java Jo's Open Mike Night

Java Jo's Coffee and Tea
Date: Friday March 28
Time: 8 pm
Location: Jamaica Plain, MA

Coffee, tea, sweet treats, sandwiches - what's not to love about Java Jo's? Come on out to JP this Friday night and welcome me back to the stage! This is my first show since November and I'm looking forward to entertaining you all!

3710 Washington Street - across from the Forest Hills T Station
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-971-9300

Emack & Bolio's Weekly Open Mike Night Starts April 2nd!

Emack & Bolio's
Date: Every week starting April 2nd
Time: 6:30 - 9:00
Location: Roslindale, MA

You know it, you love it, and it's a-comin' to getcha! It's the Emack's Open Mike Night at the Roslindale store! As a thank-you to everyone for waiting out the winter, we will be giving away door prizes throughout the night on April 2nd - CDs, gift certificates, capos! Come on out and get some swag!

2 Belgrade Avenue
Roslindale, MA 02131
617-323-3323

As always, the sign-ups start at 6:30 and the open mike starts at 7. Usually, the open mikers play 2 songs or up to 10 minutes, and the featured performers play 30 minutes. We pass-the-hat for our features. Please remember that they get paid based on your generosity!

Our featured performers for April are:

April 2nd - Dave Coffin
April 9th - Sam Bayer
April 16th - Chris Wilhelm
April 23rd - Jenny Goodspeed
April 30th - Lisa Martin

I hope you'll come out and support this great Open Mike Night!

JP Unplugged Presents Anne Heaton & Laura Bullock - April 12!

JP Unplugged @ Loring-Greenough House
Date: Saturday April 12th
Time: 8 pm
Location: Jamaica Plain, MA

Our Saturday, April 12th show features Anne Heaton with Laura Bullock opening. Heaton's lyrics and melodies are complemented with uncluttered arrangements full of subtle counter rhythms and rich harmonies that give every tune its own unique soul. "The songs on 'Give In' explore how much to give in a relationship, where boundaries should be, and the ways in which intimacy can feel safe, fun, thrilling and scary" says Heaton.

Paid advanced reservations are highly encouraged as the shows are well attended, and we don't want to turn people away - seating is limited. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.jpunplugged.org. We hope to see you for this fabulous show!

Loring-Greenough House

12 South Street (across from the Monument)

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

March 2008 Newsletter

2008-03-03T06:54:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Yes, I know I've been out of touch for a little while now, so I thought it was high time to get you caught up on what's going on in my world. There's nothing too earth shattering happening right now, but I do have some tiny tidbits of info to share!

Emack & Bolio's Open Mike Night Grand Re-opening on April 2nd!
The best news I've gotten so far in this very young new year is that my Open Mike Night at Emack & Bolio's in Roslindale is re-opening on April 2nd! I am planning for this night to be, well, GRAND! I will have lots of small thank you gifts (CDs, gift certificates, etc.) to give away throughout the night, in appreciation for everyone weathering the winter shutdown and to welcome you all back!

Here is the April schedule of featured performers, and I hope to see you out at the show! Signups for the open mike start at 6:30 and the open mike starts at 7. The featured performer goes on around 7:45.

April 2nd - Dave Coffin
April 9th - Sam Bayer
April 16th - Jenny Goodspeed
April 23rd - Chris Wilhelm
April 30th - Lisa Martin

Emack & Bolio's
2 Belgrade Avenue (across from the commuter rail station)
Roslindale, MA 02131
617-323-3323

Hey Carlyn, How Are Your Neck and Arm Feeling?
Well, I'm so glad that you asked! In a nutshell, my neck is much better, and my arm is getting better. I have a buddy who says "slow and steady wins the race" and I have to keep that in mind on a daily basis. I'm doing my best to smile and be a good sport about the whole thing.

There is a rumor that I am the featured performer at Java Jo's in Jamaica Plain on Friday March 28th - it's quite true! I'm working very hard to be able to play a 30 minute slot and I'm confident that if you come to that show, you will be very pleased. Here are the details:

Friday March 28th @ 8 pm
Java Jo's Coffee and Tea
3710 Washington Street (across from the Forest Hills T Station, free parking behind Java Jo's)
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-971-9300

Where Can I Buy "Lust Love Lost"?
If you are not yet fortunate enough to own a copy of my CD, check out the links above. You can buy it as a digital download directly from my website, or from CD Baby, iTunes, PayPlay, or any of the other digital distributors I have listed on my website. Want a physical CD, one you can actually hold in your hands and look at the credits and artwork? Then you want to check it out on CD Baby. Also, since you know where I'll be each Wednesday night starting April 2nd, you can buy it from me directly at the Open Mike Night. I will be more than happy to sign a copy for you!

Lust Love Lost Still on the OutVoice Chart!
"Lust Love Lost" is sitting strong at #5 on the OutVoice Top 40 CD chart, where you vote for your top artists! During 2007, your votes helped me place the CD at #7 for the year. I know I say this all the time, but THANK YOU so much for your votes and your continued support! To vote for it again, and for some of your other favorite CDs - just click here!

JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series
I'm lucky to be working with a group of very talented musicians (and a poet), and excited to be part of this music series holding one concert per month at the Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain. Here is our upcoming schedule, all shows start at 8 pm and all seats are $10. Reserve your seats now at http://www.jpunplugged.org/Events.html.

March 8 - Marc Douglas Berardo with Patti DeRosa
April 12 - Anne Heaton with Laura Bullock
May 10 - Kate Klim with Jess Yoakum
June 14 - 2nd Annual Lawn Concert - Free!

Quick Links
- Carlyn Hutchins Website
- Carlyn on MySpace
- Carlyn's EPK
- Lust Love Lost @ CD Baby
- Lust Love Lost @ iTunes

Thanks for reading this to the end! It turned out to be a much longer newsletter than I planned! And as always, I'll close this with great appreciation for your love and support. I hope to see you or hear from you soon!

Carlyn

Dog days... part 2

2008-02-17T22:03:00.008-05:00

So, where am I going with all of this? I started out writing about Gracie, and so, that's where I'll get back to.

The bottom line is that she is aging, she'll be 13 at some point this year. When I got her in October 2003, she was suffering from what must be some sort of of doggie PTSD. I can't even imagine what this poor little girl has been through. I know she was dropped off at an animal shelter with a note that said "Gracie, 4 years old", and that was it. No history, no medical records, nothing but the note.

My ex adopted Gracie around 1998 or so. I know she loved Gracie. I also know that every time the dog heard a beer can pop, she cringed. The night that my ex and I broke up, she'd been on a bender. A lot of beer, a lot of vodka. I saw her chug it out of a bottle she pulled from the freezer and never felt more sick. Gracie must have felt the same, because she didn't come in off of the porch. Not for dog biskies, not for cheese (mmmmm, cheese is her favorite), not for anything. I knew at that point that Gracie, even though she was loved by my ex, was most likely quite neglected. My ex probably just couldn't give her the care she needed.

Gracie loves the person who feeds her, and bonds very quickly to that person and that person only. Other people don't matter. Other dogs don't matter. I think she never quite learned how to play, so that when she is around other dogs, the most she does is bark. And snarl at the ones that try to play with her. Not many people besides me can even pet her. She's better now about it than she was but I think it's just because she's too old to care.

Back into the present now... Gracie has bad teeth. Always has, always will. Shelties and collies are simply prone to having teeth problems, or so I've been told. In November 2006, Gracie was admitted to the local animal hospital who did scans and tests and kept her overnight. The diagnosis was "pancreatitis" but they essentially signed her death certificate and gave her back to me. They told me that she probably didn't have more than 2 or 3 months to live and suggested that if Gracie had another episode like the one she just went through, that I strongly consider putting her down. Yikes, I can't even think about it.

In October 2007, her mouth was so massively infected that she needed to have 7 teeth extracted. I know, you're thinking that I'm a horrible mom, that I allowed my dog's teeth to rot out of her head. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'd like to see you try to brush Gracie's teeth! We're talking about a dog who's never had hands in her mouth, and you think she just sits still for it? :-) Not quite... believe me, I have tried, she will have none of it. She is The Pretty Pretty Princess Gracie for crying out loud!

Anyway, she was so sick, and I was so devastated about it, because it killed me that she was suffering so much. After she healed from the surgery, she became a different dog. She became a dog! I mean, she was playful again, and she started to even try to eat out of other dog's bowls (she's been adopted into the pack at my girlfriend's house - they respect Gracie as their elder)! Her sense of smell seemed to improve. Her hearing seemed to improve. Her energy seemed to improve.

Since then though, we've had some ups and downs. While she hasn't gotten so sick since then, I can tell when her mouth is bothering her again. Then she goes on antibiotics and gets better for a little while. This weekend I started her on yet another round of antibiotics because she just hasn't quite been herself lately. I think she has been battling a chronic mouth infection since as long as I've had her, and maybe she just needs to be on the antibiotics all the time now.

This got me to thinking more about my ex again, and how when she died, she left her friends and family to clean up after her. This meant going through her things, selling what could be sold, donating the rest or simply throwing things out, cleaning up and selling her condo and her car, and finding homes for her critters. It's the latter that brings me this very personal blog I'm putting up.

As I said before, I took in one of my ex's cats, Bear, in January 2004. She had been living at my ex's condo, pretty much alone, since September 2003. Someone went to feed her every couple of days, but she didn't have a lot of contact with anyone for months. Then she came to live with me. I knew right away that she was sick, but given her age, I knew there wasn't much I would (or could) do for her, except to make her comfortable. I did my best, but had to put her down in October 2004. She stopped eating, and started hiding. I didn't have a choice, and it broke my heart. Both for Bear, and for myself. It was one more piece of my ex, gone, one less thing for me to hold on to. But it also made me angry, so angry I often just shook my fists at the heavens.

