Thursday 17 July 2014

Hillary Reynolds Band Q&A

Your name:  
Hillary Reynolds - piano/mandolin/vocals.

Where are you from?
I'm originally from Wisconsin, but the band was born in Boston, MA.

Name of band:
Hillary Reynolds Band.

Who else is in your band?
Trevor Jarvis - cello/vocals, Jeff Hale - drums/ukelele/glockenspiel, Chris Mewhinney - upright bass/electric bass & Connor Reese acoustic guitar/pedal steel guitar/vocals/electric guitar

How would you describe yourselves?  
We're like a family with all of its kinks and quirks but at the heart of everything, unconditionally love one another and love creating music together. Chris brews absolutely delicious beer and cooks unbelievably good Indian food. Trevor lives for summer beach sunsets in southern Massachusetts. He also loves a good pair of cheap sunglasses. Connor is obsessed with The Lord of the Rings, and is absolutely AMAZING with impersonating characters with different dialects. He also knows every single Weird Al song. Jeff is a quiet soul, but an animated story teller. It's rare to see him in that form, but whenever he tells a story, I am usually laughing in hysterics for minutes after. He loves the Smoky Mountains, has a convincing southern accent, and got the entire band into listening to "trucking music". As for me, I love forests, flannel, a good glass of bourbon by a fire and watching baby elephant YouTube videos.

Who are your main influences musically?
The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Nickel Creek, Jethro Tull, The Civil Wars, James Vincent McMorrow, AC/DC, Alison Krauss, The Oh Hellos and Puggy to name a few... 

What do you hope to achieve in music?
Our collective goal is to be able to use our voice and artistry as a force for good. I personally want to be able to be a voice for positive change wherever our music is consumed. I want our band to add light to the collective consciousness of the world. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Two moments stand out to me. One highlight was opening for Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons and Norah Jones at Mile of Music last year. There were 1000 people in the crowd, listening to us share our stories, and watching us express ourselves. The energy of our performance was reflected with the audience. It was a beautiful mirror. After that performance, I became addicted to that spark and connection. The other ongoing highlight of our career is playing a concert and seeing kids run up to us saying they want to be like us when they grow up. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
After a week out on the road, we were making our way back to Boston from NYC. There were a couple accidents along the way & there was terrible traffic. It was hours of traffic. Once we were finally in the clear, we noticed the engine overheating, only 25 miles from Boston in the middle of August. We had to drive slow on the interstate, roll the windows down & blast the heat in order to offset the heat from the engine just so we could get it back to Boston & to the mechanic. Most miserable 25 miles ever.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
I would select "Honey, Come Home" because it reveals the sonic depth of our instrumentation, as well as the dynamic of our arrangements. The song shows the intimacy of our simple, yet heart capturing lyrics, and the energy of the track really aligns with who we are.

Where can we listen to it? 



Where can we find out more about your music? 
Twitter - @HillReyBand

Anything else you’d like to say that I forgot to ask?
What are the best ways to make the best of a nine-hour car ride while on tour? Well, first there's Mad Libs, and Cards Against Humanity. Both are great ways to laugh between naps and silence. And then there's listening to every music genre we can possibly think of - everything from bluegrass to 90s pop to hard rock, metal, classical, jazz, Jethro Tull, electronic music, Disney film scores, and our personal favorite: old two-step trucking country songs. 

Thank you for the lovely interview! Sending our love across the pond. 

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