Hillary Capps

"Hauntingly Melodic"

Hillary Capps’ “Last Call” is a hauntingly melodic journey into the mind of a young artist, learning how to establish autonomy in an industry full of influencing voices. Capps’ vocals float above the a well-produced collection of echoing guitar riffs accented by subtle percussion pieces that grow as the track progresses. The sound of Capps’ voice becomes more hollowed and layered, echoing in a minor key.

Though just recently breaking into the pop scene in the last few years, Capps has been performing since her teenage years, first as a jazz vocalist and later moving into rock and alt pop. With a voice so versatile, it’s no wonder that Capps can easily soar through the track with ease. - Impose Magazine

Hillary Capps brings her mellow soul pop to Mercury Lounge 06.22

Brooklyn indie pop artist Hillary Capps will be playing Mercury Lounge on June 22nd in support of Lola Marsh. Capps effectively blends indie-pop sensibilities and textures - ambient synthesizers and drum machines abound - with hints of R&B and jazz that shine through celestial sounding vocal melodies. Listen to latest single "Last Call" below! - Ethan Ames - The Deli Magazine

There is something so literally magical about watching Zoë Blake dance to Hillary Capps' newest track "Magic," all glowy and lit up in a dark space. "There is magic in the dark," Capps sings over a bed of electric keyboards, her voice delicate enough to calm a hurricane.

There's a soothing sense of faith in the song as well, which Capps expands on for us, "'Magic' is a song about having faith without a rulebook. It's about finding peace in not knowing the answers. With the video I wanted to play with themes of ephemerality, of loneliness and isolation, darkness and light, quiet and noise. Beyond music, dance is the art form I've always been most drawn to. Dance often harbors a very spiritual quality, and through the movement of a solo dancer (the amazing Zoë Blake) we are able to bring to light all of these concepts. 'There is magic in the dark.'"

The video was shot by Gabriel Stanley and edited by Anthony Farina and you can purchase the track via Hillary Capps' BandCamp now. - Baeble Music

Nominated for best Emerging Artist in NYC, September 2017 - The Deli Magazine

HILLARY CAPPS INTRODUCES HAUNTING COVER OF RADIOHEAD’S ‘MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK’

May 14, 2016ARTISTdirectPop


Hillary Capps is a singer-songwriter with an arresting voice, and a sense of lyrical scope that injects her indie-pop songs with surprising weight.

Since her debut EP Maybe in the Morning, the artist has progressed to quietly become one of the most interesting vocalists in genre, and was named as one of TheDeli Magazine‘s top NYC indie-pop artists.

Her current album, The Wishing Forest, further states Hillary Capps intentions of refining craft and exploring avenues that challenge her own comfort zones. This set of songs issues as many emotionally charged surprises as it offers sing-along memories.

A clear indicator of Hillary Capps’ sensibility is her cover of Radiohead’s classic track “Motion Picture Soundtrack.” A sublime performance with a fresh approach, introduced here for ARTISTdirect Interviews by the artist herself.

Hillary Capps:
“Our release of ‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’ was a collaborative effort between myself and my partner Anthony Farina. We perform a monthly residency at our favorite neighborhood bar in Williamsburg Brooklyn called Ba’sik. We were coming up with some new cover song ideas for the show, scrolling through our music libraries for inspiration, and lingered for a while on the album Kid A by Radiohead. ‘MPS’ has such a unique and minimalistic feel to it that we felt it would be interesting to rearrange the tune with guitar and vocals. The instrumentation of the original recording is made up mainly of a pedal organ and harps, and has a free-time feel to it. We chose to establish more of a set rhythm in our version, and work in some added textures and synthesized sounds.

I hadn’t listened to the track that intently in the past, but as we continued to listen through I fell in love with the song. Both the music and lyrics are so raw and vulnerable, vivid and melancholy. It’s the kind of song that can be interpreted in many ways, and mean something unique to every listener. For me, the song is sensual, somber, angry, and hopeful, all at once. It’s these strong conflicting emotions trying to be communicated, but the person conveying them is all the while frustratingly unsure (“I think you’re crazy, maybe”). We’ve been playing the song live for about a year now and it’s always a favorite moment in the set for me. There’s something so visceral about performing it live; you can feel the energy in the room shift.

With the new Radiohead album around the corner we thought it would be a fitting time to record and release the single (not knowing their new single would come out within a week of our release!). We recorded the song in our home studio in Brooklyn using an Apogee Duet interface and Logic software. Anthony engineered/arranged the track, recorded the guitars, programmed the drums, and sang the background harmonies. I rearranged the lead melody a bit and we came up with the additional vocal parts and harmonies collaboratively. Anthony also mixed the track and we mastered it using a new service called LANDR, a pretty cool option for independent artist budgets.

I think because we both love the song so much, the whole creative process was very smooth for this single. It was rewarding and fulfilling to get it recorded and released to our fans.”

Purchase Hillary Capps music on iTunes.
Click for more from this Artist - ArtistDirect

Ticket Giveaway for Knitting factory show - DoNYC / Pancakes and Whiskey

Brooklyn singer/songwriter Hillary Capps shares with us at Popdose her latest video effort for the track “Love Love Love” and we, in turn, want to share it with you!

The interesting thing about the video “Love Love Love” is it was done as a collaborative effort. Fans, friends and family were asked to submit video clips of what love looks like to them via email and social media. Hillary received videos of couples, families, pets, nature, yoga, performances, cityscapes, beaches and more. This resulting video is a pretty inspired collage of all these elements and also features Hillary’s live band.

Make sure you seek out the music of Hillary Capps and enjoy the premiere of “Love Love Love”!: - POPDOSE

ARTISTdirect has teamed up with Hillary Capps to premiere her video for "Pop Star" from The Wishing Forest, out January 21 of next year.

We like to get on board early, you know?


 
Remember, you read about and heard about Hillary Capps here FIRST!

"'Pop Star' is about my simultaneous fear and desire to be a pop star," Capps told ARTISTdirect about the song. "We all know the saying, 'Be careful what you wish for.' The song was written from an imaginative future perspective of a girl who has been granted her wish; her dreams have become a reality, but while having gained all the things she desired, she has also made compromises and lost people along the way that were important to her. "

That's always a tough trade off, but it's one many engage in.

She shared some details about the video and furthered, "The video establishes a sense of desperation from two perspectives: a singer in a piano bar playing to an empty room, and then the same singer (now the pop star) fulfilled and overwhelmed all at once, playing to a room full of fans. The video also includes the girl dancing solo in pole dance studio. Pole and aerial dance, particularly in this context, exudes a sense of desperation, self expression and especially loneliness in a very different way than the music does. We wanted to create the sensations of movement, dizziness, and time unraveling and overlapping. The pole dance was a fun, effective and creative way to achieve this alongside the other scenes. Everyone desires to be loved and most people I know are passionate or even desperate for something, so my hope is that people will enjoy the video and relate to the song, no matter what that thing they're dreaming for may be."

With that in mind, enjoy Hillary Capps' video for "Pop Star."
Read more at http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/exclusive-video-premiere-hillary-capps-pop-star/10856852#xOwYqHilFWxr31Kr.99 - Artist Direct

The element of collaboration in music is very important to me. It can bring about the most wonderful, unexpected ideas, as well as some unforeseen challenges. I’d like to talk about my experiences with collaboration in songwriting, why I think the practice is so important and how to best approach a collaborative music project.