Why did it have to be me? Why did I have to take care of this poor cat, who was left in my ex's condo by her family? I know that I put myself in the position of adopting her, but it shouldn't have been me to have to put her down. It should have been her family. Hell, it should have been my ex. But it wasn't, it was me, and while I know I did the right thing, I am the one who has to carry it.

Which now brings me, again, back to Gracie. She's old. She has what I think is a chronic infection which will likely need constant attention. She is blind in her right eye, and going blind in her left. She doesn't hear very well. She has arthritis. She is the equivalent of 94 years old. I'm grateful that she is still kicking, but watching her decline on a daily basis makes me shake a fist at the heavens again. It makes me angry at my ex for leaving everything to her friends and family to clean up. It makes me angry at her for picking up that first drink. It makes me angry at her family for washing their hands of my ex's critters once they came to me. No "thank you", no "how are they doing", no nothing.

Maybe I'm selfish in this. Of course their loss is much greater than mine, I'm not a fool to think that mine is equal. But I gave the critters homes that her family could (or would) not. I have cared for them, fed them, made sure they had what they needed. But most of all, I gave them love, and lots of it. In Gracie's case, I loved her from the day I laid eyes on her. I'm convinced that the only reason I met my ex was so that I would end up giving Gracie (and Bear) a home and caring for them as best I could.

Out of this, one of the things I learned about myself is that I'm a caretaker. More than that, I am a rescuer, and I never saw myself in that light before. I've been doing it all of my life, for critters, and some people as well. Since my ex died, I've become less caretaker, and less a rescuer, because continuing would have sucked the life out of me, and I needed to protect what life I had left in me, which at that point, was little. I consciously cut some old friends out of my life, because I had no energy to spare for them.

One old friend called me sometime around December 2002 (I think). It wasn't a good conversation, and amounted to us being on the phone for 2 hours while I was talked at....about horrendous things, called atrocious names, with horrible accusations thrown at me, and when I got off the phone, I knew I could never speak to this person again. The events of 2003 reinforced I made the right decision about that.

I knew that I was drawn to my ex because she was in need. Of what? I couldn't tell you, but I hope she has it now. I couldn't give whatever she was looking for, but I did end up with her dog and her cat. I did the best I could with Bear, and am doing the best I can with Gracie. Once she goes, I'll have nothing left from my ex, except one of her guitars that I no longer play because I have a couple of Taylor guitars now. It's that emptiness that I know I'm going to have the hardest time with, and while I know that my ex would thank me herself if she could, I hope that only happens in a dream. I'm not ready to go yet, but when I do, I guarantee that I'm going to slap her good right upside the head for having us all clean up for her. And then I'll give her a hug. Not to the lover I lost, but to the friend I never had.

Dog days... part 1

2008-02-16T16:22:00.006-05:00

Typically, I'm not one to just write for the hell of it. In fact, I typically don't write at all unless I'm songwriting. Haven't been doing much of that lately but that is another story. Today feels different though. Maybe it's because I didn't sleep very well and am just tired and a little pensive. Maybe it's because I just need to get this off my chest because it's been weighing on me.

I have a dog named Gracie, and I love her to pieces. Having grown up with cats, it was never my intention to get a dog. They love me though, and I'm good with them, but I never wanted the responsibility of owning one.

I adopted Gracie in October 2003 after her owner, who was my most recent ex at the time, committed suicide. We weren't together at the time of her death, but it didn't make the sting of it any less painful. She was the kind of person who truly didn't want to put her depression and suffering on anyone else. When she decided that she could kick neither her depression nor the alcoholism that caused it (or vice versa), she chose her own fate with some pills and a bottle of vodka.

Unfortunately, she left behind 2 cats in addition to Gracie. One of the cats, Bear, went (eventually) with me, while the other went to her sister. Why her sister didn't take both cats was beyond my comprehension but that's another rant. Gracie came to me after the Sheltie rescue she initially was taken to decided that she was too risky to adopt out to a new home and suggested that she be put down. Well, I decided that was going to happen only over my dead body, and since I had no intention of "getting dead" anytime soon, that I'd have to adopt her.

That started a whole new period in my life. I was a new dog owner living in a 3rd floor, one bedroom apartment in Somerville, MA. I had to move, since the landlord didn't want to set the precedent of allowing dogs in his apartments. Cats yes, dogs no. OK. So, I started the process of looking for a condo.

Let me backtrack to the beginning of 2003... the company I had been working for had recently "merged" with another, and we knew that as soon as the "merger" was approved, that we'd start layoffs. Starting in mid-February, the chopping began.

In April that year, I started dating Gracie's former mom.

I kept my job until late May, and then had major surgery in early June. The surgery was more extensive than they initially thought it would be, and I ended up in the hospital for 4 days. Then I went to my ex's house to recover there because she was on the first floor and I wouldn't have to do stairs. After she took me home, I didn't see her for about 2 weeks. I think she was on a drinking binge. I didn't much care because I was in pain and mostly just tired and trying to get my strength back. Going up and down 3 flights of steps once per day was all I could manage for a week, and I wasn't allowed to drive until 3 weeks after the surgery. I'm getting off-track...

By mid-July I realized that my ex had a major drinking problem. By late July, we had broken up. Two days after the breakup, she was found barely conscious in her condo by one of her friends, who of course called 911. Her stomach was pumped and she was admitted to ICU. Then she was admitted to the psych ward for 2 weeks. I ended up taking a trip to Baltimore without her, one we had planned together to go and see the Red Sox play the Orioles at Camden Yards. Well, at least I had an empty seat next to me at the games!

We agreed that it was better for us to not see each other. She was in recovery, and needed to focus on healing herself. She was eventually released to an outpatient program. She came to see me at my house one day, it was in August, on my sister's birthday, just to drop off some money for me. Evidently, it was also for her to say goodbye. She brought Gracie with her, picked up a few things, gave me a check... kissed me very gently on the lips, told me she loved me, and that I should use my passport I had just gotten. Then she left, with Gracie. I crumbled to the floor, crying, knowing that I had seen her for the last time. I don't know how I knew, I just did, and it was a horrible feeling.

I got the call in mid-September, just several weeks later. It did not shock me, except that I had hoped the call would come much later than it did, like, years later. I met her friend at the condo, and gathered a few things that I still had there that I knew if I didn't get then, I'd never see them again. Later that night, I cried, and I didn't stop for months.

After several weeks of my ex's friend and I taking turns watching Gracie, she was taken to a Sheltie rescue league. They placed her in a home with a very bizarre woman who had 3 other shelties, one of whom she had debarked, which I find appalling, but that's another story. I have lots of stories.

Poor Gracie cowered in the corner for most of the time she was there, thankfully only a couple of days. Gracie is a one person dog who needs a lot of one-on-one. She doesn't do well around other dogs either, mainly just ignores them but can get snappy if one is aggressive or playful with her. I suppose she was just not properly socialized, but that's what they had to work with, and I let them know all of this before she was taken there.

However, when the foster mom tried to pet Gracie, Gracie tried to bite her. The foster mom decided that it was too risky to try to adopt her out to a new home, given that Gracie is a fear biter, and suggested that we come get her or she might have to be put down. This happened on the Thursday of the same week I started new job in Cambridge, MA - first full week of October, 2003. On that Friday night, I picked her up from the foster home. When Gracie heard me calling her, she came running over to me (trailing her leash behind her by the way), barking, rubbing up against me, wanting me to pet her..... the foster mom was stunned, and said that she hadn't seen Gracie that happy. Many things ran through my mind but I kept my mouth shut for the most part, put her in the back of the car, and took her home.

A couple of days after my ex died, I had also broken my hand while I was playing soccer. I used to be a goalie, and got my hand caught in the turf while making a save and... SNAP! Ouch... but it was the beginning of my singer/songwriter career as I used guitar playing as physical therapy. I had played in bands while I was living in Philly, but pretty much gave it up. Getting back to playing the guitar healed my hand, and helped me on the road to healing my heart as well.

Part 2 later...

January 2008 Newsletter

2008-01-16T21:15:00.000-05:00

I hope you enjoyed a fantastic holiday season and ushered in 2008 with a bang! I know the holidays are generally a hectic time, and they certainly were for me, but I can't think of a better time of year to be with loved ones. Happy 2008 to you!

Lust Love Lost in OutVoice 2007 Top 10!
I just found out that "Lust Love Lost" placed #7 in the OutVoice Top 40 CD Chart! The CD placed at #4 in November but slipped to #8 in December. That's OK, the CD couldn't keep going up on the chart forever, and I'm grateful for all of your votes! I know I say this all the time, but THANK YOU so much for you continued support! Please vote for it again, and for some of your other favorite CDs - just click here!

New Live Recording!
Technology is so cool! I was given a DVD of an Indiegrrl showcase I played in at the 1794 Meetinghouse in New Salem MA, and extracted the audio from Street Light, accompanied by the talented Patty Keough on what we called "vocal shakers"! It's quite funny and makes me giggle every time I hear it, because I was laughing almost the entire time I was playing it live (and barely held the song together), and now I'm sharing it with you! Listen to it on the media player on my website, or on MySpace! Oh yeah, and be a MySpace friend if you're not already - send me a request! One day, I'll post the video, it's even funnier to watch!

Hey Carlyn, Where Are You Playing?
Hmmm, this is the part where I hesitate to say anything, because in all honesty, I'm not playing anywhere right now. Not because I don't want to, and not because I haven't had gig offers. It's because I'm having a wee little neck problem that makes it hard for me to play without pain. But don't worry, my physical therapist assures me that I will be playing as soon as I can. How's that for a non-committal answer on timeline?!?!? Laugh with me please, laugh with me! You'll know when and where I'm playing again as soon as I do!

JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series
I'm lucky to be working with a group of very talented musicians (and a poet), and excited to be part of this music series holding one concert per month at the Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain. Here is our upcoming schedule, all shows start at 8 pm and all seats are $10. Reserve your seats now at http://www.jpunplugged.org/Events.html.

February 9 - Berlee All Stars with Denise Barbarita
March 8 - Marc Douglas Berardo with Patti DeRosa
April 12 - Anne Heaton with Laura Bullock
May 10 - Kate Klim with Jess Yoakum
June 14 - 2nd Annual Lawn Concert - Free!

Emack & Bolio's Open Mike Night
Sadly, the open mike is still closed down for now. The last show we had in November was outstanding and very well attended. When it gets back up and running again, I'll let you know! Hopefully that will be in March or April, so stay tuned!

Quick Links
- Carlyn Hutchins Website
- Carlyn on MySpace
- Carlyn's EPK
- Lust Love Lost @ CD Baby
- Lust Love Lost @ iTunes

If you're still reading this, then thanks for slogging through the newsletter! And as always, I'll close this with great appreciation for your love and support. I hope to see you or hear from you soon!

Carlyn

Carlyn's December 2007 Newsletter

2007-12-04T21:06:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays to all of you! I don't have any more shows scheduled until late February, and I'll be taking this time to write some new material and schedule some new shows.

The most recent news is that Lust Love Lost has reached #5 on the OutVoice Music Chart! If you have not done so recently, please take some time to vote for me and your other favorite artists again!

On a sad note, the Emack & Bolio's Open Mike Night in Roslindale is taking a break during December, January, and probably February. The owner has assured me he wants to get it running again in the spring, so stayed tuned on when that is going to be!

The next JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series show is on December 8th and will feature Dave Crossland with Terry Kitchen opening the show! Advanced reservations are recommended through reservations@jpunplugged.org, or pay online for seats from the link on the Events page. This is a completely acoustic event - no amplification at all, and the room seats about 40 people. Tickets are $10 and I sure hope you can make it because it's going to be a very fun night!

If you're in the gift giving spirit this season, please consider adding Lust Love Lost to your holiday gift list for that music lover you know! Right now, buy 2 or more copies at CD Baby and get 10% off your purchase! With the holidays fast approaching, how can you pass up this offer? If you don't want a physical copy of the CD, CD Baby is also now offering Lust Love Lost as an iTunes compatible digital download - check it out, and thanks for supporting local music!

Thanks again for your continued support and have a very safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!

XOXOXOXO -

Carlyn

JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series Next Show:

Saturday December 8th - Dave Crossland with Terry Kitchen opening All seats are $10 and may be reserved via email: reservations@jpunplugged.org.

Upcoming Shows - 2008:

February 9th - Berklee All Star Show with Denise Barbarita opening

March 8th - Marc Douglas Berardo with Patti DeRosa opening

April 12th - Anne Heaton with Laura Bullock opening

May 10th - Kate Klim with Jess Yoakum opening

June 14th - 2nd Annual Free Lawn Festival!

JP Unplugged
Loring-Greenough House
12 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-3158

Carlyn Hutchins November 2007 Newsletter

2007-10-25T22:25:00.000-04:00

I don't have too much to report this month, but I did want to thank those of you who stopped in to support the Indiegrrl Showcases in Provincetown between October 5th and the 13th! Unfortunately, my dog was very ill that week and I was unable to MC most of the showcases. She's feeling much better, and because of that, I am too!

To recap some old news, Lust Love Lost is still hovering at #6 on the OutVoice Music Chart! If you have not done so, please take some time to vote for me and your other favorite artists again, and let's see if we can get my CD even higher on the chart.

The next JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series show is on November 3rd and will feature Guy Mendilow with yours truly opening the show! Advanced reservations are recommended through reservations@jpunplugged.org. This is a completely acoustic event - no amplification at all, and the room seats about 40 people. Tickets are $10 and I sure hope you can make it because it's going to be a very fun night!

For a limited time, buy 2 or more copies of Lust Love Lost at CD Baby and get 10% off your purchase! The holidays are fast approaching, and who doesn't love new music? Pssst... they did this vewy vewy qwietwy, but CD Baby is also now offering iTunes compatible digital downloads - check it out!

Thanks again for your continued support - you are the best!

XOXOXOXO -

Carlyn

November Shows:

Saturday November 3rd, 8 pm
JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series
12 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
$10 Admission
Limited free parking available at the house but please do not park on the lawn!

Opening for Guy Mendilow - his music spins stories to which audiences can relate despite differences in culture or language. His richly textured and intimately engaging concerts and recordings have garnered universal acclaim. Among his honors are the Director's Choice Award in the Mid Atlantic Song Contest (2006), the Global Rhythm Magazine World Music Song Contest (2005), and being voted the Best World Music Act by the Boston Phoenix (2005).

Saturday November 17th, 8 pm
The Highlands Inn
Bethlehem, NH
Free admission for guests staying at the Inn

Emack & Bolio's Open Mike Night

Sign-ups begin at 6:30 pm and the open mike starts at 7 pm. The featured performers play for 30 minutes starting around 7:45 pm. The board fills up fast so get there early to sign up!

I'd like to thank everyone who has been coming out and supporting this night, both the performers and the listeners, because without you, there would be no way we could continue the open mike. THANKS SO MUCH!

Emack and Bolio's
2 Belgrade Avenue (across from the commuter rail station)
Roslindale, MA 02131
617-323-3323
For booking, email openmike@carlynhutchins.com
Visit EB Open Mike on MySpace and be our friend!

Featured Performers:
October 31st - Closed for Halloween, no open mike
November 7th - Craig Sonnenfeld CD Release Party for "Heart of a Man"!
November 14th - Kate Phipps
November 21st - Closing early for Thanksgiving, no open mike
November 28th - Steve Biegner

Indiegrrl Showcases in P-Town!

2007-09-23T18:20:00.000-04:00

Indiegrrl and Provincetown Inn Seaside Resort & Conference Center have partnered together to feature nine nights of Indiegrrl showcases featuring a talented line up of nationally touring Indiegrrl members from October 5th to 13th during the Women’s Week celebration. Part of the proceeds from these showcases will go to the Indie Music For Life fund raising efforts for cancer research and educational material on the benefits of music as therapy for cancer patients.

The Provincetown Inn will be closing down their café area for nine nights where cabaret style seating will be set up to host the showcases. Shows will begin at 8:00pm each night and staff from the Provincetown Inn Seaside Resort & Conference Center will be readily available to take drink orders from those attending the shows. Doors open at 7:30pm with open seating and shows begin at 8:00pm and end at 10:00pm.

Provincetown Inn Seaside Resort & Conference Center - www.provincetowninn.com

Benefiting Indie Music For Life - www.indiemusicforlife.org

Friday 5th - $15 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Linq
Jill Knight
Vicki Blankenship

Saturday 6th - $15 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Jill Knight
Vicki Blankenship
Evangaline Trio

Sunday 7th - $15 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Linq
Jill Knight
Vicki Blankenship

Monday 8th - $15 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Jill Knight
Linq
Brazz Tree

Tuesday 9th - $15 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Linq
Jennifer Corday
Brazz Tree

Wednesday 10th - $15 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Jennifer Corday
Rachael Sage
Brazz Tree

Thursday 11th - $15 - 8:00pm to 10:00pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Patti DeRosa
Linq
Brazz Tree

Friday 12th - (Jam Fest) $20 - 8:00pm to 10:30pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Patti DeRosa
Rachael Sage
Evangeline Trio
Indiegrrl Open Mic Jam Fest

Saturday 13th - (Jam Fest) $20 - 8:00pm to 10:30pm
“Indiegrrl MC” – Carlyn Hutchins
Vicki Blankenship
Rachael Sage
Evangeline Trio
Indiegrrl Open Mic Jam Fest

September 2007 News

2007-09-06T21:32:00.000-04:00

- My CD Lust Love Lost rose from #9 to #7 on the OutVoice Top 40 chart for July! Thanks to everyone who voted for my music - this is a great resource to find new music as well! Hint: click the OutVoice link above to vote for my CD (and others you like), and let's see how far up the chart we can get it to go!

- Pamela Smith at Amazon Radio recently added Lust Love Lost to her playlist and I'm very excited about that. Check out her program when you get a chance. In other radio news, Dan Herman from Radio Crystal Blue continues to spin cuts from Lust Love Lost - thanks to Dan for his support!

- "Just a Dream", a cut from Lust Love Lost, has been selected to be on the Indie Music for Life Adult Contemporary/Christian compilation CD - the adult contemporary part that is! To order, visit the Indie Music for Life Retail Shop.

- Lust Love Lost was recently added to the PayPlay.fm catalog for digital downloads. If you're looking for an iTunes alternative, look no further...and psst... don't tell anyone, but the .mp3 version is $8.88 and the WMA version is $7.77. These are better deals than you can get on iTunes, and they're iPod compatible so get downloading today!

August 2007 Newsletter

2007-08-14T06:33:00.000-04:00

Well, it's hot and steamy here in New England, but I suppose that anything other than that in August would be, well, un-New England like! I hope you're enjoying the summer and will enjoy what's left of it!

I've had a couple of really great shows recently, but if you missed them, I hope you can get out to see one or two that I have upcoming. I'll be in MA on the North Shore and in Hudson as well as in Providence (RI) within the next month.

Hey, have you heard about my most recent accomplishments yet?

- My CD Lust Love Lost rose from 27 to 9 on the OutVoice Top 40 chart for June! Thanks to everyone who voted for my music - this is a great resource to find new music as well! Hint: click the OutVoice link above to vote for my CD (and others you like), and let's see how far up the chart we can get it to go!

