What was the beginning pint for your music career? How did it all start?
I’ve always been surrounded by music – I grew up in a musical family and it was always part of family
gatherings and events. For me music and songwriting was also a way to deal with whatever was going
on at the time, a kind of therapy I guess, If I didn’t have music, I’m not sure where I’d be. Or If I’d be. I
was featured on a compilation album of local Galway indie acts – Origin: See the Light – some time ago
and I got a lot of positive feedback and reviews about my tracks which encouraged me to take a music
career more seriously. And the rest of history.
Was there any bumps on the road? What kind of challenges did you have to deal with?
The biggest challenge is making a living as an indie artist writing and performing original music – so I’ve had other jobs to get by and work also in education but I’m now over the last year making, recording and releasing music and shortly returning to gigging after a period away.
What was the most fulfilling and satisfying moment so far?
Probably releasing my first single – The Climb – last January 2022 and the response to it which was extraordinary and really encouraging.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Melodic folk-rock with strong influences of blues and soul.
What is your creative process like?
My songs begin as melodies that I usually come up with on guitar – though I’ve begun to write recently on piano also. I could carry those melodies with me for days, weeks, or sometimes months before words eventually emerge to complement the melody – sometimes this can happen quite quickly; other times, it can take some time. I usually play through the melody repeatedly, and usually, words eventually take shape. I sometimes draw on poetry or literature for inspiration, as in ‘The Climb,’ which was influenced by the poetry of William Blake and includes some lines from a later unfinished work, The Everlasting Gospel. Other times I find inspiration from
events in my life or in the lives of people close to me, or from world events – in reality, inspiration can come from anywhere and sometimes the strangest places – I have one (older) song that came from sitting up through the night one time watching “The Shopping Channel” – there is more than enough material around us to draw on
for inspiration for songs.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Give artists a proper return from streaming – somebody is making a lot of money from all the streaming
platforms, but it certainly isn’t indie artists!
If you were asked to give a piece of advice to upcoming bands, what would that be?
I’m not sure I’m qualified yet as a very new and emerging artist to advise anyone else what they should or shouldn’t do in terms of music. I suppose the piece of advice I have received and that perhaps works across most areas of creativity and particularly music is to write from what you know, that is, in approaching songwriting, draw on where possible experiences and/or emotions that are real and authentic. It will be evident in the songs themselves, and audiences are more likely to connect with a song, particularly performances (whether live or recorded) that have this integrity. That’s what I try to do in my songwriting and performances.
What has been the best performance of your career so far?
I played a gig in Róisin Dubh in Galway some years back that was extraordinary – it’s a great venue and I was collaborating with some superb musicians that night, including a string quartet, and the sound was special with a fantastic rapport with the audience.
If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing now?
I also work in film education – so probably that.
What is new with the band at the moment? What are you currently working on and would like to share with the world?
So I just released my sixth single – Dancer – on Feb 10 and I’m working on my debut album which is nearly ready and I hope to release that later in the Spring. And tour in Ireland and hopefully internationally. You can find all my links and updates on what I am at here: https://linktr.ee/SanoHill