Songwriting is a very personal and introspective practice. It is of course a valuable practice to lock yourself in your room by yourself for hours on end and challenge yourself to finish that song. This should always be a component of what you do as a singer/songwriter. However where collaboration becomes so exciting and rewarding for me is during those times when you don’t quite know where to go with the song. If you’re working with the right person, someone you trust and someone who understands what you’re going for, they can help to fill in the blanks or help progress the song in a direction you couldn’t quite put your finger on before.

I write countless songs that are never heard by anyone. Once in a while I’ll go through my old journals or voice memos and rediscover something that’s got potential, but maybe I hit a roadblock with before. Working with someone in this scenario is a great practice. Someone else could come in and help breathe new life into a song that’s been shelved for some time. This happened with my song “Storybook”. I wrote the chords and progressions to that song maybe five years ago (with entirely different lyrics) on a piano in a practice space at the New School. I never really did anything with it. I met Anthony Farina during my junior year at school and joined his rock band which we collectively renamed Cheers To Fall. In the initial songwriting stage I brought that one to the table and the band dug it. Anthony worked on it and added some guitar, but it eventually got shelved again. Then about a year later, I started working on it once again from a new space of inspiration. The new lyrics and melodic framework of the piano poured out in one sitting. I shared it with Anthony and before we recorded it for the new album (The Wishing Forest) he helped adjust the melody of the chorus, added a guitar solo after the bridge and wrote the string parts, helping to make it the epic ballad I’d imagined it to be.

Another reason I think collaboration in songwriting is important is that it usually creates diversity and range between songs. It is important to maintain a sense of consistency in your sound as a performer, but quite often I’ll go to see an artist and all of their songs sound basically the same. I personally find it an important step in the process to work with someone, whether it’s a co-songwriter or a producer, so that the project has range from track to track. For example, the last track on my new album “The Way”, which I wrote in its entirety, is quite different from the track “Love Love Love” that Anthony wrote, but the songs still maintain a similar vibe overall and are able to coexist on the same album.

The last reason I feel collaboration is so valuable has to do with the audience. If you work on a song with another musician, it’s probably going to get heard twice as much! Yes, this may seem obvious, but it’s just a simple reminder to involve other musicians in your project. We see the formula all the time, because it works! E.g. Santana & Michelle Branch, St. Vincent & David Byrne, Rihanna & Eminem, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong… This can also happen on a performance level as opposed to in songwriting or recording. For instance having a musician in your community join you for harmonies on a song during your set or vice verse. Expose each other to new potential fans!

For me, there are three basic ways to approach a songwriting collaboration.

Your song plus his/her ideas
His/her song plus your ideas
Sitting down together and starting completely from scratch
Some things to keep in mind, no matter which way you’re approaching:

Go in with a strong sense of the key elements of your song you know you don’t want to change, and the parts that you are ok with totally reworking or getting rid of.

Remain open to new ideas that may seem very odd at first, because you may end up loving it, but also trust your gut on the stuff that’s really not working for you.

Try working with different instruments as a starting point. This can totally change the feeling of the song, and the things you’ll come up with. Even though they aren’t so different, I always write very different chord progressions on the ukulele than when I’m playing guitar.

Record everything as you go so a cool idea doesn’t escape. Just leave that voice memo running (this goes for solo songwriting too).

Try to power through writers block, but only until a non-damaging point. Walk away and come back with fresh ideas and perspective another day if possible. I like recording a voice note of Anthony’s guitar idea, and then thinking of a melody and lyrics on my own time.

Work with people who understand what you’re going for and work with your range. Don’t force it if it’s not exciting and rewarding.

When you’ve got the basic form of the song finished, write down who wrote what. You may think you’ll remember in a year, but the lines get blurred very easily and you or your collaborator may not agree. It may seem silly, but have all of this documented to avoid later conflicts.

Keep experimenting by working in new formats or with new people, and remember it’s not all about the final product, enjoy the process too! - American Songwriter

This album takes the audience on an exploration of love, showing us the peak-heights where we reach the highest of clouds and all the way down into the valleys hidden from preying eyes where we face unrequited and unfulfilled feelings. The album is titled The Wishing Forest and it the new release by artist Hillary Capps, whom GLAM had the pleasure of interviewing previously here. Capps is an up and coming pop artist who combines jazz-elements, piano, guitars, drums, and an impressive vocal range to deliver upbeat songs with lyrics tending to your heart’s needs. The album consists of nine tracks and was released in January of this year.

There were several tracks that stood out to me while I was listening over some wine. The first track, “Chapter One (Intro),” has an uplifting beat featuring the ukulele with lyrics discussing the feelings behind walking away from a loved one, or breaking up. What I love about this song is her vocal range and progression with the lyrics against the strumming of the ukulele. This song assuaged my hurt feelings of walking away from an ex exactly a year ago with its lyrics, “it was the hardest day of my life when I walked away from you.” Coincidentally, the second song of the album following this intro is called “Walk Away” and explores similar themes of breaking up with a loved one, with optimistic perceptions of finding “a better man” and promoting awareness within the listener that you really don’t need that toxic lover in your life.

My eyebrows arched curiously when I heard the fourth track, “Lady Luck,” because –at least in my mind—there are plethora of double-entendres that interpret. Lyrics of the bridge: “Kiss me, Lady Luck. Kiss me, kiss me. Won’t you fill me up. Fill me up. Whoah-oh-oh.” Naturally, this is my favorite song of the album. This song is really groovy with a rhythm of clapping and the ukulele in the background complimented by the drop of the bass strum as Hillary sings eloquently, allowing a note to linger appropriately. There is nice harmonization throughout this song, especially during the chorus.

The sixth track, “Storybook”, stuck out to me because of its style. It begins with a unique lick progressing up and down on the piano before Hillary comes in singing about dreaming and attaining a perfect moment with a loved one, ala the chorus lyrics, “write my name up in the sky and watch the stars light up. Write my name up in the sky, hold on tight don’t close your eyes.” There’s a great guitar lick towards the end of the song and it just gives a rock feel to the song. The song ends with the words “follow me down the wishing forest”, a nod to the title of the album.
Hillary Capp’s “The Wishing Forest” can be previewed in its entirety free on her official website here (http://www.hillarycapps.com/). There you can find out all about this undeniably talented vocalist. You can find Hillary Capps on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/hillarycappsmusic ) and follow her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/hillcapps). - Glam Magazine

Hillary Capps, a native Vermont singer and songwriter now based in New York City, releases her new single “Lady Luck”. The song is the latest focus track off of her newest album The Wishing Forest. Capps is offering “Lady Luck” as a free download to her fans on Band Camp.

With strong female influences such as Sara Bareilles and Adele, Capps’ pop-oriented music encompasses subtle jazz phrasings and catchy melodies that display mature songwriting and tight musicianship in this promising young artist. Capps’ new album was produced by guitarist and songwriter Anthony Farina (City Escape Me Productions), recorded at Vinegar Hill Sound in Brooklyn, NY by Reed Black (Saves the Day), and mixed at Electric Lady Studios, NY by the accomplished Michael Brauer whose credits include the likes of The Rolling Stones and Coldplay.

