Chelsea Cutler returns to Mass. with songs of vulnerability and love

Chelsea Cutler woke up at 5 a.m. with the hook for a new song in her head, recorded it on her phone, and went back to bed. She brought it into the studio the next day.

“I love you down to your bones/ Naked and afraid, they tell me that's when you know,” she sings. “I feel you taking me home/ Dusk until the dawn, you're where I wanna go.”

The song became “Your Bones,” a love letter to the 27-year-old singer-songwriter’s girlfriend of five and a half years, Tilly Burzynski.

“It's funny because it feels so straightforward to me,” she said. “It's just how I feel, and I didn't expect it to resonate and impact people as much as it has. So, it was a nice lesson for me in how vulnerability doesn't always have to be this really hard thing to find in yourself.”

With three albums under her belt, including her latest “Stellaria,” Cutler began a headlining tour this month in Atlanta and will stop at MGM Music Hall at Fenway on Feb. 24.

But the pop singer didn’t initially launch into a music career — she attended Amherst College for history and played on the women’s soccer team. Beginning in high school, she posted covers and originals on SoundCloud and was noticed by Jesse Coren, now her manager. When Coren presented her the opportunity to go on tour with his other client Quinn XCII in 2018 — requiring her to drop out of Amherst — she decided to take it.

Cutler released her first EP “Snow in October” in 2017 under Ultra Records, about finding love and experiencing heartbreak. She released her debut studio album “How to Be Human” in 2020 after signing with Republic Records the previous year. The album traces Cutler’s experiences dealing with loneliness, wallowing in sadness after a breakup, and attempting to understand what it means to be human.

Now with over seven million monthly listeners on Spotify, her music continues to evolve and mature as she grows and understands more about herself, said Cutler. She draws inspiration from artists and bands like Bon Iver, Coldplay, The 1975, Flume and ODESZA to develop her emotional, deeply personal, and relatable pop with electronic influences.

In an official visualizer for “Your Bones,” Cutler showcased short video clips Burzynski shot on her Super 8 camera of their vacations last summer. The video features picturesque sunsets and waves, sweet shots of the couple smiling at and embracing each other, and their simple pleasures like strolls and eating ice cream. The visual scrapbook adds to the dreamy emotional palpability of their love flowing through Cutler’s song.

Cutler recently appeared as a guest on Mal Glowenke’s “Made It Out” podcast where she discussed her love for Burzynski, how to know when you have found your person, and how to build and maintain a strong relationship.

“I think [in] any relationship just going slow, really taking your time to get to know someone, and taking your time to really enjoy and be present around them [is important],” said Cutler. “Having fun is the most important thing. If you really fundamentally like each other and are best friends, then there's not much that you can't figure out.”

"Writing music is really how I process. It's always been my outlet and feels like the most natural way for me to work through feelings."

Chelsea Cutler

With “Stellaria,” Cutler said she challenged herself to dig deeper into her emotions like writing about her feelings for Burzynski for the first time. She also tackled her mental health struggles with songs like “No One Hates Me More.”

“Writing music is really how I process. It's always been my outlet and feels like the most natural way for me to work through feelings,” said Cutler. “The fact that my music has helped people with their mental health is a really wonderful byproduct of that.”

As an openly queer woman, Cutler said she hopes fans like her find comfort and inspiration in her music.

“My sexuality hopefully provides some visibility for people,” said Cutler. “I think that [my] shows are a really safe place.”

Boston holds a special spot in Cutler’s heart. She loves Fenway Park and frequently attended Red Sox games when she lived in Massachusetts, so she said her performance at MGM Music Hall will feel like a “full circle” moment.

Her other favorite spot is Hopewell Bar & Kitchen in Allston where she first met her girlfriend.

“I love Boston. It's a really special city to me,” said Cutler. “I have a lot of Boston pride.”