Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A) Sure! I am a producer, songwriter, engineer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist (and some other things) based in Toronto, Canada. I grew up in a little hamlet called Greenwood about 45-minutes outside of Toronto. Being a musician is one of the first thoughts I can remember having. I was intrigued by guitars and songs and I remember this one catalyst moment when I was at a Greek cultural event at the age of three. There was a band playing and I got up on stage, grabbed a tambourine and sat there like I was supposed to be there. I wanted to be there! I feel like every decision I was making from that point on in my early youth like learning to play musical instruments, writing songs, starting bands, playing clubs, learning how to record myself, etc. were all leading towards manifesting living the creative life! I never had a “Plan B”. This was it. I also think coming up in the Toronto music scene had a major impact on my creativity and perspective. Toronto is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. It’s also a prolific music city. I was exposed to so many styles of music. They have all inspired me, which is why I can’t work in one specific genre. The excitement of musical creation to me is creating unique sounds that bend genres—sounds that are unique to each individual artist.
Q: What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Hill Kourkoutis”?
A) I am not sure how to answer that (ha!). Thanks for entertaining entering this vast rabbit hole of my creations?
Q: Congratulations on your JUNO nomination for Recording Engineer of the Year! What does this recognition mean to you at this stage in your career?
A) Thank-you! It is an immense honour to receive this nomination and it is particularly special to me because this is a category where you are nominated by your peers! We’re not in this industry for the nominations and awards but when they do come along, they are a pleasant surprise. It’s nice to know people are connecting with your work. Winning my first JUNO award was also a life changing event for me so it means a lot to receive the recognition.
Q: You made history in 2022 as the first woman to win this award. How do you think the industry has evolved for women in production and engineering since then?
A) It was only a few years ago, so there hasn’t been a drastic change but what I have noticed is that there are more conversations happening around equity, visibility and creating opportunities for women in the technical fields of the industry. These are important conversations to be having, and I have definitely noticed more women entering the profession of engineering and production, which is very exciting! I am also noticing more initiatives being established to amplify the amazing technical and creative work women producers and engineers have been doing. I am excited for the future. There is still more room for the space to evolve but we’re getting closer!
Q: Your work spans so many roles—producer, songwriter, engineer, artist, and director. How do you balance these different creative identities?
A) I don’t necessarily look at them as separate creative identities. They are all fragments of myself and they give me different perspectives and skillsets that I can apply interchangeably in any creative endeavour I find myself within. They’re all different ways of exercising creativity! Some are focused more in the grounded technical realms and others are suspended in the ethers of creativity and idea catching but ultimately, isn’t that what art is? It’s a balance of the technical and the creative to engage in storytelling. All of these skills allow me to tell stories in infinite ways! They are symbiotic to each other.
Q: You’ve worked with a wide range of artists, from Sebastian Gaskin to Aysanabee and Leela Gilday. How do you approach tailoring your production style to each artist?
A) I’ve never made an album or song the same way twice. I believe in curating each project based on the artist’s vision and what best supports the story being told. Music, and any art in general, is not cookie cutter to me. There is no blueprint. It is a unique life form. You nurture it, it grows and I think like any interaction with a living being, you must use empathy and intuition to navigate it. I like to spend time listening and observing. I want to know the artist’s visions, motivations, fears and passions. I want to know their personal, creative and business goals. I want to know what makes them feel safe in a creative environment versus what might stifle them. I get to know them as people. We build trust. I then take all of those pieces and curate the elements and processes that will best allow each artist’s voice and storytelling to be supported. Ultimately, at the end of the day, I want an artist to be able to listen back to the creation we have made and feel like it is the best possible representation of who they are as a human and artist in that moment. All of us are unique, so that must be honoured in the process.
Q: What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on, and how did you overcome the obstacles?
A) I feel like every project comes with at least one challenge. Whether it’s not getting the proper sound, or a song isn’t quite translating the way you want it to, or maybe an artist is getting in their own way, or we all get too into our heads and lose that fluidity in the process. I am a problem solver by nature and these instances in the creative process are kind of like exciting puzzle pieces that need to be solved.
Sometimes the puzzles are easy. You use a different mic or piece of gear or you just try playing a different part. But sometimes, it’s a feeling thing or something that is a little more esoteric…perhaps a song needs to simmer a little longer. Sometimes the journey takes a little bit longer to go through than the scheduled time allotted. In those instances, I must surrender to the process. I will never let something go until the artist and I feel that it’s ready…so sometimes we have to be okay with taking a step back, walking away and allow something to develop into its potential.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A) Dearly Departed: David Lynch. Alive: St. Vincent.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A) It’s a long road and nothing ever happens overnight. I don’t even think there are single moments where we feel like we’ve arrived or “made it”. So my advice would be to make sure you love it. Your love and passion will get you through the hard times and uncertain times. I would also say focus. Don’t make excuses for why you shouldn’t be doing something. If you believe in it, dive right in. Enjoy the process.
Trust the process. Work with good and honest people. Always continue to learn. Trust yourself. Make the things you want to make, not what you think the industry or an audience wants you to make. Be true to your authenticity and your voice.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A) I would probably tell myself everything I said in the last question because these are things I have lived through and learned! I would also tell myself to not take things so seriously. To have more fun and be more present in the moment.
