Basic Folk 224 – Meg Hutchinson
It’s been ten years since Boston-area Meg Hutchinson has released an album and she did it super quietly, so no shade if you didn’t realize that your favorite middle sister is back with some seriously devastating songs. Meg grew up just outside of Great Barrington, MA where she had an idyllic childhood surrounded by woods and framed by her desire to become a folk singer. That dream was realized after she graduated college, quit her organic lettuce farm job and moved to Boston in the early 2000’s. There, she wove herself into its vibrant folk community gigging around New England, performing in the subway and getting signed to the prestigious Red House Records, where she released three albums.
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Throughout her life she has suffered from several mental illness, experiencing her first major bout of depression at age 19. Not understanding, she felt ashamed and hid her illness for nine years. After a huge whirlwind 2006 tour in England where she experienced a high never felt before, Meg came home and felt mania and severe depression all at once. She called her family to help and it was her younger sister, Tessa, who eventually got Meg professional help. After a long road stabilizing and healing, Meg has a grasp on her bi-polar disorder, which she calls by its former name: manic depression. She’s discovered her calling as a palliative care hospital chaplain and hospice worker. She’s no longer working music. She’s playing music and that’s how she approached this new album: All The Wonder All The Beauty, an album she says “is about things we don’t want to talk about.” She writes about her mental illness, midlife and death. This is an intense discussion with one of my favorite people! I’m so happy she’s released this album and excited for you to get to know Meg Hutchinson.
Excellant inteview. meg hutchinson is one of my favorites. She has a sweet smile and voice. I rember her singing at Club Passim and she realy handle the crould that night so great. They were eating out of her hand. In think we went to a concert in Franklin Mass that she performed at that was in the Unitariun Church. I love watching her sing and hearing he sing. I didn’t know she was going through so much tumult. I heard her say she enjoyed connect with the peopleat the end of her program, but she should knowthe the audience enjoyed connecting with her. Can’t say enough good about meg Hutchinon. One of my favorites from the WERS cast of Cindy Intervies. Of course commjing from Western Massachusetts is a definite plus.