- Pamela Smith at Amazon Radio recently added Lust Love Lost to her playlist and I'm very excited about that. Check out her program when you get a chance. In other radio news, Dan Herman from Radio Crystal Blue continues to spin cuts from Lust Love Lost - thanks to Dan for his support!

- "Just a Dream", a cut from Lust Love Lost, has been selected to be on the Indie Music for Life Adult Contemporary/Christian compilation CD - the adult contemporary part that is! It will be up for sale soon but check out the other compilations in the meantime.

- Lust Love Lost was recently added to the PayPlay.fm catalog for digital downloads. If you're looking for an iTunes alternative, look no further...and psst... don't tell anyone, but the .mp3 version is $8.88 and the WMA version is $7.77. These are better deals than you can get on iTunes, and they're iPod compatible so get downloading today!

Looking for gifts of new music for your friends and family? Lust Love Lost is still on sale through CD Baby, iTunes, GoGirls Music Records, or my website. I'm starting to run a little short, so pick one up today before they're all gone!

Carlyn's August & September Shows
(mark your calendars now!)

Friday August 17th - 8:00 pm
Brooklyn Coffee and Tea House
209 Douglas Avenue
Providence, RI
401-575-2284

Triple bill featuring myself, Three Tall Pines, and Ray Cooke. The music starts at 8 and goes until 10! No cover charge but pass the hat donations are encouraged for the performers.

Tuesday August 28th - 7:30 pm
Trevi Coffee and Tea
280 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA
978-524-1900

Splitting the night with the fabulously talented Dan Cloutier! The music starts at 7:30 and goes until 9:30 - come on out and relax! No cover charge but pass the hat donations encouraged for the performers.

Sunday September 2nd - 6:00 pm
King Hooper Cafe @ The Marblehead Arts Association
8 Hooper Street
Marblehead, MA
781-631-2608

Camille Breeze and I are co-featuring at this monthly open mike hosted by Angela Masciale. The open mike signup starts at 5:30 and the music starts at 6. $4 admission fee.

Friday September 7th - 8:00 pm
Harvest Cafe
40 Washington Street
Hudson, MA
978-567-0948

Double bill featuring myself and Coretta Sellars. The music starts at 8 and goes until 10! Pass the hat donations are encouraged for the performers.

Emack and Bolio's Open Mike -
August and September Schedules

Sign-ups begin at 6:30 pm and the open mike starts at 7 pm. The featured performers play for 30 minutes starting around 8 pm. The board fills up fast so get there early to sign up!

I'd like to thank everyone who has been coming out and supporting this night, both the performers and the listeners because without you, there would be no way we could continue the open mike. THANKS SO MUCH!

Emack and Bolio's
2 Belgrade Avenue (across from the commuter rail station)
Roslindale, MA 02131
617-323-3323
For booking, email openmike AT carlynhutchins.com

Visit EB Open Mike on MySpace and be our friend!

Featured Performers:
August 15th - Nancy Ries
August 22nd - Andrea Paquin
August 29th - Mike Cavanaugh
September 5th - Steve Rapson
September 12th - Linda Sharar
September 19th - Luke MacNeil
September 26th - Carrie Elkin

Carlyn Hutchins July 2007 Newsletter

2007-07-04T22:32:00.000-04:00

Summer is finally here in the Boston area and life is sweet and good! I hope that you are doing well and are enjoying the warm weather.

I and my friends from JP Unplugged kicked off the summer season with a free outdoor concert at the Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain in late June. We had a perfect day, perfect weather, and a perfect crowd who gathered for the 4+ hours of music that we played live. All of us at JP Unplugged thank the Loring-Greenough House and the community for their support and we hope to see you at our next concert on September 8th.

We in the indie songwriter community measure our success in littles, or at least I do, and I have gotten some little tidbits of good news lately that have made me quite happy:

My CD Lust Love Lost came in at #27 on the OutVoice Top 40 chart for May! This was the first month that the CD has reached the charts, so thanks to all of you for voting for my music! Hint: click the OutVoice link above to vote for my CD (and others you like), and let's see how far up the chart we can get it to go!

Because of the OutVoice chart, I was contacted by several internet radio programs, including Pamela Smith at Amazon Radio, because they want to add my music to their playlists...rock on!

I made the Radio Crystal Blue quarterly airplay chart, thanks to Dan Herman who has been spinning some cuts from Lust Love Lost - a big shout out to Dan!

A little bird whispered to me that "Just a Dream", a cut from Lust Love Lost, has been selected to be on the Indie Music for Life compilation CD, so stay tuned for more information on that. (Indie Music For Life is 501(c)3 non profit organization that produces concerts, events, showcases, and compilation CDs each year to raise funds for cancer research and for educational awareness programs on the benefits of music and laughter as therapy to cancer patients.)

Lust Love Lost was recently added to the PayPlay.fm catalog for digital downloads. If you're looking for an iTunes alternative, look no further...and psst... don't tell anyone, but the .mp3 version is $8.88 and the WMA version is $7.77.

I'm running my little contest again this month. You send me themes for songs, and I will send you an autographed CD. First 3 people only though - I only gave away 1 CD last month, and I'd really like to give away 3 this month. How can you turn down a free CD? :-)

Speaking of which... Lust Love Lost is still on sale through CD Baby, iTunes, GoGirls Music Records, or my website. I'm starting to run a little short, so pick one up today before they're all gone!

Carlyn Hutchins May 2007 Newsletter

2007-05-05T11:26:00.000-04:00

I want to send a big shout out to my new friends and fans in Shelburne Falls, MA and Albany, NY! I took a little road trip out there and had a great time, so thanks to everyone who came out to the shows and signed up on the mailing list, I really appreciate it.

So far, it's been a busy spring. I started hosting an open mike at Emack and Bolio's in Roslindale, MA and have been booking musicians with wreckless abandon! JP Unplugged has been keeping me busy as well, you can read more about it below. I've been writing new songs, some of which are available as free downloads from the media player at the bottom of my website, so check them out.

I am honored to be Indiegrrl's featured artist for May - read the interview! On a side note, the Indiegrrl organization is looking for sponsors for their series of shows in Provincetown during Women's Week. If you are interested or know a business that would be, please email Vicki Blankenship for more details.

Carlyn's May Shows:

Sunday May 6 - 6:45 pm
($5 cover, doors open @ 5)
Blender Open Mic @ The Midway
3496 Washington Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-9038

Saturday May 19 - 8 to 10 pm with Susan Souza
(Free for guests - get your friends together to book 3 or more rooms for that weekend and get 20% off your stay!)
The Highlands Inn
Bethlehem, NH 03574
For reservations, visit the website or call 1-877-537-2466

Emack & Bolio's Open Mike:

Sign-ups begin at 6:30 pm and the open mike starts at 7 pm. The featured performers play for 30 minutes starting around 8 pm. The board fills up fast so get there early to sign up!

Emack and Bolio's
2 Belgrade Avenue (across from the commuter rail station)
Roslindale, MA 02131
617-323-3323
For booking, email openmic@carlynhutchins.com

Featured Performers:
May 2 - Laura Bullock (Doc Oakroot will be rescheduled at a later date)

May 9 - Larry Zarella
May 16 - Terry Kitchen
May 23 - Harvey Rudman
May 30 - Bryan Croad

JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series:

JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series is a new music event that launched in February 2007. A group of Boston based singer/songwriters and supporters of the local music scene have banded together to create this parlor series in the historic Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain. It is the hope of the founding members that the success of this series will encourage broader support of independent acoustic music in the community.

The Loring-Greenough House has opened its doors to us to host these concerts in one of their beautiful parlor rooms on the first floor of the house. The shows will be an intimate coffeehouse-meets-house-concert setting, with seating for 40 to 50 people.

Our aim is to reach out to Jamaica Plain and neighboring communities to garner support for holding events like these and bring new friends to the community. We will be working with local coffeeshops and bakeries to serve coffee and goodies for each of the shows.

Remaining Series Schedule:

Saturday May 19th - 8 pm with Kevin So (Mike Delaney opens). $10, advance reservations suggested.

Sunday June 24th - 1 pm: An afternoon lawn concert performed by the JPU founders: Jess Yoakum, Patti DeRosa, Mike Delaney, Laura Bullock, Terry Kitchen, Denise Barbarita, and yours truly! Free admission, as a thank you to the community for their gracious support of our series!

Loring-Greenough House
12 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-3158
For reservations, email reservations@jpunplugged.org

Carlyn Hutchins Newsletter - April 2007

2007-04-03T21:21:00.000-04:00

Spring is finally here and I'm looking forward to playing some gigs after a couple of months off. My first night as host of the Emack and Bolio's Open Mic is on Wednesday April 18, so come on out and show your support - and if you play, bring your guitar! One more thing... I did an interview with Robert Urban at Gay Guitarists Worldwide and was their featured artist in March. Read the interview!

Carlyn's April Shows

Friday April 20th - 8 to 10 pm with Special Guest Steve Biegner
(Free - tips appreciated)

Mocha Maya's
47 Bridge Street
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
413-625-6292

Saturday April 21st - 8 to 10 pm with Jules Piper
($10/$8 students)

Progressions Concert Series
Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Center
332 Hudson Avenue, 3rd Floor
Albany, NY 12210
For reservations contact Carrie at 518-462-6138

Friday April 27th - 8 pm
Carlyn and Jess Yoakum open for Jennifer Kimball
($10 - For advanced reservations, email reservations@jpunplugged.org)

JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series
Loring-Greenough House
12 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-3158

Advanced reservations are strongly recommended for this show. Reserved seats will be held until 7:45 pm and then released to the public if not claimed.

