‘Life In A Dressing Gown’ is a gorgeous dappling acoustic-based song from Jamie Hutchings – a far quieter side of the prolific musician whose bands Bluebottle Kiss and Infinite Broke are more known for their more combative approach.
Hutchings says of the track (which comes off his 2023 album ‘A New’):
The song about disconnection and swimming. The rhythm track is two snare drums, one on the left and one on the right with breathing added. I felt pretty puffed after recording the breathing tracks as I don’t know how to loop things, however the breathing seems to match the images of swimming and walking well.
There is almost a lullaby feel to the song that creates imagery of softy babbling brooks and a pastoral, languid life of reflection. It comes with a gorgeous immersive stop motion hand made video produced by Justine Wahlin which follows the aerial journey of the eponymous man in a dressing gown in a balloon across the landscape:
The track comes with an acoustic version of a track from the album track entitled ‘A Bird Now. Hutchings says of the new version:
The live acoustic version of this song has proved popular so I thought I would re-record it acoustically for this digital release. I wrote this a long time ago. In Bolivia actually. I’d been turned on to a lot of South American authors. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to remember the book and writer that inspired this song. In the story, the main character is cursed and slowly begins to transform into a bird, he experiences all of the physical pain and anguish you would expect from this process, but the only person aware of it actually happening is himself.
You can get the single through the link below or here.
Hutchings will be playing two NSW shows in April before he heads back to Europe where he has been invited to once again perform at the Binic Folk Blues Festival in France.
Thursday, 11 April @ The Midnight Special, Enmore
w/ FENTON PROJECT X Tickets here
Sunday, 14 April @ Side B Vinyl Bar, Blackheath
Tickets here
