We were lucky to catch up with Hillary Reynolds recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hillary, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
The first dollar I ever made as a performer was when I was a freshman in high school, performing at a local coffeeshop in rural Wisconsin. I remember setting up a microphone and a micstand with a speaker, sitting on a creaky old bench of an out of tune upright piano that faced a brick wall. I wasn’t even facing the audience, but it helped me keep control of my nerves. It was the exact same setup that I was used to at my house – singing and playing to a wall. I remember there not being many people when I started the set, but when I finally had the courage to look over my shoulder midway, I saw a room full of classmates, family – my beaming mom and dad. My heart was full, and I felt electric. At the end of the night, I walked to the register and collected an envelope full of tips from the barista. At that point, it was the most money I had ever held in my hands – I remember being so proud of myself, and immediately set up the next gig.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Hillary. I am a mother, artist, and songwriter. I’m a solo artist, preparing to release my debut album and also have several collaborative recording projects: SloCoast, Must Be Gold, Peridot, Wild Meridian, and The Arrow & The Bow. Over the years, I’ve also written for other artists such as Little Big Town, and written songs for film/tv such as Loudermilk, Yellowstone, and multiple Lifetime films. Most recently, I’ve been producing backyard house shows with comedy duo, Pure and Weary – we call the series “Parachute” and have built a community around featuring artists, comedians, poets, sometimes even burlesque! I’m socially driven to build stronger community in LA, so if you’re reading this, and you’re a performer, please get in touch!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I’ve had to unlearn that motherhood = career death. 25 years ago, things were different – but today, that is simply not true. As a new mother, I feel more in my power now than I’ve ever felt before and while it has been incredibly challenging to find a balance, and I have had so many deep lows, I have also had so much support and inspiration to embrace it as a superpower. Mothers are badasses. Mothers also know how to get. shit. done. I feel so fortunate to be living in an era where the conversation is changing and I have found that organizations like Mamas in Music are creating space to re-write expectations and are an ally of inclusion for mothers in the music industry.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I mean, I worry a lot about the future of our art and culture as a society and there are a couple reasons for this: Art has become a self-funded feedback loop. If you are an artist but are not independently wealthy, or lack access to angel investors to support lessons, tuition, touring, recording etc… you simply cannot afford to be an artist. If you want quality music in the world, someone is going to have to pay for it. I’ve had songs that I’ve co-written go viral on TikTok – like – sounds being viewed/used collectively over 1 billion times and that has amounted to basically nothing. We need to advocate and take better care of our creators – musicians making a living wage shouldn’t be a pipe dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hillaryreynolds.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reynolds.hillary
Image Credits
Vibe Studio – Melissa Alderton