Peyton Tochterman and High Society
Self-Titled

Singer-songwriter Peyton Tochterman delivers eclectic pop rock tunes through a broad Americana pastiche. On his new self-titled disc his ever-evolving supergroup High Society features a cast of Charlottesville’s best players from a wide range of genres, including trumpet ace John D’earth, mandolin upstart Andy Thacker, fiddler Anne Marie Calhoun (Jethro Tull), accordionist Matty Metcalfe and Sons of Bill guitarist Sam Wilson. It makes for a dynamic stew that manages to harmoniously converge into a front porch jubilee around Tochterman’s soulful country growl.
Lyrically, Tochterman seems to always see the rainbow at the end of a dark tunnel. His content battles between dismal realities—societal vanity (Mama’s Genes”), commercial sprawl (“Battlefield Business Park”) and personal loss (“Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still”)—and unwavering optimism, which comes through in the sunny bounce of “All the Love” and the bluegrass charge of “What a Life.” Much like the group’s instrumentation, it’s a lesson in opposing forces making a sweet combination.

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