“Lady Luck”
https://soundcloud.com/hillcapps/lady-luck

http://www.hillarycapps.com - Skope

Brooklyn singer/songwriter Hillary Capps shares with us at Popdose her latest video effort for the track “Love Love Love” and we, in turn, want to share it with you!

The interesting thing about the video “Love Love Love” is it was done as a collaborative effort. Fans, friends and family were asked to submit video clips of what love looks like to them via email and social media. Hillary received videos of couples, families, pets, nature, yoga, performances, cityscapes, beaches and more. This resulting video is a pretty inspired collage of all these elements and also features Hillary’s live band.

Make sure you seek out the music of Hillary Capps and enjoy the premiere of “Love Love Love”!: - POPDOSE

“Witness “Love Love Love”, “Lady Luck” and “New Melody” where she plays like the young vivacious New York City transplant she is... [Capps] Is plenty poised and way beyond capable... May the strummy, no-frills uke closer “The Way” be a harbinger of things to come..." - M Music & Musicians

http://www.mychamplainvalley.com/story/burlington-area-native-returns-for-first-night-per/d/story/8aSQXkk7wEK2dgK4EB_0yA - Fox 44/ABC 22

http://ventsmagazine.com/wishingforesthillarycapps/ - Vents Magazine

http://stabcast.com/posts/5236 - StabCast

Happy New Year, boys and girls! I spent New Year’s Eve traipsing around downtown shooting video for the Free Press of various acts performing during First Night Burlington. In case you missed the video, here’s a link.


I didn’t get close enough at Contois Auditorium to get a decent photo of Afinque, so I borrowed this one from the band’s Facebook page.

I got done editing the video around 8 p.m. Tuesday, giving me time to catch a couple of acts just for the fun of it. And it was fun. I started with Afinque at Contois Auditorium in Burlington City Hall. I was familiar with many of the musicians in the ensemble, as people such as Miriam Bernardo (vocals), Andric Severance (piano) and Jake Whitesell (sax) are regulars on the Vermont music scene, but I had never seen Afinque in concert. First Night shows are often entertaining and enjoyable but, maybe because of their brevity at 40 minutes, rarely exciting. Afinque was exciting. They played fiery, intense salsa, with Bernardo’s sultry lyrics floating over a funky percussive Latin beat. It’s one of the best First Night gigs I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been going to First Night performances in various cities throughout the Northeast for 20 years now.


I did sneak up close to the stage at the end of Hillary Capps’ show at 242 Main to snap this shot with my iPhone.

I was similarly excited for the final gig I caught, Hillary Capps performing at 242 Main. If you read the article I wrote about her last week, she’s an Underhill native now trying to make it as a professional musician based in New York City. Based on what I’ve heard of her online, and furthered by what I heard at 242 Main, she has the potential to get noticed in a big way. She writes pop songs like one of the influences she cites, Sara Bareillis, or even a less-glitzy Katy Perry. She has a great, relaxed, fun stage presence, and a sharp band that Tuesday night included guest keyboard player and Burlington native Tom Cleary. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye and both ears on Hillary’s career. - Burlington Free Press Blog

Rising star Hillary Capps has her feet planted firmly on the ground. This singer-songwriter tuned us in to her musical background and her new album “The Wishing Forest,’” which debuts this month. She also tells us about the future of her soulful sound, as well as her current – and intriguing – workout routine.
What have you been up to recently?

Well, I’ve actually been busy shooting my music video for what will be the second single off of my upcoming album. The track’s going to be called “Popstar,” and it’ll be the first music video for one of the songs off my new album, which is exciting. About a week and a half ago I shot the first half of it at a lovely place called Manhattan Inn, it’s a restaurant in Greepoint, Brooklyn, kind of a piano bar vibe. I shot the second half of it – I actually take pole dancing classes, so that’s my other fun passion besides music, so I decided to factor that into the video because it kind of made sense thematically. I worked on that at the studio I go to, which is fun. I also work at an entertainment company, we do live event productions. So that’s what’s been going on.

How did you get into pole dancing? I’ve always been interested in trying it out, just because it looks like a lot of work and, I mean, it really is a form of dancing.

It is very dancey, especially at the place I go to. And there are a bunch of different forms of it. Basically, I tried out a few different places in the city and I found one that I really liked. It’s called Body & Pole in Chelsea, Manhattan, and they’re like hour and a half classes. You get such a head-to-toe workout that’s much more fun than the gym, and I don’t even feel like I’m working out. I just feel like I’m having fun, even though it is actually really challenging. I’m usually sore the next day!

Has there been anything else that’s influenced your life as much as music does?

Yeah, I’ve done lots of different art forms; different types of dance since I was about three. My mom’s a visual artist and a toy designer, so I used to draw and paint a lot. That was a part of my life until high school I still do it sometimes, but there’s really only so much time in the day and I don’t get around to it as much as I would like to. It’s pretty much just music, whether it’s playing ukelele or going to concerts or other performances, that’s the biggest part.

You sang for your dad’s jazz band as a teen, and I was curious to see if you’ve sung with other groups. Do you plan on being a part of a group or staying solo?

I do have my own group now, I don’t just play solo usually. I have a five piece band, with me on the ukelele, and then a bass, a guitar, and a piano player, a drummer. I used to play for my dad’s group, and sometimes still do for weddings and events in Vermont and other New England areas, but in the city I’ll sometimes play acoustic shows solo. Mostly it’s with the five of us, though. I’ve been with that group for about a year now. We’re kind of on a good roll, so I think I’ll stick with them for a while.

Have you guys had any problems or spats as a group?

I think I’ve actually been really lucky so far. The only thing is that I’m on the third bass player now just for circumstantial reasons, like my last bass player moved to California for a career opportunity. I’ve found a new guy though, and he’s kind of the newbie to the group, but it’s working out great so far.

In terms of members, it’s interesting as a singer/songwriter and my music is under my name, so in a way people are playing for me. At the same time, we’re all creative together, so sometimes people, in that situation, have to go off to different creative projects.

Are there any collaborations you’d like to do, or anyone in particular you’d like to produce something with?

I’ve always wanted to collaborate with Sara Bareilles or Ingrid Michaelson just because they’ve done some cool stuff together in the past. I think I have a similar vibe, so I’d love to either open for them or write a song together. Who knows?

What attracts you to jazz? What makes it the best form of music to channel your songs through?

I grew up with jazz around me, so in a way it’s just always automatically there, whether it’s in lyric content, the stylistic phrasing, or the way that I change my melodies and I don’t even realize it. It’s just there from growing up with those songs and those artists. That’s a big part of it, that’s always going to underly whatever I’m writing.

I think it’s half of that, and then some of it is intentional, because it’s such a soulful and honest type of music, so I like to factor that in as much as I can.

Is there any other genre you’d like to branch out into?

Totally. At the moment, I actually don’t know that much about country but I’d like to learn more about it for sure. One genre that I have been thinking about is more of the alternative kind of songwriting, like the indie music of Bon Iver that I’m not so far from. It’s a little more experimental in a way. My music is very organic with real drums and tambourines and ukeleles and acoustic guitars, whereas in experimental it’s more of synthesized beats.

Your song “New Melody” was one that hit home for me. I was wondering if your music comes from mostly personal experiences, or if it’s written more from a storytelling standpoint, based off of others’ experiences?

