Bloomington-Normal musicians need to get started somewhere. Some of the ways musicians accomplish this goal is through performing at open mics and putting out original music. Bloomington-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Noah Hutton and his bass player Marco Freeman have been doing just that.
Hutton said he and Freeman perform at The Station Saloon open mics every other Tuesday night while Hutton runs sound and sometimes hosts. While open mics are a great start, Hutton said he would like to write more originals and learn more cover songs to put together a full setlist.
Hutton and Freeman have a band together under the name Kadync [pronounced CADE-ence], which means "rhythm." Their band formed about seven years ago. Freeman said he came over to work on Hutton’s dishwasher, started talking to him and found out he was still playing guitar.
“Man we gotta do this,” said Freeman, referring to starting a band together. Freeman said from that moment he has been writing bass lines for Hutton’s originals.
Freeman said he comes to a crossroads when writing bass lines because he likes a little bit of everything. He said he wants to play hard and fast, but also sometimes has to slow down. Ultimately, Freeman said he wants his bass lines to touch the soul.
The single 'Thin Line'
One of the biggest challenges in writing music, Hutton said, is being too much of a perfectionist. When asked about his single “Thin Line” Hutton said, “‘Thin Line’ took two years to get done, and it shouldn't have.”
Hutton said his song “Thin Line” was written from a dark spot in his life. He said he was thinking about how sometimes people’s lives can push them to that thin line, and then they are gone. “Even if you get to the edge of that thin line, it’s never the answer, it’s not an option,” said Hutton.
“I think we all kind of need to reach out to people and buddy check each other, and be there for each other,” Hutton said.
Hutton said he wanted people to emotionally connect with his music. “If I can make somebody cry, I did my job,” said Hutton.
When Freeman adds bass lines to Hutton’s originals, he said he wants people to feel an emotional connection as well. “If it helps one person through anything the job is done,” said Freeman, “just one person.”
Hutton said he and Freeman are trying to put enough originals and covers together to have a setlist for a show. They have no upcoming shows, but Hutton said right now their band Kadync is performing at The Station Saloon open mics every other Tuesday night.
Since the original host of these open mics, Bruce Moon, had to be on leave for medical reasons, Hutton said he was running sound, performing, and sometimes hosting. Moon has recently returned and co-hosts with Hutton.
“We’ve had quite a bit of a community gathering there so we didn’t wanna stop that. It just keeps growing,” said Hutton. He also said he and Moon are looking for places around Bloomington to host more open mics.
Freeman added what he has liked about the open mics. “You get to make your mistakes."
Hutton said, “I use [open mics] as a live performance, try to get my jitters to shake off, and enjoy that thrill we do as musicians by playing live in front of people.”
What Hutton said he loves a lot about the open mics is that he gets to share that experience with his 7-year-old son, Bryson. Hutton said his son is a natural on stage and added, “he’s more calm, cool, collected than I could ever be.”
Hutton said he has wanted to be a musician since he was a child and wants to share that passion with his own son. “I’m glad I could put that spark in him and I can’t wait to see how that develops,” said Hutton.
Hutton said the passion for music he had as a child never went away, and he enjoys pursuing music as an adult. He said by the end of the year he hopes he and Freeman will be off to a recording studio.
Hutton and Freeman’s band Kadync can be found on popular music streaming platforms. Videos of their performances can be found on their YouTube channel. Hutton and Freeman also perform live at The Station Saloon open mics every other Tuesday night from 7-10 p.m.
