Micah P. Hinson

 

MICAH P. HINSON
In early 2020, Micah P. Hinson almost walked away from his music career. The esoteric Americana / folk singer-songwriter – who divides his time between Texas and Spain – had released ten critically acclaimed albums and built up a loyal fanbase (particularly in Europe), yet he felt trapped and deeply depressed.

“It hit me that all I was doing was writing about my previous relationships and situations, and that meant I had nowhere to go,” Hinson says. “How can you progress as a human being into the future if all you’re doing is writing about all the shit that chains you to the past?”

Born in Memphis but raised in Texas, Hinson didn’t initially understand his uniqueness. For one thing, he is of Chickasaw descent, a Native American tribe known for being particularly fierce warriors. For another, his family belonged to The Church of Christ, which is, as he explains it, “one of the newest and the strictest and the most bizarre sects of Christianity.”

As a teen, Hinson rejected his religious background and instead turned to music for inspiration, listening to industrial and alternative acts such as Skinny Puppy, My Bloody Valentine, and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Along with his older brother, he began playing the guitar, writing songs that reflected those musical influences. At his brother’s suggestion, though, Hinson began playing acoustic guitar, though he retained his edge – a trait that remains one of his music’s most distinctive qualities to this day.

Hinson began writing prolifically, recording the tracks at home and giving copies to his friends. He didn’t try to get a record deal, though, because his complicated living situation didn’t allow him to pursue anything that ambitious. “I was essentially homeless in Austin, Texas, and my life was going absolutely nowhere,” he says. “I couldn’t get a job. I didn’t have a car that worked. My life wasn’t going well.” He was in such dire straits that he didn’t even own a guitar anymore.

After his friend John Mark Lapham (from the band The Earlies) showed Hinson’s songs to a London-based record label, Hinson was finally given a way to escape his desperate situation. Besides signing him to a record deal, the label also supplied Hinson with funds to pay off warrants for his arrest, a passport, and a plane ticket to the U.K., where he recorded his debut album, Micah P. Hinson and the Gospel of Progress. Upon its release in 2004, that album earned him instant acclaim and a significant European following. 

Hinson’s next nine albums fared equally well, establishing him as one of the more innovative and interesting singer-songwriters in the international alt-folk scene. His songs are touchstones from the various moments in his colorful life, from his unsettled early days through his more recent years when he’s been a devoted father.

 

This event is All Ages  // Valid ID required for alcohol consumption

Doors 6:00 PM 

Show 7:00 PM 

Show will begin no later than 15 minutes after showtime.

NO REFUNDS.

Wheelchair Accessibility: Please call the host at (617) 628-4444 to let you in through the elevator in The Gorin Building.