It was both. I’ve certainly been through some breakups in the past, and we can all relate to it, and that was the goal of the song: To say something from a personal perspective, but make it still relatable to others as well. I didn’t want to be specific to the point where it wouldn’t be as relatable with that many people. Some of it is really specific and honest, and some of it’s on a broader storytelling scale.

Right. And art tends to be very cathartic, so when you have to sing a very emotional song live again, do you think it helps you in getting over it or is it hard to get through because you’re reliving it a little each time?

I think it’s helpful, actually. I can understand that it could be hard for some people, but I guess it sort of depends where you are, as an artist, with that song. If I had, for instance, just written that song after going through a breakup, it might be difficult to perform it on stage. I think the emotions coming through makes the performance better, unless I started crying halfway through it [laughs]. Usually, as long as I have a little bit of perspective, in general it helps with the performance. I’m able to bring up the emotions and invest in the onstage time more.

Your new album is coming out January 21st. Why is it called “The Wishing Forest?”

It’s called “The Wishing Forest,” because when I grew up in Vermont, we had this big backyard, which was more like a forest of acres and acres of land. Close to our house was this little cluster of trees that my little sister and I used to go down into and play around, standing on stumps and climbing trees. My dad called it the Wishing Forest, so we would go and pick a spot and make a wish for our future, for tomorrow, or for whenever, and then we’d go on with our day. I found that a lot of the album had to do with wishing in one way or another. There’s this one song in there called “Storybook,” and the Wishing Forest comes up a lot in this song. So “Storybook” kind of ends up being the title track in this album, without actually being the title track.

Do you have any plans for the future?

Well, once the album comes out, I want to start playing out of town more. I have a couple shows in Vermont leading up to the album in November and through New Year’s Eve. Then I think I’m going to go to upstate New York and do a mini-tour around there. I’ll go to South By Southwest in March, and then from there, probably over the summer, I’ll take a couple weeks and do a couple more dates somewhere else in the country, probably California. I’m trying to branch out more, and not necessarily do a full, on the road, bus tour, but more of just a couple mini-tours. There’ll be a couple fun dates to showcase maybe in Atlanta, maybe in LA.

Beyond that, I’ve never played out of the country before so I’d like to find something, maybe a cute little cafe in Europe or something.

Do you have anything that you would like to say to readers and fans?

I would just say keep your eye out, there’ll be lots more coming up in this next coming year. For those people who’ve heard “New Melody” and relate to it, hold strong. We all feel the same way, trying to find a new melody one way or another, after a breakup or in finding a new job. - Campus Talk Magazine

http://m.queensledger.com/queensledger/db_42369/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=q3RahzdF - Queens Ledger / BQEntertainment

http://hypem.com/track/1z2g8/HillaryCappsPR++
New+Melody - Hype Machine

Hillary Capps is an amazing musician from Vermont, now based in New York City. When I was waiting tables and paying my way through college at the University of Vermont, I was lucky enough to work with Hillary at the Kitchen Table Bistro in Winooski, Vermont. She has a beautiful voice and great song-writing style, so check out more of her stuff at the website listed above and on iTunes. - Nick Bewely Blog

http://brooklynrocks.blogspot.com/2013/10/winewomenandsongfestivalnjscava. html

Effective Immediately PR and Cava Winery and Vineyard are pleased to announce the first Wine Women And Song, a festival celebrating women, which will take place outdoors on the ground of the Cava Winery in Hamburg, NJ on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 12-6pm. The event will feature wine tasting from several New Jersey wineries, crafters, food created by Cava’s own award winning chef as well as showcase five select female-fronted musical acts from the NYC/NJ area. General admission is $10-20 in advance ($25 day of) and all ages are welcome.

The musical lineup consists of:
Jenna Torres
Hillary Capps
Shelly Bhushan
Samia
The Big Takeover

The gates open at 12pm and the music kicks off at 12:30pm and continues through 6pm. All five music acts are based in the greater New York City area and include genres country music, pop, rock, soul and reggae. Advance Tickets (available until Friday, Oct. 25th):
$20 for adults
$10 for children ages 6-18
Free for kids ages 5 and under.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the gate for $25 the day of the event.

About Cava Winery and Vineyard
Based in the beautiful rolling hills of Hamburg in northwest New Jersey, the Cava Winery and Vineyard was established by the Riccio Family in 2007. Anthony Riccio, the CEO, spent a good part of his youth growing up in Morris County, NJ. After traveling the Tuscan countryside and watching hands take grapes from vine to wine, he decided to bring his heritage and passion for winemaking to the region where his love for working the land began. His goal is to fuse the old world with the place he again calls home.

Cava Winery and Vineyards
3619 New Jersey 94
Hamburg, NJ 07419

Links:
Cava Winery - Brooklyn Rocks

http://advertisernewssouth.com/article/20131029/NEWS01/131029930/Cava-Winery-hosts-festival - The Advertiser News

Pop singer and songwriter Hillary Capps releases her music video for her second single, titled “Pop Star” off her first full-length album The Wishing Forest.
hcapps1The imaginative video recently premiered on ARTISTdirect and features a singer in a piano bar playing to an empty room, and then the same singer (now the pop star) fulfilled and overwhelmed all at once, playing to a room full of fans.
Of “Pop Star”, Hillary Capps says “the song was written from an imaginative future perspective of a girl who has been granted her wish; her dreams have become a reality, but while having gained all the things she desired, she has also made compromises and lost people along the way that were important to her.”
The video was directed and edited by Anthony Farina (City Escape Me Productions) and filmed by Leo da Silva/Dapper Training and Anthony Farina. The video features set and lighting design by City Escape Me Productions and Dapper Training and makeup and hair design by Meg Murphy.
The “Pop Star” single is available for download on iTunes and Bandcamp. Capps’ album The Wishing Forest will be available January 21, 2014. - Buddy Hollywood

By the age of 21, New York City-based singer-songwriter Hillary Capps had released two full-length jazz albums: A Perfect Dozen (2008) and Playlist (2010). She then released her first work of original songs, the EP Maybe in the Morning (2012). Hillary’s upcoming full length album The Wishing Forest is set to debut in early 2014.

Hillary has quite an impressive resume for someone so young, already placing herself as a seasoned musician, whereas many her age are just starting to find their footing. Hillary Capps began performing professionally when she was still in high school, and as a result, her music has grown with her, and it offers a fresh take on a classic style.

Hillary just released her new single “New Melody” off her upcoming album, which you can listen to right here.

The catchy “New Melody” adds levity to heartbreak, a topic which typically lends itself to darker songs. Hillary Capps’ voice has a gentle strength, and her new tune blends jazz vocals with pop instrumentals, to create a spirited anthem for the broken-hearted, conveying that they are perhaps the ones better off in the end.

GLAM recently spoke with Hillary about her new single, upcoming album, and wishes for the future.

You started singing at age three and then you sang with your dad in a jazz band?

I was 16 and I performed at my first gig, a wedding, I think it was, which was a long three hour set of a ton of jazz standards that I’d been learning for a long time.

Is the rest of your family musical?

Just me and my dad, really. Everyone in my family is artistic in some way, but music is really just me and my dad.

Obviously, your dad was an influence; who were some of your other musical influences?

