Two decades into a prolific, critically-acclaimed songwriting career – most recently with Americana-infused nom de guerre Lucas Shine and, prior to that, 90’s roots-rockers Subduing Mara – “Empire Of Light” is Peter Hutchison’s first true solo effort.

A collaboration with producer/musician extraordinaire Rod Hohl (member of Yarn, The Silos & Mary Lee’s Corvette; whose engineering credits include the likes of Carly Simon & Art Garfunkel), “Empire Of Light” assembles an impressive array of New York musicians and sidemen to create a project that defies simple categorization – marrying traditional Americana songcraft with kaleidoscopic soundscapes created from extraordinary horn, string, keyboard & vocal arrangements.

Album personnel comprises of a veritable ‘who’s who’ of NY session luminaries, including Peter Levin on keys (Blind Boys of Alabama, Greg Allman Band); Jeremy Wall, sax (Spyro Gyra); Kenny Rampton, trumpet (Mingus Big Band, Ray Charles, Dr. John); Michael Gilbert Ronstadt, cello (David Bromberg, Linda Ronstadt); Konrad Meissner, drums/percussion (The Silos, Graham Parker, John Dee Graham, Syd Straw); Ian Stynes, drums (Mendoza Line, The Glaciers); and Robert Bonhomme, drums (Yarn, Kilgore Trout, Fellaheen).

Hutchison's work was previously selected as a Village Voice Music Critics Year's Best/Top 10 Album - and has been featured in film & television, including Barry Levinson's "Bandits" (with Bruce Willis & Cate Blanchett).

The Upstate NY-raised and Brooklyn-based musician’s work has been described as "Unfailingly memorable." (High Bias), and that it’s “astonishing he can be so consistently good, and yet be so unappreciated.” (Michael Toland).


EMPIRE ADVANCED LISTENING