Emack and Bolio's Open Mic - April Schedule

Sign-ups begin at 6:30 pm and the open mic starts at 7 pm. The featured performers will start around 8 pm. The board fills up quick so get there early to sign up! After 8 or so years of running this night, Jimmy Dorr will be stepping down and turning over the reigns to me effective April 18th.

Featured Performers:
April 4th - Branson Bofat
April 11th - Mike Delaney
April 18th - Bill Duncan
April 25th - Ana Eder-Mulhane

Emack and Bolio's
2 Belgrade Avenue (across from the commuter rail station)
Roslindale, MA 02131
617-323-3323
For booking, email openmic@carlynhutchins.com

JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series

JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series is a new music event that launched in February 2007. A group of Boston based singer/songwriters and supporters of the local music scene have banded together to create this parlor series in the historic Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain. It is the hope of the founding members that the success of this series will encourage broader support of independent acoustic music in the community.

The Loring-Greenough House has opened its doors to us to host these concerts in one of their beautiful parlor rooms on the first floor of the house. The shows will be an intimate coffeehouse-meets-house-concert setting, with seating for 40 to 50 people.

Our aim is to reach out to Jamaica Plain and neighboring communities to garner support for holding events like these and bring new friends to the community. We will be working with local coffeeshops and bakeries to serve coffee and goodies for each of the shows.

Remaining Series Schedule:

Friday April 27th - 8 pm with Jennifer Kimball (Jess Yoakum and Carlyn Hutchins open). $10, advance reservations suggested.

Saturday May 19th - 8 pm with Kevin So (Mike Delaney opens). $10, advance reservations suggested.

Sunday June 24th - 1 pm: An afternoon lawn concert performed by the JPU founders: Jess Yoakum, Patti DeRosa, Mike Delaney, Laura Bullock, Terry Kitchen, Denise Barbarita, and yours truly! Free admission, as a thank you to the community for their gracious support of our series!

Loring-Greenough House
12 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-3158
For reservations, email reservations@jpunplugged.org

Interview with Robert Urban at Gay Guitarists Worldwide

2007-03-10T13:51:00.000-05:00

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Carlyn Hutchins first picked up a guitar at age 10. She taught herself to play by picking out melodies one note at a time, seeking a few lessons here and there to define her abilities and create her own unique sound. Music became a regular part of her life.

She's folky, edgy and honest. Her songwriting style redefines the term "no-holds-barred". Shameless lyrics drive a clean, sharp knife straight through the hearts of her devoted audience, leaving them hungry for more of that delicate, delicious voice. Her guitar work, ranging from hard, driven strumming to free-style picking, will give you chills in all the right places

In March 2005, she released a 5 song EP, the self-titled "Carlyn Hutchins", and in early 2006 released a CD of live performances called "Session: Live". Her new CD, Lust Love Lost, is the studio version of the live CD, with several additional songs. On it, she is joined by New England based musicians Joey Ammo (guitar), Allison Hale (harmony vocals), Don "DC" Culp (percussion), Lisa Annunziata (bass), and Deb Blackadar (percussion). It was officially released in August 2006. In 2007 Carlyn will be special guest MC and performer for a full series of INDIEGRRL concerts in Provincetown, MA.

"Her rhythm pounds like a drum. She emits a great deal of energy into her songs as heard in the songs, "Habit" and "Come On Over". Carlyn Hutchins is a natural born singer with a tone that is sultry and raunchy. Especially pleasant to the ear is her high vocal register which flows from her like sweet sap oozing from a Sugar Maple". - Monica Yonge, Indieguitarists.com

- What brand/model/year instrument(s) do you record and play out with?

I bought a Taylor 410CE in March 2005 and haven’t played out or recorded with another guitar since. My next big guitar purchase is going to be a Taylor T5

- What brand/model/year amps & effects (if any) do you use?

No, I’m a clean acoustic guitar kind of gal, I like the purity of the instrument without the effects. Well, maybe just a bit of reverb!

- Who are your main influences as an instrumentalist? Which artists? Which bands? Instrumentalist? Which artists/bands were your favorites in your youth?

Oh my, so many. I would say Michael Hedges was my first big guitar influence. His “Taproot” CD showed me that the guitar could be played percussively and I adopted a very rhythmic style after listening to that CD. I spent many years not even really listening to a lot of music or playing guitar, so when I started playing again in 2003, I automatically fell into a very unique and percussive sound, as if it had just been waiting to jump out.

- Tell fans about your luv for your particular style of music, as opposed to other styles - how it became your favorite style of rock, etc

I really groove with rhythm, and have ever since I can remember. I’m also attracted to the rich resonance of the acoustic guitar as opposed to the more processed sounds of the solid body electric guitar played through effects. I believe that my style reflects this, a blending of percussive rhythm with the resonance of the acoustic guitar. I think I owe my style in part to the band I played with after I graduated from college, because they were very heavy handed and percussive and I fit right in with them.

- Do you play/compose/record only your own original music? Do you do any other work in music - e.g. teaching, recording session work, hired gun, producing, etc? Does your playing appear on recordings of any other artists?

So far, I have only recorded my own original music, and I very rarely play cover songs. I’ve not been invited into the studio with anyone else but I really enjoy singing harmony and would welcome any opportunity to sing on another musician’s CD. Since I don’t know how to read music and have only taken a handful of lessons, I don’t feel qualified to teach anyone how to play the guitar, although I have had several requests. After recording “Lust Love Lost”, I think that I could perhaps move into the producing end of the business, but I think that’s a long way off.

- Is there a particular favorite solo or part you played on a recording, or a certain piece of composed music you wrote, that you feel represents your finest work?

That’s a great question! I feel that each of my songs is unique in how it tells its particular story. You can really hear the driving anger in “I Don’t Know Why”, which is exactly how I was feeling when I wrote it. But I feel that “Three Doors Down” is the prettiest song I’ve written, even though the story is told from a bitter angle. I challenged myself with “The Look”, an instrumental I wrote after watching the way my two friends were looking at each other during the toast at their wedding.

Any special thoughts on your instrument, and what it's meant to you in your life?

The guitar has been an outlet for me, although there was an 8 year period of time where I didn’t play at all. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I came back to it. (Laughing) I bought my Taylor the day after the woman I was dating broke up with me (several hours before a show), so I always kind of think of her when I pick it up to play. The Taylor has been a great friend to me since then, no broken strings, always there when I needed her, never complained when I played too hard. We did have a bit of an exploding battery incident but she was OK, no major damage!

Can you relate any special feelings or experiences about being a glbt player in the mostly straight music world... especially regarding your formative/learning years on your instrument?

Well, I spent my formative years playing guitar in a very Catholic neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, where anything outside of “the norm” was ridiculed and frowned upon. I always knew I was different, but I never really figured it out until I was in my 20’s. I’m totally out now, and consider myself a guitarist/singer/songwriter who just so happens to be gay. Insofar as my songwriting, if I feel it, I’ll write it, without shame, because life’s too short not to. I feel this way in particular about “Passion Play” from my EP, and “Sweet Young Thing” and “Come On Over” from the new CD.

- For a glbt player - how does the overall music scene differ today
from years ago?

(Laughing again) I have no idea how to answer! Since I started playing out again in 2003, I’ve found a very supportive community of venues and musicians in New England, whether gay or straight. I haven’t found a booker put off by my sexuality, well, at least those who have booked me!

- How is the overall music scene in your locale?

It’s extremely supportive, and I’ve made many friends in the Boston and Providence singer/songwriter circuit. I have even gained a mentor who is coaching me on being a better performer.

- Any advice for young glbt players?

Be true to yourself, keep smiling, and have fun.

- What are your current and future musical projects?

I’m going to promote “Lust Love Lost” to the best of my abilities and start expanding the areas where I play. I want to work on writing more instrumental compositions, learn more alternate tunings, and get better at writing lyrics since that area is not one of my strengths. Then we’ll see what happens!

March 2007 Newsletter

2007-03-10T13:28:00.000-05:00

I hope you're doing well and looking forward to the early Daylight Savings and warmer weather around the corner! I don't have any scheduled shows in March, but will be playing several in April. Keep your eye on the website for the dates!

In last month's newsletter, I let you know about a new concert series that I am helping to organize, JP Unplugged. Well, we launched the first show on February 23 to a sold out audience, so thank you for your support! We have had a couple of nice writeups, from the JP Gazette as well as the Boston Globe, so read them when you have a chance.

The next JP Unplugged show will feature Terry Kitchen and Laura Bullock who are hosting a dual CD release party! The concert series is being held at the historic Loring-Greenough House at 12 South Street in Jamaica Plain (across from the monument). Tickets are $10 each and may be reserved by calling the LG House at 617/524-3158.

Emack and Bolio's Open Mic Night

I am very proud to announce that beginning April 18, I will be the new host of the Wednesday night open mic at Emack & Bolio's in Roslindale Village! After 8 or 9 years of booking this night, Jimmy Dorr is handing over the reigns to me, and I thank him for his trust.

There will be no change to the format...sign-ups will still start at 6:30 pm, and the open mic will start at 7. The featured performer will start around 8 and play for 30 minutes, with a pass-the-hat as compensation.

Come on out, grab a coffee and an ice cream, and see some great performers - I'll send the schedule in the next email!

2 Belgrade Avenue
Roslindale Village, MA 02131
617-323-3323

Emack and Bolio's

Women's Week Indiegrrl Showcases

It is an honor and pleasure to announce that I will be the special MC for all of the Indiegrrl showcases during Women's Week in Provincetown, MA from October 5th to the 13th!

So, what does that mean? Well, I'll be the one chasing people down the streets, trying to hand them flyers as they're running away, then tackling them with a graceful flying leap, and (finally) winning them over with my laughter and charming smile, and convincing them to buy tickets to the shows! Oh yeah, I'll also be playing a song to open each of the shows in addition to the MC duties!

