My first exposure to Seattle’s Hutchie was through the Barenaked Ladies (BNL) of all things. Razorcake contributor extraordinaire, Kayla Greet, invited an assortment of folks to go see BNL, the Gin Blossoms, and Toad The Wet Sprocket on what I like to call “the 90s Alt Rock Nostalgia Tour.” One of the members of our eclectic group was Hutchie’s singer Michelle Pannell. Soon after we met, Michelle was getting called out by the Gin Blossoms’ guitarist Jesse Valenzuela from the stage for her Lucero shirt. A moment that reflects well on both individuals.
A few weeks later, I was down in Olympia to see Portland’s Divers, Erica Freas (formerly of RVIVR), and II:II (pronounced eleven, eleven), the new band from Mattie Jo Canino (formerly of RVIVR & Latterman). While there, I was introduced to the other photographer in the crowd, Kyle Latham, who turned out to be the guitarist of Hutchie. At this point, I realized it was about time to check out this local punk band I keep running into.
I managed to catch Hutchie a couple times in 2022 and boy am I glad I did! There is a dichotomy between guitarist Kyle’s bouncing around the stage in a Westerburgian way with singer Michelle’s exclamatory groove. It’s a beautiful balance that’s a blast to watch. In their ad in Razorcake, they refer to themselves as “Creedence Clearwater RVIVR,” which nails it. They play a mix of melodic pop punk and roots rock with melodies that are catchy without being cheesy. This blend of different genres allows them to walk between worlds, at home sharing stages with gruff punk, alt-country, and straight-up rock’n’roll bands.
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