“Deadliest Catch” has been capturing the terrifying stories of crab fishermen as they deal with backbreaking labor, long stretches away from home and deadly weather since 2005. Working as a crabber means finding some much-needed outlets to relieve stress. It’s skiing for Lady Alaska engineer James Gallagher. Captain “Wild” Bill Wichrowski has an interesting passion for horse racing. Deckhand Jacob Hutchins’ favorite hobby is music.
Hutchins and his band are seen performing live in Laguna Beach in a video posted to The Jacob Hutchins Band’s YouTube channel. “Give me a topic, I’ll make a song about it right now. Just give me a word.” When a friend in the crowd asks for a crabbing song, Hutchins delivers, improvising a “sultry jazz tune about crabbing,” he laughs. Hutchins delivers an excellent performance in the resulting five-minute song, making up smart rhymes on the spot.”Product goes in the tank / We’re on a boat, soon we’ll be in town taking our checks to the bank.” A guitarist and drummer riff in the background, adding the aforementioned sultry swagger.
Fans of “Deadliest Catch” may know the deckhand’s musical interests. He may be seen noodling around on an acoustic guitar in various episodes. On the F/V Aleutian Lady in Season 19, Episode 20, he sings a song for Captain Rick Shelford. “It’s just something that helps me with my therapeutic needs,” he says.