Indiegrrl will be donating a portion of the ticket sales to Indie Music For Life, a non-profit organization formed "to raise money to donate toward cancer research and to build an educational awareness program on the healing powers of music and laughter as therapy". If you're planning to be in Provincetown during Women's Week, please come out and support great independent women musicians and a great cause at the same time.

Indiegrrl

Upcoming Shows

Friday April 20 @ 8 pm
Mocha Maya's
47 Main Street
Shelburne Falls, MA

Pssttttt...this is a shout out to you Western MA peeps - I'd love your support for this show. Free! Pass the hat donations gratefully accepted.

Saturday April 21 @ 8 pm
Progressions Concert Series @ CDGLCC
332 Hudson Avenue
Albany, NY 12210
(518) 462-6138

I'll be playing from 8 to 10 with Jules Piper! If you're in the Albany area, please come out and support this show. If you know someone in the Albany area, forward this along! Please check the website for ticket prices.

Saturday April 14 or Friday April 27 @ 8 pm
Jess Yoakum and I are opening for Jennifer Kimball at JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series
Loring-Greenough House
12 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Tickets $10 each, call ahead to reserve seats: 617-524-3158.

February 2007 Newsletter

2007-02-17T10:47:00.000-05:00

I'll be taking a little time off from performing scheduled shows until April, but I wanted to let you know about a new concert series that I am helping to organize and promote.

The first JP Unplugged Acoustic Music Series show will be on Friday, February 23 at 8 pm, and will feature Vicki Genfan, an incredibly dynamic guitarist and singer/songwriter! "Imagine a composite of Jonatha Brooke and Michael Hedges and you're zeroing in on where Genfan is coming from..." - Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Jan.2002. If you haven't heard Vicki play before, check out this video courtesy of Luna Guitars! JPU founding members Denise Barbarita and Patti DeRosa open the show.

The concert series is taking place at the historic Loring-Greenough House at 12 South Street in Jamaica Plain (across from the monument). Tickets are $10 each and may be reserved by calling the LG House at 617/524-3158.

Take a look at Carlyn's newly redesigned website! Hear a demo of a new song called "Shame", buy CD's and merchandise, and see new pictures. And as always, your feedback is always welcome. Enjoy!

Carlyn

"Lust Love Lost" is available online exclusively through CD Baby, or through the website at http://www.carlynhutchins.com in the Music Store. If you already purchased it at CD Baby, then thanks (and don't forget to write a review if you feel so inclined)! If you've not yet purchased it, then giddyup - whatcha waiting for? :-)

If you live in the Boston area, you don't need to go online to buy the new CD! You may now purchase "Lust Love Lost" at these fine retailers:

The Pet Cabaret
4404 Washington Street
Roslindale, MA 02131
617/323-7387

Honeyspot
48 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-2444

Rhythm & Muse Books & Music
470 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(617) 524-662

Don’t want a physical CD? You’d rather have it as digital download? Your wish is my command – just visit iTunes and download “Lust Love Lost” right now! Go on, do it now before you forget! :-)

Carlyn Hutchins - 2006 Review

2007-01-05T06:42:00.000-05:00

It seems like such a short time ago I was writing the 2005 review, so it seems odd to be writing the 2006 review. So many great things happened for me during the past year, I don't even know where to start!

Let's see... I brought my music to the good folks in the Boston area, Philadelphia, Providence, Provincetown, and Bethlehem (NH), and played too many open mics to count! I even busted out of my shell a little bit and did some street performing in Provincetown, which was an absolute hoot! A lot of new fans signed up on my mailing list, I made new friends, I met many fantastic musicians, and I learned a lot about the independent music industry. Some songs from the CD were played on internet radio stations, which was really cool! I'm still working on getting the CD into rotation on some broadcast stations, but that seems to be a tough nut to crack!

The highlight of the year by far was the CD release party for "Lust Love Lost". It was a benefit for The Network/La Red, and with your support, we raised $330, so thank you again for your generosity!

So what's in store for next year? I'm glad that you asked! I can say that while new songs will be written, there will probably not be a new CD. I am planning on doing a little more travelling in 2007, and less recording in the studio. Hopefully, I'll be playing shows in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Oh yeah, Massachusetts and the Boston area as well! That's the goal anyway, we'll see how things play out.

Thank you all for your love and support over the past year. It's hard sometimes to "keep your chin up", and it's much easier knowing you're all so supportive, knowing there will be friendly faces at the gigs.

I wish you all peace and happiness during this holiday season, and much success during 2007!

Be well,

Carlyn

Want a free double disk CD?

I have three copies of the Oasis Acoustic Volume VI #8, and will ship it to the first 3 people to buy a copy of "Lust Love Lost" from CD Baby! Just forward your purchase confirmation from CD Baby to me (carlyn@carlynhutchins.com), and I will mail the CD to you for free! (Heh heh...I hope the rhymes in my songs are better than that one!) No worries, these confirmation emails do not contain any credit card information.

Oasis is the company who manufactured "Lust Love Lost", and as part of their Tools of Promotion, they put together a sampler CD. One of my songs, "Urban Tragedy", is included on this sampler, along with some other fantastic music from other indie artists. The second disc is a fantastic collection of holiday songs. There are only 3, so hurry!

Review of "Lust Love Lost" at Indieguitarists.com

2006-12-05T19:06:00.000-05:00

"Lust Love Lost", Carlyn Hutchins

Some songwriters work hard at developing their craft but, for others like Carlyn Hutchins it comes all too easy. Her latest acoustic, folk/rock CD entitled, "Lust Love Lost", features Carlyn's songwriting, lead vocals and rhythm guitar playing while accompanied by bass, electric guitar and percussion. Her rhythm pounds like a drum. She emits a great deal of energy into her songs as heard in the songs, "Habit" and "Come On Over". Carlyn Hutchins is a natural born singer with a tone that is sultry and raunchy. Especially pleasant to the ear is her high vocal register which flows from her like sweet sap oozing from a Sugar Maple.

To purchase "Lust Love Lost" and for more info on Carlyn Hutchins visit:

www.carlynhutchins.com

Interview from Indieguitarists.com

2006-12-04T06:16:00.000-05:00

This is an interview I did with Monica Yonge at www.indieguitarists.com:

1. Describe the early years of your musical roots and how your talent was nurtured.

In all honesty, music for me has been on again/off again for as long as I have been playing. I started out playing an old pedal organ of all things, which was when I was about 8 or 9, and tinkered on the piano as well. Then I asked for a guitar when I was 10 and my parents obliged, I think mainly to keep me out of my sister's room because I'd sneak in and play her guitar! They gave me a book of chords and a handful of lessons, but I mainly taught myself by plunking out melodies to the radio one note at a time, and I remain mainly self-taught. I played all throughout elementary, middle, and high school but infrequently during my college years so I could focus on my degree. I started back up after college and played in bands for a few years, but took 8 years off before I started back up again 3 years ago.

2. Were there any events, people or catalysts that were musically influential?

There isn't really one person or musician that was musically influential on me. However, the first time I heard the late Michael Hedges' "Aerial Boundaries", I fell in love with the acoustic guitar because I had no idea the instrument could be so beautiful and powerful!

As for influential events, the reason I started writing songs and playing again was to heal emotionally and physically. An ex-girlfriend of mine committed suicide a little over three years ago. Two days after I found out, I broke a bone in my hand playing goalkeeper in a soccer game. A friend of my ex gave me one her guitars, and convinced me to start playing again. Actually, we ended up playing as a duo for a while. I used guitar playing at the time as additional physical therapy to heal my hand, but I didn’t realize it was also helping me heal emotionally, because it really gave me an outlet for my grief. It is so bittersweet to think that it took something so horrible to bring me back to my music, which has been so wonderful for me since then. I still shake my head about the whole thing.

3. Describe the feel of your new CD entitled, "Lust Love Lost" and how you were sparked to write the songs on it.

(Chuckling) About 6 of the songs on the CD are influenced in some way by someone I was romantically involved with, both during the relationship and after its unnecessarily ugly end. The listener can clearly tell that there is heartache, bitterness, and anger, but a nice change is that the CD is also spiced up with a couple of lusty songs as well as one about falling in love, and there is an instrumental as well. Each of the songs is stylistically a bit different, and I'd like to think that it reaches out to people with a number of different musical tastes.

4. How involved were you in the recording and production of your latest CD?

In every facet of it! I'm such a control freak that I would not have had it any other way!

5. What recording equipment did you use?

No clue actually, I just let Steve Friedman at Melville Park Studio set everything up. I do know that he upgraded to ProTools 7 either right before or sometime during the time we were recording, and it was sometimes a lot of fun trying to use the old shortcuts he knew from other versions of the software. Sometimes they didn't do quite the same thing in the new and we would laugh and go back to try to fix what we just did. He was good enough to not charge me for the time he spent fixing things like that!

6. How did you record your guitar parts?

For my acoustic guitar tracks, we used a combination of mics and direct input, and then played with the mix to get just the right tones while keeping a very natural acoustic sound. On my instrumental "The Look", we tried about 10 different combinations of positions and microphones before we could get a decent sound. That particular song was so challenging because I play it with a pick instead of finger-picking (I’m awful at finger-picking), and we were getting some really harsh sounds. I ended up playing it with a very heavy pick and having the mics about 4 to 8 feet from the guitar before we could get a good sound. I don’t remember if we went direct with that song at all.

For Joey Ammo’s acoustic guitar tracks, we’d use the same setup I used, but for the electric guitar, we just put a mic on the amplifier. I wanted a clean sound for the recording, so we did very little in the way of effects processing, even on the electric guitar parts.