I have a lot. It’s kind of a broad spectrum. But some of the ones early on are Ella Fitzgerald when I was learning the jazz standards, Norah Jones, Paul McCartney and The Beatles in general. More recently, Adele, Ingrid Michelson, Sara Bareilles is a big one. And then I have some influences, who are not so similar to my music, but I think I draw subtle things from, like Katy Perry and Feist.

Can you tell us about your new single?

My new single is called “New Melody.” It was co-writtten by Anthony Farina, who is the guitar player in my band and produced the album, and it is, in its simplest terms, a break up song (laughs). It was fun to release a fun break up song of the summer. It’s a pop song, but it’s influenced by jazz in terms of a lot of the melodies and the piano in it. I tried to integrate new pop sounds with sort of an organic jazz feel underneath it.

And you have an album coming out early next year?

That’s right. It’s going to come out probably the end of January and it’s going to be called the Wishing Forest.

Where did you come up with the name for that?

The name is actually also influenced by my dad. When I was little, I grew up in Vermont, and my Dad lived in this place called Pocoho Road and he had an enormous property that was basically a forest, and there was this cluster of trees that he, and I don’t know how he came up with it, but he called it the wishing forest. He would take me and my sister down there with him we would pick a spot, and pick a tree, and make a wish for our future, or tomorrow, or whatever, and then we would just go on with the rest of our day. It was just this fun, sort of magical, little wishing forest and I found that a lot of the songs on the album were tied to wishing in some way, whether it was wishing for something to be different in the past, wishing for something to happen in the future, and so on. And the song Storybook, which is one of the tracks on the new album, references the wishing forest, so in a way, Storybook is the title track, it’s just not called the wishing forest.

I love that. That’s a great story.

Thanks, yeah. I think so (laughs)!

You mentioned Adele and you’re kind of already on the same track [as her]. You know, you’re young and you’ve already put out two albums and an EP, and you’re about to put out another album; speaking of wishing, where do you hope to see yourself, or what do you wish or hope for yourself in terms of your career? Let’s say maybe five years in the future, where would you like to see yourself?

With each album, I’ve kept progressing in a, I think, natural growth kind of way, and this one is the first full length that is all originals, and reflects kind of where I’m headed, maybe more so than Maybe In The Morning did. So what I hope to do is to continue on that path and keep putting out albums that kind of reflect my natural growth as a musician. What I would like to do it have more and more people hear it as I go on, and I think this coming year I’m going to start doing some mini-tours, with some dates on the East Coast and some dates in California, and maybe in Austin... So I’m just going to gradually grow it and hopefully get on an independent label within the next year, that’s one of my goals. And get some songs in film and TV, that’s a great way to get exposure to share the music and just kind of go on this, hopefully, natural growth path so that, to the point so that I can just be touring and making money just by doing music only, doing what I love to do.

Doing what you love is something we can all aspire to! We look forward to seeing Hillary’s wishes come true.

You can also find more of Hillary on her website, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. - Glam Magazine

http://www.unnomdeguerre.com/music/musicvideodayhillarycappspopstar - Un Nom DeGuerre

Dozens of this year’s performers at First Night Burlington are veterans of the New Year’s Eve celebration that’s marking its 31st year. Popular regulars ranging from Circus Smirkus to the Vermont Youth Orchestra, the drummers of Burlington Taiko, singer-songwriter Jon Gailmor and the drag troupe The House of LeMay are all back for this year’s performance schedule, which begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday and ends with fireworks at Waterfront Park at midnight.

Several performers, however, are first-timers to First Night, and might not be familiar to the casual viewer of Vermont’s arts-and-entertainment scene. These short profiles provide a little insight into a trio of musical First Night newbies — a hip-hop threesome with roots in Africa, a young pop singer with big aspirations and an up-and-coming folk-Americana group.

A2VT
The name says a lot: A2VT, or Africa-to-Vermont. That’s the route taken by the hip-hop group’s three members, all refugees of war. Said “Jilib” Bulle is from Somalia. George “MG Man” Mnyonge relocated from Tanzania. Cadoux “Fancy” Dzingou hails from the Republic of the Congo. All have been in Vermont for less than 10 years.

The three attended the unveiling of their latest video last month at the New City Galerie on Church Street. The video for “Africa (I’m Coming Back to You)” was directed by Casey Clark, who said she first saw A2VT perform at the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center.

“I love the music and they’re great performers,” Clark said at the video premiere. “All the energy was there.” The video features dancers from the Roxy Dance Studio in Franklin County and A2VT’s music that blends rap with elements of reggae and funk. Their previous video, “Winooski, My Town,” has been viewed more than 32,000 times on YouTube.

The message of the song in the new video can be taken literally, according to Bulle. “One day we may go back home, see our family, see our people,” he said. “That’s what the song is about, wishing one day to go back to Africa.”

Dzingou said A2VT aimed to combat the typical view of his homeland. He said the reputation of Africa is that it’s an unpleasant, jungle-filled place.

“We wanted to make it a happy song,” Dzingou said. “We wanted to focus on the positive part of the continent.”

• A2VT, 7 p.m., Contois Auditorium, Burlington City Hall

Hillary Capps
Many of Hillary Capps’ first moments in life involved music. Her mother sang lullabies to her. Her father, Joe Capps, is a jazz musician who has recording equipment in the family’s home in Underhill. Capps vaguely remembers gesturing toward albums by The Beatles and Tracy Chapman as a way of asking her parents to play them for her. She may not have been in full command of words yet, but Hillary Capps knew she wanted to hear music.

She’s been surrounded by music ever since. She took part in music and art at the Poker Hill School in Underhill, performed in plays and chorus in middle school and while in high school began singing with her father’s jazz band. Now the 2007 graduate of Mount Mansfield Union High School is armed with a degree in music from The New School in New York City and starting to make a career for herself not as a jazz singer but as a pop singer.

“I’ve always had a desire to do that,” Capps said in a recent phone interview from her home in Brooklyn. “My dad was a jazz artist and I kind of grew up with that, so that made sense to start there.”

She said she was interested in pop acts such as The Spice Girls and Jewel while growing up, so she has gravitated back toward that. “I sort of started discovering more of my own sense of style and having become a better writer in my later years and in high school and also in college.”

Capps is releasing her debut album, “The Wishing Forest,” in January. She spends her days as an event producer helping to stage concerts and comedy shows, but dreams of becoming a full-time musician. She hopes to license music from her new album for films, television and commercials. She wants to land more gigs opening for touring bands.

“I feel like this album is a really good calling card for me,” Capps said. “I think it’s just a gradual building process.”

• Hillary Capps, 9 p.m., 242 Main at Memorial Auditorium - Burlington Free Press

http://www.wcax.com/story/24315864/singersongwriterhillarycapps - WCAX (NBC)

http://www.bronxnet.org/open-vidoes/artist-spotlight/viewvideo/4952/open-artist-spotlight/hillary-capps-joins-us-on-our-open-stage - BronxNet TV

http://www.thedelimagazine.com/nyc/charts/top300-guitar-pop-lo-fi.php - The Deli

New York City-based singer-songwriter Hillary Capps releases her catchy new single “New Melody” off her upcoming CD The Wishing Forest, which is expected to release in early 2014. With strong female influences such as Sara Bareilles and Adele, Hillary’s pop-oriented music encompasses subtle jazz phrasings and catchy melodies that display a mature song writing and tight musicianship in this promising young artist.

