‘Undoubtedly silly and unquestionably fresh’– Hutch, ‘Radiator Centre’

Bouncing straight out of Brighton’s DIY music scene last month, five piece ‘twang pop post-yacht-rock soft-psych’ (their description, not mine) band Hutch released their debut track ‘Radiator Centre’. The accompanying music video, released today, paints the newcomers a vibrant identity, made up of one part sunshine, another of part nonsense, and a large helping of auditory escapism.

Formed during the first COVID lockdown, or what guitarist Dan ominously terms ‘the eventttttttttt’, it’s perhaps no surprise that Hutch’s lush soundscapes and dreamy synths are of another world. Quoting Master Oogway (of Kung Foo Panda fame) Dan highlights that ‘one often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it’; or put more straightforwardly,

‘our sound was born out of desire to escape the mundane reality of 2020’.

‘Me and [frontman] JP had been in bands before and always planned to start something together once he moved down to Brighton’, Dan explains. After roping ‘our housemate Charlie in on bass’, adding Owen on drums, and eventually Eva, who ‘completed the line-up bringing a Harp and Synth into the fold’, Hutch became the band they are today.

Explaining their tongue-in-cheek genre description, Dan emphasises that ‘twang is, in essence, the very fabric of the band’. He cheekily adds that ‘after that it’s just words. We live in a post yacht rock world so obviously that’s important to mention. Then soft-psyche element reflects our instrumental jams guitar/harp noodles and long free-flowing structures. But mainly it’s just a fun thing to say.’

If ‘fun’ is central to Hutch’s identity, the band’s first track does a pretty good job at cementing it. Bathed in warm retro guitar and punctuated with surf-rock production, the track tells the tale of an employee in a shop that sells radiator (the ‘radiator centre’ in question).

‘We were inspired by the shop we walked past most days’ Dan elaborates, ‘we thought it would be the warmest place to be, what with all the radiators being on’. As one of many BHASVIC attendees who marched past Trafalgar Street’s brightly coloured shop every weekday, I can attest to my own personal day dreams about crawling inside on early winter mornings.

‘Radiator Centre’ turns this everyday occurrence into a dream world populated by imagined characters. As JP describes an employee sitting ‘cross legged as she waits for some cool air to rush through the door’, Hutch create a claustrophobic world not dissimilar to that they encountered over the last few years.

The music video takes this imaginary woman and transforms her further, into (what else but) a literal radiator. Striding into the shop, the band adopts the bright pink and bug-eyed radiator (who is lovingly addressed as Fitz in the credits). The rest of the track overlays the adventures of a young radiator’s lifetime – drinking tinnies in the park, taking long walks on the seafront and watching the sun set over Hove Gardens.

The combination of hazy audio and surreal video creates an overall dream-like debut for Hutch. Undoubtedly silly and unquestionably fresh, if you’re a little bit done with the everyday, Hutch might be just what you need.

If that’s the case, JP was quick to inform me that ‘there’s definitely more songs on the way!’ In addition to keeping your eyes out for ‘a big special fun bonanza twang-pop-party happening after summer in Brighton’ and ‘a few festivals over the summer’, he advises that ‘the best way to hear about our upcoming events is social media’. You can find their Instagram here.

Hutch, Radiator Centre is now available to watch and listen to on Youtube now!