Like many folk songsmiths before him, Hip Hatchet staggers the intersection of romanticized love and everyday trials. Hip Hatchet is the project of Philippe Bronchtein, a one man band who crafts carefully orchestrated, rustic folk songs about the inner longing for companionship and steadiness. Bronchtein’s witty lyrics and sincerity allows him to visit these classic folk tropes and emerge unscathed by the cliches

A musical jack-of-all-trades, Hip Hatchet pulls from his variety of musical experiences, including jazz piano, bluegrass, country, chamber music, and the American singer-songwriter tradition, to create a dynamic, original, and candid sound. Hip Hatchet layers on harmony in a way that builds on the carefully crafted sound to reveal the beauty in our messy, complicated lives.

Always a traveling man, once having called Montreal, Vermont, New Jersey, and Portland home, Bronchtein’s liking for the road and rural America comes through in his quest to tell the story of every person his meets. Recently returned to Portland with a newfound appreciation for home, Hip Hatchet’s songs compel the listener to think about their definition of home and place. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.