Colin Cutler

By carolinianweb on February 10, 2016 • ( 0 )

Chloe A. Photography

Alexa Brown
Staff Writer

Colin Cutler is a graduate student in English at UNCG with an interest in Anglo-Appalachian balladry and a freelance writer for Yes! Weekly. He has also released two solo EPs and a full album. And, somehow, he still makes time to host the Small Batch Singer Songwriter Series at Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Company every other Sunday night.

The bimonthly event typically features two solo artists, and sometimes songwriting duos like the Fumblemuckers or Chrysocolla — each playing an hour of original material. Cutler writes previews featuring the upcoming artists in Yes! Weekly.

“Most of the artists are from right around Greensboro, but we’ve had a few from Winston, Raleigh and Pinehurst — they’re all active in the Greensboro scene, though,” Cutler explained.

When he moved to Greensboro, Cutler was met with an abundance of musical talent in people of all ages and genres, and felt that the perfect way to help further develop Greensboro’s music scene was to get them together on the same stage.

Cutler loves that through the Small Batch Singer Songwriter Series, he has the opportunity to work with other songwriters and help them gain exposure by introducing them to new audiences. His event began at Tate Street Coffee House and moved to Gibb’s Hundred Brewing last summer.

“They were looking for original music, and I knew where to find original musicians,” Cutler reflected.

Cutler’s musical preference ranges from heavy metal to soul. His favorite artists to listen to include Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, J. S. Bach, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Adele, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Pink Floyd and the Ramones.

“Basically, anything that reminds me of the grit of gravel roads, the lonesomeness of train whistles or the stark beauty of stars in a winter sky,” Cutler said.

Music has always been a large part of Cutler’s life. It all began at the age of 5, when his mother volunteered him to sing a song for their church. At 9, he learned to play the piano, and by the time he’d graduated from high school he had learned to play the trumpet, bagpipe, penny whistle, recorder and finally, the guitar. It was then that he realized that his focus in the future would be on instruments that he could sing along with. He always had a fascination with old time folk traditions and the storytelling aspect of blues, so being a writer was a perfect fit.

“I was deeply into the melodic and harmonic complexities of classical and metal, but country, bluegrass and Irish music had always been in the house growing up, and I got more into acoustic music in college,” Cutler said.

Cutler began focusing on his career as a singer-songwriter three years ago after his engagement ended and he relocated from his previous home. Since then, he’s released two solo EPS —“The Confessional” and “Blood on my Shoes,” and most recently, a full album — “Nelson County Wayside.”

“I recorded that with Christen Mack, a fiddler, and Ross Kiefer, a bassist [and] friends from the UNCG Music Department,” Cutler said.

He has performed his own music in an array of different venues including The Blind Tiger, Gibb’s Hundred Brewing, Tasting Room, Common Grounds, Tate Street Coffee, a few farmers markets and in Charlotte, Winston, Chapel Hill and Virginia.

Cutler’s next goal is to make sure the Small Batch Singer Songwriter Series is well enough established for him to pass it to other active and respected members of Greensboro’s songwriting scene, as he’ll be heading overseas in May. He encourages others to get involved in the local music scene.

“I think a Greensboro music festival would be fantastic,” said Cutler. “We have the National Folk Festival and the Tate Street Festival and 17 Days and the Blues Festival already, but something focused on the songwriting coming out of this area would be great!”