7. How did you record the rhythm section?

Those were fun (and very long) sessions! Don "DC" Culp had already laid down his parts on a portable recorder before coming into the studio, and would sometimes listen back to those before he would record his tracks. We sometimes had up to 10 different percussion tracks from which to choose and mix. Most we used, but some we didn’t, and what we didn’t use was because we just couldn’t get it to sound right in the mix. DC did a fantastic job prepping and recording, and I could not have been happier with the way everything came out. Deb Blackadar also laid down some djembe and shaker tracks, and I played shaker on one of the songs. Basically, we went in, we put it down, kept it if we liked it, redid it if we didn't, used what we could, and trashed what we couldn’t!

8. Did you enjoy creating the CD? Any obstacles?

The main obstacle was that we were delayed for a month while I was recovering from a very nasty cold. I couldn't speak let alone sing, and had to cancel a number of sessions (even the ones where I just had to play the guitar) because I had a wracking cough and just felt awful and tired all the time. I enjoyed the mixing sessions more than my recording sessions. I felt so pressured during the recording phase, but mixing was a lot of fun because we could be creative with it. Working with Steve was very easy, and he has such a great ear for what works and what doesn't. Luckily, he and I were very much on the same page with that. His philosophy is that if it doesn’t sound right, it’s just *wrong*. It sounds like such a simple statement, but when I mention that to musicians, it’s like a light bulb goes off over their heads, and they usually nod in agreement and say things like “Yeah, right on”!

9. Who else plays on the CD?

Joey Ammo (Boston, MA) played both acoustic and electric guitar - he did a lot of layering with a second acoustic guitar part that added a lot of depth to the songs, and then played all of the acoustic or electric lead solos. He also played bass guitar on 5 songs. Allison Hale (Boston, MA) sang harmony vocals on 6 songs. Lisa Annunziata (Providence, RI) played bass guitar on 3 songs, one of which she convinced me to write, which was “Three Doors Down”. Don "DC" Culp (Providence, RI) played all the percussion on 5 songs while Deb Blackadar (Boston, MA) played percussion on 2 songs. Three songs I did solo, either just with guitar or with guitar and vocals. It’s a nice mix, in my opinion.

10. What vocal microphone did you use in the studio?

(Grinning) I have no idea, whatever Steve set up for me! How’s that for paying attention?

11. What is your main guitar?

My baby is a Taylor 410CE. It has great sound and I think I will have it forever. I hope someday to own a Taylor T5 as well, for its great sound, and versatility that I may need more of down the road.

12. How would you describe your sound?

That question is so tough for me to answer, and I still don’t have a good one! I have been told I have a very unique sound, and maybe that’s because I don’t have any particular influence. I’ve heard that I am a mix of Ani DiFranco, Melissa Ferrick, Joni Mitchell, and Dave Matthews - how’s that for a love child!

13. How does a song come into fruition for you? The lyrics first or the music first?

It’s usually the music that comes first, where I’ll start playing and then generally sing out the first words that come into my head. If I like what I hear, I’ll work on it some more, musically and lyrically. If not, I’ll generally let the whole thing die and move on to something else. I hate trying to force something to work, because it usually ends up sounding trite and I won’t be happy with it anyway. Kill the bad ones early, nurture the good ones even earlier! Writing lyrics does not come naturally or easily for me, which is why I absolutely can’t try to force it. It’s a recipe for disaster for me!

14. What venue have you played that you enjoyed the most?

I love the atmospheres at the 5th Street Coffeehouse in Philadelphia and Tazza Caffe, in Providence, RI. The crowds I’ve had there have been very supportive and appreciative. I generally enjoy everywhere I play, because you never know what kind of crowd you’re going to have so you have to be on your toes to keep their attention, and I love the challenge in that.

15. Is there a venue that you play regularly at?

No, no regular place, but I love doing the coffeehouse open mics in the Boston area. They’re a lot of fun, and I’ve met some really great folks through them.

16. What does your live set up consist of?

It’s usually just me with a guitar direct through a PA. I had a trio for my CD release party (me, Joey Ammo on guitar, and a percussionist named Steve Nilson), and I played one show with guitarist Steve Rapson. I really feed off the energy of a duo or trio so I think I need to examine that a little and think about that for the future.

17. What music organizations are you affiliated with?

I am a member of Indiegrrl, GoGirls Music, Gay Guitarists, Indie Guitarists, and Outmusic, I love the networking that goes on, and I’ve learned a lot. I am also involved with a Boston based group trying to get a new acoustic music event launched for 2007.

18. Do you have your own record & publishing company?

(Laughing) You mean CatzEye Records? Well, I own the website at least! We shall see what happens with that in the future, but it can’t hurt to have it as my own right now. I’m the only one “signed” right now, but I have some ideas for it in the far future.

19. What are your plans for 2007?

I’ll be writing some new songs and would like to get some vocal training as well, and improve my songwriting skills and stage presence. I’ll also be working on getting my name out more in the Boston area and beyond. I am already working on setting up a mini-tour in April, and have a couple of dates confirmed. I will also be working with a group of Boston area musicians to launch a new once-per-month acoustic music event in a house concert type format called “JP Unplugged”.

20. Do you usually appear with a band or as a solo act?

It’s all me, most of the time, but that may change in 2007 or 2008.

For more info on Carlyn Hutchins visit:

www.carlynhutchins.com

Cool review of Carlyn's CD "Lust Love Lost"

2006-11-05T09:34:00.000-05:00

From Indie-music.com:

Artist: Carlyn Hutchins
CD: Lust Love Lost
Home: Boston, Massachusetts
Style: Folk

Quote: "Hutchins is a pure folk artist with a bit of a kick."
By Jennifer Layton

Before you go thinking this is another chick with a guitar, pop in the CD and brace yourself. “Sweet Young Thing” bursts out of the gate with rapid strumming, hot to trot. The sensual, earthy voice croons a hot, steamy song about going out on the prowl. My toes curled. My iced tea evaporated. My hair frizzed. I hope Hutchins is smart enough to start each gig with this song because I’m pretty sure no one leaves their seat after hearing it.

Hutchins is a pure folk artist with a bit of a kick. She does the social protest thing very well, as evidenced in “Urban Tragedy,” a photograph of domestic violence which includes the vivid lines “I can see you watching me, loving your authority, shut down my security.” She also has the earthy, flawless female folk voice that exudes passion and honesty. But she will not be neatly categorized with the rest of folk music. She offers a contemplative instrumental (“The Look”) as well as a surprising Latin beat experiment (“I Don’t Know Why”). She may be a folkie, but she likes to travel.

The absolute standout in this collection is “Three Doors Down.” Hutchins’ voice is at its best here. Heavenly high notes and the sweetest harmonies. It’s a sad song, but I’ll take all five-plus minutes of it because Hutchins can break the listener’s heart beautifully. You’ll feel the tears, but you’ll never want it to stop.

If your folk music collection is starting to all sound the same, definitely pick this one up.

http://www.indie-music.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=5371

A mouse in my house...part II

2006-11-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

Dagnabbit!

I have a feeling that more drastic measures are going to be needed to get rid of this little mouse problem I am having. Evidently, Mr. Mouse is laughing at the ultrasonic pest repeller I have. Maybe I need more? I would hate to have to put down traps of any flavor...snap, humane, glue, etc. I would prefer that Ms. Ruby the Kitty would do her job and just get the darned thing!

It was quite a morning for me the other day. First off, I wasn't feeling well, so I was tossing and turning throughout the night. Then, Gracie (my dog) got sick...on my bed! Well, on the towel she sleeps on when she's on my bed, so the damage was minimal. I put her on the floor around 4:30 am, only to have her then get sick on the floor at 4:35... oy vey! Then she started pacing, and me, fearing the worst, got out of bed very quickly, dressed, and ran her outside, only to find that she just needed to pee, and nothing worse was going to happen. Whew...

So, back to bed around 5 am or so, and sleep was my friend...for about 30 minutes, until Ruby started acting up. She was chasing something on the floor, but when she started digging underneeath the hope chest and chirping (yes, she chirps when she's excited evidently), I figured something was up. I got out of bed again, and grabbed the flashlight and started checking underneath everything. Oh, so that's where all of Ruby's toys got to...never saw that one before...where did that toy come from...red octopus? What the...

I figured that while I was awake, I better start gathering up all the toys. I moved the hope chest away from the wall, and sitting stock still behind the red octopus was Mr. Mousey! Oh, he was ever so adorable, brown, cute little nose, and quite fat! What has he been eating? Well, before I really had a chance to react, he took off running, followed closely by Ruby, and was chased into a corner of the room, behind my amplifier and PA system. Groan...I don't need this at 5:30 am! I started to move everything out of the way and the darn thing took off again, underneath the computer cart, then evidently under the stove. Dammit! :(" style="width: 11.25pt; height: 11.25pt;"> So I moved the stove out (good thing I live on the first floor otherwise my neighbors may have had my head for making so much noise) but alas, he escaped. No clue where he went off to, but I did notice a big gap in the wall behind the stove, so my spider sense tells me that is probably where he's getting in.

To be continued...

A mouse in my house...part I

2006-11-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

Not that I mind them, how could I? They're small, they're cute, they're furry, they have cute little pink noses! However, I don't want them in my house.

Now, I'm not a genious by any stretch of the imagination, but you'd have thought that I would have figured out something was up when the cat wouldn't get out of the bathroom. Sure, she was hanging out by the radiator, but I thought she was just trying to keep warm! Then, when she for no reason attacked a pair of jeans on the floor, I thought that maybe she was going after a bug. So I checked, didn't see anything, put the jeans back on the floor, took a shower. When she kept trying to get behind the litter box, I thought she was just being feisty, and I threw her out of the bathroom.

I went off to work, and when I got home, she was still hanging out in the bathroom, by the radiator, obviously trying to keep warm, and she pretty much stayed there the rest of the night. I started to get worried, thinking that maybe she was getting sick, and scaring the crap out of my girlfriend, who's the cat's mom.

