Hi Crime is a Seattle-based indie band led by songwriter/producer, Mitch Etter. The band originated as a recording project between Mitch, and vocalist Brielle Rutledge. The two collaborated between 2015-2023, releasing two albums, one EP, and various non-album singles before Brielle exited the band to focus on a visual art career. Hi Crime's third album, Spirit & Candor released in October, 2024 is the first taste of a new era, where traditional band arrangements are swapped out for the stylings of an obsessive bedroom producer.

On Spirit & Candor Mitch explains, “Many of my favorite artists evolve over time, and I realized that most of Hi Crime’s music had been in a certain electric guitar-led, indie pop style. I wanted to explore new territory like my heroes do, so I gave myself assignments that forced me out of my comfort zone. To start, I chose to focus on acoustic sounds this time. More importantly, I tuned my guitar to the point where I didn't know how to play it anymore. Not an open chord tuning. Just a random selection of notes that made no sense to me. The purpose of doing this was to break patterns I had fallen into. Like many musicians, I have a habit of gravitating to certain chord changes and melodic patterns. By taking away my theory knowledge of the instrument, I bypassed my normal conventions, and every part of the creative process became an act of discovery.”

This experimentation first presents itself as the "Spirit Suite." Over tracks 1-5, Hi Crime plays with the notion of a concept album, by having songs that flow musically into each other, and tell a continuous story. For those closely following lyrics, the “Spirit Suite” story is told out of sequence, and can be lyrically abstract; ultimately detailing a modern day folktale about greed and paranoia. The rest of the album maintains a similar psychedelic folk style, while swapping character-driven lyrics for a more personal delivery with songs about loss, hope, ambition, and of course- a dog having a good day eating treats and running around.

Being a predominately solo endeavor, Spirit & Candor was recorded as it was being written. Demos were recorded to capture the energy of songs, and in every case, those demos became the foundation of the album. As a result, much of what is heard on the album is comprised of first takes and relaxed performances. It’s different than past Hi Crime releases, and stands unique in the growing sea of indie music.

Over the band's career, Hi Crime has received attention from respected NW media outlets including: KEXP, 107.7 The End, Sub Pop, KING 5, KOMO News, and the NW Film Forum.