Music has been central in Hillary’s life from a very young age. She started singing at just three years old, performed in middle school groups, and wrote songs throughout high school. Hilary began performing professionally as a jazz vocalist at the age of 16 with her father’s jazz group. By the age of 21, Hillary released two full-length jazz albums: A Perfect Dozen (2008) and Playlist (2010) in which she sang jazz and jazz/pop standards. Hillary released her first work of original songs with her most recent EP Maybe in the Morning (released July 2012).

Hilary’s single “New Melody” is yet another testament to her talent and deals with a subject that everyone can relate to — heartbreak. Despite the heavy topic, her story unfolds through poppy hooks that you can’t get out of your head. “New Melody” speaks of the devastating moment when you realize the relationship that you invested so much time in, is coming to an end. She sings, “Side by side in the dark//I know in this moment the end of us is about to start//Cause now I can’t believe a word you ever said to me…”

Check out “New Melody” the first single off of Hillary’s forthcoming album The Wishing Forest – expected to release in early 2014.

Check out Hillary’s new single “New Melody”

- See more at: http://ventsmagazine.com/nyc-pop-singer-songwriter-hillary-capps-releases-single-new-melody%E2%80%8F/#sthash.l2nDEgOJ.dpuf - Vents Magazine

Pop Singer-songwriter Hillary Capps @HillCapps Releases #NewSingle #NewMelody

New York City-based singer-songwriter Hillary Capps releases her catchy new single "New Melody" off her upcoming CD The Wishing Forest, which is expected to release in early 2014. With strong female influences such as Sara Bareilles and Adele, Hillary's pop-oriented music encompasses subtle jazz phrasings and catchy melodies that display a mature song writing and tight musicianship in this promising young artist.

Music has been central in Hillary's life from a very young age. She started singing at just three years old, performed in middle school groups, and wrote songs throughout high school. Hilary began performing professionally as a jazz vocalist at the age of 16 with her father's jazz group. By the age of 21, Hillary released two full-length jazz albums: A Perfect Dozen (2008) and Playlist (2010) in which she sang jazz and jazz/pop standards. Hillary released her first work of original songs with her most recent EP Maybe in the Morning (released July 2012).

Hilary's single "New Melody" is yet another testament to her talent and deals with a subject that everyone can relate to -- heartbreak. Despite the heavy topic, her story unfolds through poppy hooks that you can't get out of your head. "New Melody" speaks of the devastating moment when you realize the relationship that you invested so much time in, is coming to an end. She sings, "Side by side in the dark//I know in this moment the end of us is about to start//Cause now I can't believe a word you ever said to me..."

Check out "New Melody" the first single off of Hillary's forthcoming album The Wishing Forest - expected to release in early 2014. - The Music City Syndicate

NYC Scene Report - Columboid, Hillary Capps, YC The Cynic, & more - Adam's World Blog

Track of the Day: Hillary Capps - New Melody - Unnomdeguerre (UNDG)

New York City - based singer-songwriter Hillary Capps releases her catchy new single "New Melody" off her upcoming CD The Wishing Forest, which is expected to release in early 2014. With strong female influences such as Sara Bareillies and Adele, Hillary's pop-oritented music encompasses subtle jazz phrasings and catchy melodies that display a mature song writing and light musicianship in this promising young artist.

Music has been central in Hillary's life from a very young age. She started singing at just three years old. performed in middle school groups, and wrote songs throughout high school. Hilary began performing professionally as a jazz vocalist at the age of 16 with her father's jazz group. By the age of 21, Hillary released two full-length jazz albums: A Perfect Dozen (2008) and Playlist (2010) in which she sang jazz and jazz/pop standards. Hillary released her first work of original songs with her most recent EP Maybe in the Morning (released July 2012).

Hilary's single "New Melody" is set yet another testament to her talent and deals with a subject that everyone can relate to -- heartbreak. Despite the heavy topic, her story unfolds through poppy hooks that you can't get out of your head. "new Melody" speaks of the devastating moment when you realize the relationships that you invested so much time in, is coming to an end. She sings, "Side by side in the dark I know in this moment the end of us is about to start cause now I can't believe a word you ever said to me...

Check out "New Melody" the first single off of Hillary's forthcoming album The Wishing Forest - expected to release in 2014.
- Revolution 360

Hillary Capps is a Vermont born, Brooklyn based pop Singer/Songwriter. She graduated from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts with a BA in Music and Culture and Media Studies. Hillary began performing professionally as a jazz vocalist at the age of sixteen, and released two full length albums, first A Perfect Dozen and then Playlist by the time she turned twenty. - The Terminal

A very soulful voice and a very pop sound.

Sounds like: Talking Heads. Come on, you heard it too. - Alan Cross - A Journal of Musical Things

* New York City singer-songwriter Hillary Capps has a new melody. Actually it's a song called "New Melody," which is off her upcoming album, The Wishing Forest.

Capps career began as a jazz vocalist at the age of 16, when she performed with her father's jazz band, The Joe Capps Group. By the age of 21, Capps had released two full-length jazz albums, A Perfect Dozen (2008) and Playlist (2010), in which she sang jazz and jazz/pop standards. She released her first work of original songs with her most recent EP, Maybe in the Morning (July 2012).

"New Melody" sees Capps diving into contemorary pop, and the results are pretty fantastic. The Wishing Forest won't be out until 2014, but you can give "New Melody" a listen right now.

- See more at: http://arena.com/article/columboid-gorky-hillary-capps-david-bronson-ashley-allen-holy-smokes-music-nyc#sthash.pAcvKUjh.dpuf - Arena

Pick Your Poison: Monday 9-9-13

Posted by FaronheitNo

Let me talk for one hot minute about something that I consider to be pretty serious and important. Okay, so this isn’t going to be super serious, but rather I want to talk about a fun way to support a difficult part of life. Nobody likes it when we get sick. If you’re diagnosed with an incurable disease, it can lead to a compromised life or even death. Organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society work hard to try and find a cure for things like blood cancer. It’s a very worthwhile cause that has helped millions of people fight this terrible disease. I’m proud to be a supporter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and hope that you might consider becoming one too. While a donation to the organization would be great, why not get a little bit of bang for your buck? There’s a benefit concert happening on Wednesday, September 18th at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. Local favorites and worldwide rising band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound will be headlining the show, with support from How Far to Austin. Chicago’s own funk and soul DJRC will spin tunes between the main sets as well. Tickets are $35, and all profits from the show will go directly to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you’re not yet familiar with JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, they’re a pretty great band both on record and on stage. Their most recent single “Rouse Yourself” has a great music video that stars Jake Johnson (from “New Girl”) and Aubrey Plaza (from “Parks & Rec”). The band also does a pretty great cover of Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” that I’d recommend checking out. But back to the show: It is all ages, there will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and you can also purchase a drink package that gets you discounted beer and wine if you’re into it. Anyways, if you’re in and around Chicago next Wednesday, please please please come out to the show. I will most definitely be there, so we can hang out. Advance tickets are on sale now here. I promise you it’ll be a great time, and you’ll be supporting a very worthwhile cause. Now then, let’s get on to the business of today, which is Pick Your Poison. Don’t miss tracks from Andrew St. James, The High Wire, Lime Cordiale, Parentz and Superhuman Happiness. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Banks, The Darcys, Stars, and Avalanches’ remix of Hunters & Collectors.