The next day, when I pulled the litter box out of the corner to scoop it, I saw the telltale signs of mouse invasion. Yes, you guessed it...a little puddle of mouse pee, and little mouse poo droppings. Yikes! So off I went on a mouse hunt...I turned over every rock, leaf, and pair of jeans...well...what was a pair of jeans (brand new even). Much to my dismay, Mousey must have been nesting, and managed to chew nice little mouse-mouth sized holes along the back legs of my brand new pair of jeans, like little flecks of acid burned holes into them. :(" style="width: 11.25pt; height: 11.25pt;">Sigh...and more mouse poo, and probably pee all over the jeans as well, and into the trash they went. I couldn't even salvage them.

Now, I have not seen any sign of Mousey since then. I did get one of those ultrasonic pest repellants that plug into an outlet. Or maybe Ruby the cat did her job and ate the poor bugger...nature at its best, survival of the fittest, you know, the way it should be. Regardless, it seems to be gone, and my jeans on the bathroom floor can rest easily!

Provincetown - October 14

2006-10-22T10:41:00.000-04:00

OK, so now I'm running 2 straight nights with only about 4 or 5 hours of sleep each, and I'm thoroughly exhausted! I'd like to have been able to blame my roomie Al Start for keeping me up late talking, but I was blabbing just as much as she was! Anyway, I left her sleeping, grabbed my laptop, and headed downstairs for a little breakfast. I ran into Patti DeRosa and Denise Barbarita before they headed out of town, and chatted with them awhile, showing them pictures from the party the night before…yeah… I caught Denise with some funny facial expressions and got shots of Sonya Heller's thong for blackmail purposes! Heh heh…to be posted later...

Urg…so tired… Al finally came down to breakfast, looking much more rested than I must have looked, bright-eyed and cheery. I've no idea how she managed to look so good when I quite clearly looked like hell! I left her with my laptop, grabbed a shower, and then we both headed back into town to meet Andrea Paquin and do a little busking on Commercial Street.

We set up our stuff and Andrea played first, gathering a different small crowd with each song. Then I played a few songs, but we decided to move again, back down to in front of the town hall where the crowd was bigger, but somehow, the tips were smaller. Oh well. At least we had more of an audience! Andrea and I did our best to plug Al's show at The Bacchanal Winebar that night. I however, was tired and grumpy, and decided to rest a bit in Nicole and Tina's room. They were kind enough to bring me pizza, pastries, and soda, but since I'd had more than enough pizza at that point in the weekend, I opted only for the pastries. Yummy!

Al came to collect me, and we headed back to our room at the Inn to change, and then went back into town to have dinner with Nicole, Tina, and their friend Patsy. Inadvertently, we blew off Andrea and her partner Jen who were at a burrito place – whoops! I think they were a little annoyed, and I don't blame them. We went off to The Squealing Pig, enjoyed our dinner (at least I think we did), and then headed over to the winebar to watch Al's set – smashing! She's such a good performer as well as a musician. I'm wicked jealous and wish I could be that good. Someday…

At the end of the night, during Namoli Brennet's set, Al and I were asked to join her on stage (with Vange Durst as well) to play shakers, and had a right good time! For the last song, I joined Namoli, Vange, and Vicki Genfan on the song that never ended – I think it started out as a Namoli song, morphed into a Vange song, and then ended as a cover song but I can't remember for certain. Good thing I had been drinking, otherwise I would have felt the pain of playing a shaker for 10 minutes or so!

When we left Vixen, it was well after midnight. Al, Namoli, Andrea, and I tried to find a café that was open so that we could get some coffee or tea, but alas, there was none. Only bars are open in P-Town that late. So we opted to all head back to our rooms, dropping Namoli off at her boat of a rental car first, and Andrea left as well. Al and I headed off to my car to drive back to the Inn, and managed to get into bed before 1 am. That was early! But, I couldn't sleep, and ended up playing around on the computer until 3 am while Al snored her little heart away …lucky her. Insomnia, me?

So, when Sunday morning rolled up, I had run 3 straight nights with less than 6 hours of sleep each, and I was feeling it badly. But, it was a great weekend and I felt so incredibly energized! I had a fantastic time, met some very talented musicians, played in the streets, sold a few CD's, signed some folks up on my mailing list. Would I do this again? Absolutely!!!!!! But next time, the girlfriend comes with me!

Provincetown - October 13

2006-10-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

Up early, even though I only had about 4 or 5 hours of sleep (still on dog schedule even though I didn't have her with me). Off to breakfast on my own, laptop in hand to do a little work. Lo and behold, in walked Patti DeRosa, followed by Al, and then finally my friends Nicole and Tina stopped by to pick up their luggage to haul back to The Pilgrim House. Nicole was looking mighty fine for someone who had been so sick the night before!

After showers, we grabbed the guitars and headed into town to do a little busking (and me to ignore an ex I kept seeing – blech). Well, my intent was just to be in a support role to Al (who was really keen on performing), some harmony vocals, a little shaker, but I ended up playing with Al quite a bit! It was fun, and at the end we were joined by Jamie, a drummer/djembe player from New York, as well as Patti, Andrea Paquin, and another street performer named Brenda, and totally rocked out to much applause from the crowd. We were stars baby!

I had to head back to the room to change and make myself pretty for my feature that night. It was fantastic, a much different crowd than on Thursday night, and we had a blast! The crowd wanted to party, and I gave them all of my fired up songs. Well, not all of them, but many of them. First up was Patti DeRosa, followed by Liz Stahler, then me, then Christine Havrilla, and finally, my new friend Namoli Brennet. What a fantastic night!

It only got better later on as we ended up at an Indiegrrl party with so many other musicians: Vicki Genfan, Susan Souza, Vicki Blankenship, Sonya Heller, Namoli Brennet, Julia Carroll, Denise Barbarita, Andrea Paquin, and the honorary Indiegrrl despite his Y chromosome: Jess Willoughby, and many other guests whose names I shamefully cannot remember.

The lovely Cory Lynn drove me and Al back to my car. Having parked it somewhere on Commercial Street a good 12 hours previously, I had no idea where it really was! Besides, it was late, and it was cold, and Al was a bit tipsy on beer, and I was just plain lazy. So, we got back to the room around 2 am, and since we were both pretty high in the sense of being musically buzzed, we stayed up and did some talking, a lot of talking, and even more laughing!

Al was making serious fun of my "freakishly small hands" and we discovered that I can actually fit both hands into a pair of women's medium fleece gloves from L.L. Bean! We were laughing so hard Al could barely get a picture of it, but it's floating somewhere out in cyberspace in her Snapfish account…grrrr… Well, my hands may be small, but they can sure play a mean guitar, and don't anyone forget that!

Provincetown - October 12

2006-10-22T10:16:00.000-04:00

OK, so I made the trip from Boston to P-Town, found my way to the Inn, and found that the room smelled like an ashtray...a very well used ashtray. Risking being "that guest", I trekked back down to the reception desk to ask for a new room, preferably one that had not been smoked in. They smiled politely and found me another room that only smelled slightly of cigarette smoke, and I took it, fearing that the next room would have been worse! I unpacked a bit, grabbed my show fliers and walked into town to do what every other performer in P-Town does to advertise their shows - hand people pieces of paper that they'll never look at and just toss into the next trash can!

I passed WOMR and kicked myself for not bringing any CD's. Oh well. Soon I found myself in front of Vixen, trying to get in touch with my new friend Al Start, who was not answering her phone. Then I ran into Susan Souza (the organizer of the Women's Kiss event) and her partner Kristin, and was chatting with them when finally Al showed up. Yay - off we went to grab a bite at The Squealing Pig, what a name! Her friend Zoe Lewis said it's the closest thing to a proper English pub in Provincetown. Having never been to England, I had no basis for comparison but Al seemed OK with it.

After we ate, we made our way back to the hotel, to find my other two friends, who fortuitously had a can of Oust in their car, and very thoughtfully sprayed the hell out of the room in an effort to deodorize it. That worked for about 5 minutes. Ick. Then my friends left to meet up with one of their friends, and Al and went off to the Women's Kiss showcase at Vixen. She drove us about 2 or 3 blocks from the Inn, and then we had to carry my guitar and bag of stuff - merchandise, CDs, tuner, cords, etc., the next 10 blocks or so.

Huffing and puffing (me anyway), we got to Vixen and met up with Susan again, who let me put all of my gear backstage. I was briefly introduced to Vicki Genfan (oh my, what a guitarist), and then went back out to my seat for the show. After that, I grabbed my gear from the back and headed up to the Bacchanal Winebar, where my little showcase was.

We had very much a listening crowd that night, as Patti DeRosa, Jess Yoakum, and I rotated through 3 songs each for the next couple of hours. Vicki Blankenship (president of Indiegrrl) and Al also played a few songs, and everyone had a very good time. Except for my one friend, who had a very unfortunate incident involving too much wine and the porcelain god. She and her partner ended up getting a room at The Pilgrim House instead of staying with us - whew for me, I'm a sympathetic puker. So Al and I went back to the Inn with Patti (who was also staying there), and gave Denise Barbarita a ride back to her little shack…literally a shack. But a very cute one I must say! She had us on the floor laughing with her impersonations of her New York family!

We left Denise, and then went back to the Inn with Patti. It was late, about 1 or 2 am at that point, and I thought I was going to go right to sleep. Al on the other hand chatted and chatted and kept me up very late, regaling me with tales of her life and travels, the naughty woman. It was like we were 10 years old having a little slumber party, laughing and giggling and carrying on! Oh dear, maybe she is the little sister I never had…oh wait, she's 3 weeks older than I am! Heh heh heh…and I will never let her forget it!