photo by sam wiseman
Philippe Bronchtein is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in Nashville, TN. Formerly performing his songs under the moniker Hip Hatchet, Bronchtein has been operating under his own name as both a songwriter and sought after sideman & producer in Nashville.
The album Catch my Breath is the natural collision of Bronchtein’s unique voice as a writer, with his deep breadth of experience as an instrumentalist. Backed by an all star rhythm section featuring Nate Barnes (Hiss Golden Messenger, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ryan Bingham), Sam Howard (Molly Tuttle, Joy Williams), and Cy Winstanley (Brandy Clarke, Peter Bradley Adams), Bronchtein fills out the rest of the instrumentation himself, playing the majority of the leads on Hammond organ and pedal steel. Delicate trickles of modular synthesizers and big washes of reverb create the unique world in which these heartfelt songs exist. At the heart of these songs is Bronchtein’s unmistakeable baritone vocal, ‘dusty, world-weary, and intimate,’ carrying the listener through a gritty observational journey of empathy and heartache.
The album’s first single, “Past Lives” features Bronchtein’s singular voice on the steel guitar, adept lyricism, and highlights the enigmatic groove of the backing band. The full album will be released on February 22nd, 2022.
“It’s all cast-iron skillet and campfire light, his dusty voice painting a whistful picture that does his given name justice.”
“Here is a musician who sings thoughtfully of the world he inhabits and who accepts all its contingencies, excitement and ordinariness.”
“A quiet reflection on what it means to always be on the leaving side of things.”
“There’s a melancholic echo that accompanies Bronchtein’s low buzzing vocals. He peels back the ornate layers of nomadic life revealing an overcast and solemn mood....That sense of mood and feel helps elevate the album through sparse arrangements that focus on Bronchtein’s evocative delivery and sincere lyrics. Faint swells of pedal steel and synthesizer give off warm and hazy hues glow underneath and above Bronchtein’s finger-picking.”
“His voice is dusty, world-weary and intimate, a melancholic caress, his guitar work simple and uncluttered.”
“Bronchtein’s voice is amplified by the chilling slide of Jason Montgomery’s [pedal steel] strings...this is someone you definitely need to know.”
“Bronchtein has carved out his own place within the contemporary folk scene, his distinctive vocals and unerring ability to write poignant, evocative vignettes placing him amongst the finest in the genre.”
“Well if this ain’t folk music at its by-God best… Bronchtein writes with a thoughtful melancholy here. The song’s body rises out of the guitar with artsy fervor. There are all sorts of turns and sonic hues in the backing track. It’s so much more than a guy and his guitar, but that is definitely the root of what makes the song great. It makes you want to unplug and just lay under the stars for a long, long time. It’s glorious.”
photo by laura partain
photo by laura partain
photo by laura partain