[REMINDER] Don’t Miss Julia Jacklin w/ Christian Lee Hutson | TONIGHT @ Mercy Lounge

Since springing onto the scene in 2016 with her phenomenal debut LP, Don’t Let the Kids Win, and surpassing it with an even more personal and refined sophomore effort, Crushing, earlier this year, undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2019, Australian indie pop and folk singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin has become one of the most buzzworthy and essential new artists in the indie scene, touring the world and regularly appearing at major festivals (like Forecastle, where we caught her this summer). After making her apparent Nashville debut at Third Man back in the spring, we’re thrilled to see Julia return so soon, this time to headline Mercy Lounge tonight Oct. 9, along with indie folk singer, former Nashvillain, and recent Phoebe Bridgers collaborator Christian Lee Hutson! A must-see fall show for fans of earnest, dreamy indie pop and folk, tickets are available while they last right here. Read on for more about the show!

JULIA JACKLIN

Raised in Australia’s Blue Mountains of New South Wales, singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin found a passion for music at a young age, inspired by a love of Britney Spears to begin taking singing lessons at 10, and part of a high school band covering tunes from pop punk and alt rock acts of the time. It wasn’t until her early 20s though, that Jacklin, who’d relocated to Sydney for university, began seriously writing her own songs as a solo artist, and not until a few years later, with the release of early tunes “Pool Party” and “Coming of Age,” that she managed to attract a widespread following, earning early radio play and buzz throughout the blogosphere, and kicking off a string of worldwide tours and festival appearances. Earning rave reviews out of her SXSW debut in 2016, and subsequently signing with Transgressive, Liberation, and Polyvinyl Records (for various parts of the globe), Jacklin finally quit her day job to pursue a full-time career in music, releasing her debut full-length, Don’t Let the Kids Win, in the fall of 2016, landing her on countless year-end lists, nabbing awards and nominations in her native Australia, and leading to tours with acts like First Aid Kit, Whitney, and Okkervil River, and appearances at fests like Glastonbury and Newport Folk Festival. Blending a sweet, dreamy, and earnest style of indie pop with elements of folk and alt country, Jacklin’s sound has earned her fame both in the rock and folk scene, praised her for artful approach and raw, confessional lyrical prowess. After a couple of years of regular touring, simultaneous to the dissolution of a longterm relationship, Julia managed to craft an even more focused, story-driven, reflective, and cathartic work in this year’s sophomore effort Crushing, both more mature in her self-awareness and analysis of her emotional state of being, and more confident in her role as an artist well-deserving of so much praise. As she continues to tour the world in support (including an appearance at Forecastle Festival this summer that blew us away), this return to Nashville after a spring debut at Third Man is definitely one of our most-anticipated fall shows. Don’t miss out!

CHRISTIAN LEE HUTSON

If you’ve been following this site for awhile, you’ll likely remember us regularly covering singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson a few years back, who, when formerly Nashville based and even in subsequent years as a touring artist, regularly played spots like The Stone Fox, fooBAR, The East Room, The Basement, Communion showcases, supporting club shows with artists like John Moreland, and more. Now LA based, the 28-year-old began his career as part of The Driftwood Singers, and managed to attract a ton of positive praise for his Americana and indie folk leaning early efforts, 2012 EP Will Never Break Up, 2013 debut LP The Hell with It, and 2014 sophomore effort Yeah, I Know. In the five years since his latest formal release, Hutson has continued to tour as well as evolve his artistry, as any 20-something is wont to do, and we we thrilled to see him began to pop up alongside breakout indie/folk rocker Phoebe Bridgers over the last couple of years, performing with and co-writing for her various recent musical ventures (supergroup Boygenius, and Conor Oberst teamup Better Oblivion Community Center, for whom Christian also opened at a Nashville date earlier this year). We’re even more thrilled that that creative partnership with Bridgers has been a two-sided endeavor, as the multifaceted singer will serve as producer for Hutson’s long-awaited new LP (and likely reintroduction as an artist), the first single from which, “Northsiders,” dropped earlier this year, and showcases the sort of genre-defying indie folk Bridgers and a whole crop of new artists have helped energize. A great pairing with Julia Jacklin, you’ll certainly want to arrive early!

Julia Jacklin and Christian Lee Hutson will perform tonight, Oct. 9 at Mercy Lounge. The show is 18+, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $17.