Eric Hutchinson (born September 8, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his songs "Rock & Roll", "OK, It's Alright with Me", "Not There Yet", "Watching You Watch Him", and "Tell the World". Hutchinson was named an AOL "About to Pop" artist, Yahoo! Who's Next Artist, MSN "One to Watch" Artist and a "VH1 You Oughta Know" Artist. Hutchinson also wrote and performed the theme song for ESPN's Fantasy Focus podcast.
Hutchinson tours extensively and has performed at venues across the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, England, and Dubai. He has toured with such artists as Kelly Clarkson, Jason Mraz, OneRepublic, O.A.R., Pentatonix, Hanson, Tristan Prettyman, John Mulaney and G. Love & Special Sauce.
Hutchinson is also known for the sharp, often colorful suits he wears on stage and on his album covers.
Biography
Early life
Hutchinson grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, graduating from Montgomery Blair High School and then attending Emerson College in Boston.
2005–2007: Sounds Like This
In 2005, Hutchinson signed with Madonna's Maverick Records, but the label shut down before his album was released. He independently recorded and released the album Sounds Like This in 2007. The album won praise from gossip blogger Perez Hilton, which sent it to the top ten on the iTunes Store, where it peaked at number five in September 2007 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. It became the highest-charting album by an unsigned artist in iTunes history.
The album was picked up by Warner Bros. Records, who released it in May 2008. Hutchinson's 2008 single "Rock & Roll" earned him his first gold record in the United States. "Rock and Roll" also appeared in the series finale episode of the Australian-produced Packed to the Rafters. The single reached No. 1 in Australia in April 2009. In addition, "Rock and Roll" reached No. 9 on the ARIA Australian Singles Chart and has been certified Platinum in Australia. "Rock and Roll" has also reached Gold in New Zealand, the U.S. and Norway.
2012: Moving Up, Living Down
Moving Up, Living Down, Hutchinson's second album, was released on April 17, 2012, by Warner Bros. Records. The first single, "Watching You Watch Him" debuted on the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy. Hutchinson also returned to the Late Show with David Letterman on February 21, 2012, to perform "Watching You Watch Him." Hutchinson wrote "Watching You Watch Him" as a joke about his wife, Jill's obsession with tennis star Roger Federer.
Allmusic.com's review said of the album said: "Hutchinson is a bell tone of a crooner with a knack for writing a catchy hook, and imbues his songs with just enough positive swagger and rhythmic grit to bring to mind a kind of contemporary take on Hall & Oates."
2014: Pure Fiction
Hutchinson released his third album titled Pure Fiction on April 8, 2014, via Kobalt Label Services. The first song on the album, "Tell the World," has been chosen as the theme song for the 2014 mid-season NBC sitcom Growing Up Fisher, and also the song for the first Microsoft Windows 10 commercial.
Allmusic.com's review of the album said: "Pure Fiction, finds him delivering more of his passionate, melodic, and imminently likable songs. Ultimately, the truth of Pure Fiction is that Hutchinson remains an impressive, resonant-voiced singer and a vibrant conduit for catchy, radio-ready pop."
2015: Easy Street
Eric's album, Easy Street, released on August 26, 2016. The album is produced by Hutchinson himself and features the power ballad "Anyone Who Knows Me", which Eric has said is "the song I've been trying to write my whole career."
2018: Modern Happiness
Modern Happiness was released in its entirety October 5, 2018. This was the first album to be released under the name Eric Hutchinson and the Believers with songwriting credits belonging to him and his band. In late 2017, Hutchinson announced that he would release one song per month starting in January 2018 to members of his Patreon only, eventually leading to the album's full release.
2019: Before & After Life
Before & After Life was released one track at a time to members of Patreon. The album includes multiple tracks written for and about his wife Jill and their daughter Zelda, plus several tracks about the death of his mother-in-law. The full album was released on February 14, 2019.