Andrew St. James – The Lost, The Vain

Anonymous Conglomerate – Craft Mastered (ft. One Ton)

David Bronson – Living in Name

goodbyemotel – Michael

The High Wire – The Thames & The Tide

Hillary Capps – New Melody

Lime Cordiale – Sleeping at Your Door

LPZ ft. CHVZ – Think for Yourself (CVNT Remix)

Maur Due & Lichter – Faces

May McDonough & Company – Plump Little Fleshies

Parentz – Fly

Superhuman Happiness – Sentimental Pieces

The Superman Revenge Squad Band – A Funny Thing You Said

XNY – Ride On
- Faronheit

NYC Pop Singer-songwriter Hillary Capps Releases Single “New Melody” New York City-based singer-songwriter Hillary Capps releases her catchy new single “New Melody” off her upcoming CD The Wishing Forest, which is expected to release in early 2014. With strong female influences such as Sara Bareilles and Adele, Hillary’s pop-oriented music encompasses subtle jazz phrasings and catchy melodies that display a mature song writing and tight musicianship in this promising young artist. Music has been central in Hillary’s life from a very young age. She started singing at just three years old, performed in middle school groups, and wrote songs throughout high school. Hilary began performing professionally as a jazz vocalist at the age of 16 with her father’s jazz group. By the age of 21, Hillary released two full-length jazz albums: A Perfect Dozen (2008) and Playlist (2010) in which she sang jazz and jazz/pop standards. Hillary released her first work of original songs with her most recent EP Maybe in the Morning (released July 2012). Hilary’s single “New Melody” is yet another testament to her talent and deals with a subject that everyone can relate to — heartbreak. Despite the heavy topic, her story unfolds through poppy hooks that you can’t get out of your head. “New Melody” speaks of the devastating moment when you realize the relationship that you invested so much time in, is coming to an end. She sings, “Side by side in the dark//I know in this moment the end of us is about to start//Cause now I can’t believe a word you ever said to me…” Check out “New Melody” the first single off of Hillary’s forthcoming album The Wishing Forest – expected to release in early 2014.
- Nerdy Frames

Vermont native and New York resident Hillary Capps has quickly become known for her ability to meld together the roots of classic jazz music with modern pop sensibilities, and looking at her past experience, it doesn’t come as any surprise. She started out supporting her father’s band in New England and had already released two records (A Perfect Dozen in 2008 and Playlist in 2010) by the time she was 20 years old, and joined the NY-based band Cheers to Fall shortly thereafter. Gathering even more experience with the group, Capps would later release an EP titled Maybe in the Morning, a true reflection of her musical inspiration. Capps describes that inspiration best – she says:
“My dad wrote this song several years ago called “Love Peace & Hope” that sums it up for me…I believe that if you have a talent or if there is something you love to do more than anything else, you should use that and share it because if you have good intent it will inherently bring more love peace and hope into the world – whether you’re sharing it with five people or five million.”

We here at PEV can’t wait for the next step in Capps’ career, arriving in January 2014 in the form of her first full-length record, The Wishing Forest. Hillary says “The Wishing Forest comes from a line in the song “Storybook”, which draws its inspiration in part from my home in Vermont. I realized a reoccurring theme throughout the album was that of making wishes – in one way or another, so there you have it. The Wishing Forest is a real place for me, but also a metaphor for anywhere you might make a wish (a wishing well, praying at a bedside, a seashore, a starry sky).” Following the release next year, you can catch Capps on the road across the country – click to http://www.hillarycapps.com for all the information your heart desires. There’s still much more to get into, so read on for all the answers to the XXQs below.

XXQs: Hillary Capps

PensEyeView.com (PEV): How would you describe your sound and what makes you stand out from others in your genre?

Hillary Capps (HC): I would describe myself as an alternative pop singer/songwriter. My music is pop-oriented and draws from strong female influences such as Sara Bareilles, Adele and Ingrid Michaelson. I think what makes my sound different from these talented ladies and others within the genre is that entwined with the catchy melodies are subtle jazz phrasings and unique chord progressions. I grew up in both a pop and jazz environment – my music blends the mature, organic sound of jazz with a modern pop influence. The music also has a lot of range from song to song, providing both the live performance and the album with a dynamic feel.

PEV: Calling New York City home, what kind of music were you into growing up? Do you remember your first concert?

HC: I’m a New Yorker now, but I grew up Vermont I was a ’90s kid, so very much into boy bands and girl groups like the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys. I also listened to a ton of The Beatles, Tracy Chapman, Jewel and Wilson Philips. In high school I really got into the female singer/songwriters like Sara Bareilles and Anna Nalick. I think my first big concert was Hanson in Montreal when I was in 3rd grade. I remember being in awe of the whole experience and also my ears being in pain because it was so loud to me at the time!

PEV: What was it like trying to break into the music scene when you first started out? What was your first show like?

HC: I started out performing in a very different way than I do now. I was a jazz vocalist with my fathers group in Vermont, so I sang at a lot of weddings and events in New England, performing long sets of jazz standards. I gained a lot of important experience and exposure that way and it helped shape the way I do things now. I tried doing the jazz thing when I first moved to NY and met a bunch of amazing musicians, but it never felt quite right to me – I wanted to be performing my original material. I spent a lot of time during my early years of college in NY (Wagner and The New School) not performing at all (with the exception of some open mic nights) and just writing a ton. By my junior year I was getting antsy to get back to it and the opportunity to join a rock group, Cheers to Fall, presented itself. This was another huge stepping stone for me in terms of getting my stage legs in the New York scene. We played frequently and wrote consistently. Being in the band helped me grow tremendously as both a writer and performer. Our first big show was at Arlene’s Grocery, one of my favorite NYC lower-east-side venues – it was nerve-racking and a ton of fun to step into the role of rock singer, quite different from crooning into the mic as I had most of my life.

Having left that group a few years ago to put my current pop band together under my name (with Cheers to Fall guitarist/producer Anthony Farina), my music now is a more honest representation of who I am and a sort-of a middle ground bet - Pens Eye View

So why don’t you introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello! I’m Hillary Capps, an alternative pop singer/songwriter based in New York City. I grew up in Vermont and currently live in Brooklyn. I moved to the city six years ago to go to school, and it stuck.

I write and sing pop music. It’s my all time favorite thing to do. Having grown up on jazz standards as a vocalist, the music often entwines subtle jazz phrasings with catchy pop-oriented melodies.

When I play live, I perform with my full band (me, guitar, piano, bass & drums) and it’s lots of fun. We play around NYC often at places like Rockwood Music Hall, Pianos and Arlene’s Grocery – and will be branching out across the US soon

I have a new album coming out! It’s my first full-length work of originals, following my debut EP Maybe in the Morning, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone!



How did you get started in the music scene?

I started out performing in a very different way than I do now. I was a jazz vocalist with my fathers group in VT, so I sang at a lot of weddings and events in New England, performing long sets of jazz standards. I gained a lot of important experience and exposure that way that helped shape the way that I do things now.

I tried doing the jazz thing when I first moved to NY and met a bunch of amazing musicians, but it never felt quite right to me – I wanted to be performing my original material. I spent a lot of time during my early years of college in NY (Wagner and The New School) not performing at all (with the exception of some open mic nights) and just writing a ton.

