Steve Hill Talks New Album, His Voice And More

Award-winning and critically acclaimed Canadian blues rock one-man band, guitarist and singer-songwriter, Steve Hill is pleased to announce the release of his new studio album “Hanging On A String” released Friday 1st November 2024. We spoke to Steve Hill about the new album, his voice and more:

When did you begin songwriting?

I started when I was around fifteen. Had my first band and it was obvious from the start that we wanted to write our own material. Just like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get.

What is your earliest musical memory?

I remember being really into My Sherona by The Knack and The Dream Police by Cheap Trick when I was five. Crazy about these two songs. I still think they’re great.

Your new album “Hanging On A String” released by No Label Records on Friday 1st November 2024. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

I wanted it raw and in-your-face, no frills. It was done live off the floor; I played all the instruments at the same time. The only overdubs are the vocals.

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

I recorded the album at Studio 606 in Los Angeles and the album’s produced by Darrell Thorp and Brian Loudenslager.

Do you have any interesting, funny, or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

I was injured in a car accident right after I landed in LA to record the album. On the third day in the studio the producers decided to postpone the recording as it was getting harder and harder for me to perform as the days went on. I got three months to heal my injuries and came back to redo the whole thing in five days last January.

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

Studio 606 has that classic Neve board that used to be at Sound City so that’s a big part of the sound. The album was also recorded to tape. We used Lauten Audio microphones on everything, another big part of the sound. I brought three guitars with me, my 1959 Gibson Junior TV model, a Stratocaster and an Epiphone 58 Korina Flying V. I ended up using the Epiphone on half the record. For the amps, I used a 60s Vox AC30, and a 1964 Fender Princeton. For drums, Istambul hi-hats and cymbals, a Tama snare and a 28 inches Masters of Maple kick drum.

One of the tracks is the new single ‘World Gone Insane’. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?

It’s about everything that’s going on in the world now and the fact that from one source to another you get a completely different story. It’s about the age of social media and AI and about a guy who’s had enough of it all and goes off the grid.

The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

I live 30 minutes away from an abandoned paper mill that looks post-apocalyptic, so it was a no brainer to do it there as it really fits the song and was easy to have access to and was free! My friend Isaac Tremblay directed it.

Was it a difficult album to write?

No. It came unexpectedly. My friend Brian Loudenslager had been telling me I should go down to LA and record an album with Darrell Thorp for years. He got tired of waiting and booked the studio, Darrell, a film crew and financed the whole thing! I had three months to produce an album’s worth of material that I could play live in the studio, as a one-man band. I did the pre-production in my studio. I’d jam for 45 minutes, listen to it, and put markers on the good stuff.

After a couple of weeks, I had a bunch of riffs, melodies, lyrics, and basic song ideas. I then got together with my friend and co-lyricist Johnny Pilgrim to make songs out of all that. Then of course, there was a lot of fine tuning that went on for months, but it was still an easy album to write compared to some of my past selections.

Which of your new album tracks hear you at you’re a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

Happiest would be Maggie. That’s a very funny song mostly penned by Johnny Pilgrim. A love song about a guitar! Angriest is definitely World Gone Insane. The most reflective would be Turned To Dust.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

1- To give the crowd a wonderful time and to forget about their worries and problems for two hours and have a lasting effect on their mood.

2- To have the feeling that I gave everything and performed to the best of my abilities.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I’ve used many different guitars over the years and have an extensive collection so that changes often. Right now, my favourite is a 58 Flying V copy made by a French luthier. It sounds and feels fantastic. For the past year I’ve used pretty much the same pedal setup, a Madsen GE-Boost, which is a Range Master-type Treble Booster, a Ricolabs They Call It Fuzz (based on a Tone Bender) and a Klon Centaur and then either a Warm Audio Warm Drive or a Fish Circuits Model One. All at the same time, basically!

My feet are busy playing the kick and snare drums, so I use the volume control on my guitar to get different sounds instead of switching or adding pedals.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

Home

How do you look after your voice?

I quit smoking which really helps.

I try not to talk too much during the day when I’m on tour.

I never party if I have a show the next day.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I was deeply moved by that book and its hero, Howard Roark. I relate to that story a lot. Not sure if the soundtrack would be good but it could really be a great movie.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

There are so many. Hendrix, Clapton, Johnny Winter, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Johnson, Jerry Garcia, Eddie Van Halen, Roy Buchanan, Albert Collins, Albert King, I could go on and on. There are so many greats to learn from. Start with the legends and then check out their influences.

Who created/designed the album artwork?

Rob Cannon drew the front cover. He’s a fantastic artist that I got to know through my love of comic books. He did my last two album covers as well, Desert Trip and Dear Illusion along with a Dear Illusion comic book available on my website.

 Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2024/2025?

Sadly, nothing for the moment. I have a lot of dates in Canada, so I’ll be busy until the end of 2025. I’d love to go back to the UK and Europe, but I need to find an agent or a promoter first as I’m without one outside of Canada for the moment.

What makes Steve Hill happy and what makes you unhappy?

Making people happy playing music makes me happy. Having to do all the things that I have to do as an independent artist (being my own manager and record company) to do what I love, makes me unhappy!