Named after an alt-country troubadour and raised in a rural corner of New Hampshire, Lyle Hutchins always knew he wanted to be a musician. His songs, inspired by artists like Bon Iver, Ruston Kelly and Snail Mail, offer a unique blend of cathartic Alternative Rock, Americana, and Folktronica that simultaneously tugs on your heartstrings and forces you to crack a wry smile. But the young musician wasn’t always sure he could answer his calling: it was only when he wrote and recorded his first song for an eighth grade project that he suddenly experienced a stream of lyrics, melodies and harmonies flowing out of him. Throughout his high school years, Hutchins struggled within a high pressure environment, resulting in recurring migraines and intense anxiety, as well as the isolation typical of the winter months in a small New England town. Faced with a barrage of personal tragedy during the onset of the pandemic, Hutchins leaned on music to keep himself sane, helping him become the powerfully empathetic singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist he is today. 

Hutchins’ musical coming-of-age took place in the humid heart of New Orleans, where he honed his craft at Loyola University and cut his teeth on stages that have broken in countless greats — Tipitina’s, Carrollton Station, festival slots at Freret Street and French Quarter Fest, and even two radio performances at WTUL and HOWL. In 2023, he found himself sponsored to go to Nashville’s iconic AmericanaFest, meeting his namesake Lyle Lovett in a full-circle moment that further rooted him in the lineage of confessional singer-songwriters. Along the way, he rubbed shoulders with Noah Kahan’s bassist Alex Bachari, connected with everyone from managers to sound engineers, and fine-tuned a sonic palette that’s equal parts dusty dive bar and bedroom daydream. 

After moving back to New England from studying music in New Orleans, Lyle released Flatlander, his debut full-length album. The 14-track project is a deeply personal exploration of nostalgia, homesickness, and heartbreak, underscored by Hutchins’ relationship to his two wildly disparate experiences across the country. Maia Cambriello, half of the rising LA-based folk-pop group The Army, The Navy, had this to say of Lyle’s new album: “Lyle is a thoughtful and intricate songwriter and performer and it has been so beautiful to watch him grow as a musician! His latest album is sweet, and reminds me a bit of Kings of Convenience. It is the perfect album to put in your ears on a summer day walk. He writes with such intention.” The title, being a reference to the New England phrase referring to those from less mountainous locales, roots the album in the 22-year-old’s childhood experience in the region. From its hushed folk introspection to its soaring alt-rock catharsis and beyond, Flatlander proves Hutchins isn’t just telling his story — he’s capturing that universal moment when the darkness starts to crack and the light finally creeps in.