By my junior year I was getting antsy to get back to it and the opportunity to join a rock group, Cheers to Fall, presented itself. This was another huge stepping stone for me in terms of getting my stage legs in the New York scene. We played frequently and wrote consistently. Being in the band helped me grow tremendously as both a writer and performer. Our first big show was at Arlene’s Grocery, one of my favorite NYC lower-east-side venues. It was nerve-racking and a ton of fun to step into the role of rock singer, quite different from crooning into the mic as I had most of my life.

Having left that group a few years ago to put my current pop band together under my name (with Cheers to Fall guitarist/producer Anthony Farina), my music now is a more honest representation of who I am and a sort-of a middle ground between rocking out and whispering to the crowd. I get to do both and I feel that the music is authentically Hillary Capps.

Some of the key venues that helped me break into the music scene in NY are Arlene’s Grocery, Pianos, Caffe Vivaldi, and Rockwood Music Hall.



What are your music influences?

I have many, but some of the musicians I align with most are Sara Bareilles, Adele, Ingrid Michaelson, and Maroon 5 (especially their earlier material). The Beatles, particularly Paul McCartney, and Ella Fitzgerald are a few other key influences. Being a ’90s kid, I can’t help but think of people like the Spice Girls, Hanson and Jewel as influences in a way as well – they probably rooted some kind of early pop sensibility in me.

Sometimes I won’t know an artist’s music very well, but one song of theirs sticks out and becomes very important to me, consequently becoming a musical influence, even if in a small way. For instance Bon Iver’s “Lump Sum” or Amy Winehouse’s “Tears Dry On Their Own”.



“New Melody” — Can you tell us more about the track?

New Melody is, in its simplest terms, a “breakup song”. It’s about realization and moving forward. The song was co-written by Anthony Farina and we wanted it to have an uplifting feel, despite the heavy topic of heartbreak. I think it’s a song that a lot of people will be able to relate to and sing a long with. The words “New Melody” really relate to making a change in general, not necessarily just relationship wise. A “New Melody” is a step towards the positive. You know when you hear that song on the radio (or Pandora, Spotify, whatever it is nowadays) and you know within the first or second listen that you’re gonna have it on repeat for at least a week? It’s like finding, capturing and holding onto that feeling of discovery – “… ‘Sorry’ you say darling ‘come back to me’, but it’s too late darling I’m moving on I need a new melody, a new melody.”



How was it to work with Michael Brauer?

Still in the process, but it’s been wonderful and very rewarding so far. What’s amazing is that I haven’t actually been in the same room as the man yet and he (and his mix engineer Ryan Gilligan) have managed to capture exactly what I was going for with the songs. They are really bringing the recordings to life in an honest way. To me, it’s the true mark of a pro when someone can step into the picture after the writing, production, and recording process (which happened at Vinegar Hill Sound, Brooklyn) and really understand what the artist was going for. Michael - Vents Magazine

There are some songs in the pop world that don’t just pop, they effervesce, sending a cool feminine vibe that is instantly catchy. Indie pop artist Hillary Capps’ new single
“New Melody” is this kind of song. “New Melody” is the first single off of Capps’ upcoming fourth album, The Wishing Forest, due out in early 2014. A singer/songwriter hailing from Brooklyn New York, Hillary Capps is a breath of fresh air in a pop world that has become marred by auto-tune, smarmy lyrics and swarming
synthesizers.

Capps’ talent is obvious and not fluffed up by the usual pop fanfare. This may make “New Melody” seem like an old song for a moment, hearkening back to simpler pop
times. This is not a bad thing, however, because “New Melody” reminds the pop audience that pure talent can stand on its own and create something special, without the aid of a computer.

The vibe of “New Melody” is chill and soothing but oddly upbeat at the same time. Capp’s voice is effortlessly cool. Her style also has the grace and whimsy of
something fairy like or angelic. Even the photo on the single she looks like an angelic figure floating in this cloud-like place where light and good vibrations abound.
There are definite jazz influences stirred into the underlying beat of “New Melody,” especially in the pattern of the drum beat and the jiving guitar interludes. Capps plays
around with the way these musical styling shape the movements of “New Melody.”
From upbeat verses to a more progressive rock sound in the chorus and a slower soft guitar in the bridge, Capps’s voice carries through flawlessly. The “melody” break
down three quarters through the song is unexpected but definitely one of those my-head-is-bobbing-up-and-down-it’s-so-catchy moments. I am pretty sure that “melomelo-melody/ can’t believe that I believe” beat with be stuck in my head for a week. Her sound and vibe is very similar to other soft pop artists like Ingrid Michelson or Sara Bareilles, which is a positive for Capps considering strong female songstresses usually develop strong connections with female audiences.

“New Melody” addresses a popular subject in popdom – complicated relationships and heartbreak. The lyrics describe a toxic relationship between Capps and a love
interest. She wants to be with him but keeps remembering his past manipulation and the ways he toyed with her. “Your lies keep spinning round in my head like a melody,
a bad melody,” she aches. A part of her wants to be naïve enough to believe his lies and not care, but the now stronger part of her is finding the will to break away from
him. She sings, “Now I can’t believe a word you ever said to me/ yeah I feel for you while you made me believe/ but now I can’t be that girl you want me to be.” By the
end of the song she reaches the conclusion that she needs a new melody and a new beau. It is a song for all the girls out there caught up on the wrong guy and who, in the process of that dysfunctional relationship, found out more about themselves.

Capps would be hard pressed to find a girl that does not relate to these lyrics.
“New Melody” is a fun, relatable but crisp addition the modern sounds of pop music. Her ultra-relatable lyrics and connection to a feminine sensibility make her an artist a
listener can develop a relationship with, and get over dysfunctional relationships with. Capps embraces the combination of pop and elements of cool jazz as heard in “New
Melody.” The end result is a pop song that soothes, grooves and is boldly, yet delicately, female.

To learn more about Hillary Capps’ inspirations, her new EP Maybe in the Morning, and future plans check out Limerence Magazine’s Q&A.

Have a listen to the single “New Melody”:

Keep up with Hillary:
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube - Limerence Magazine

Hillary Capps is full of surprises. The young singer-songwriter is artistic, talented, and inspiring. She is a ukulele jazzy-pop songstress with vibrant style and amazing vocals. By the time she turned twenty, Hillary released two full length albums: A Perfect Dozen and Playlist.

After graduating from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts with a B.A in Music and Culture and Media Studies, Hillary went on to pursue her career in music, perfecting her craft.

Her newly release Maybe in the Morning, a six track EP, is full with catchy songs, haunting melodies and thought provoking lyrics. With a heavy influenced in soul and pop artists such as Paul McCartney, Ella Fitzgerald, Norah Jones, and Adele, Hillary Capps will soon be one of the honorable mentions in due time. Watch 2013, Hillary Capps is coming for you!

I got the chance to Hillary about her newly release, Maybe in the Morning, shows, and what’s next for her. Check out the interview below!
On her artistry:

“Basically I grew up in Vermont and it all started from there. I moved to New York when I was 18 to attend a college. I had a voice scholarship. I have been working on music for the past five years and I transferred to the New School and studied music there as well. I grew up singing jazz mostly. My dad is a jazz guitarist. He sort of inspired me to sing. I began to performing at 16 at special events and weddings. Now I am writing my own music, which is a lot more pop.”

On working on her new EP, Maybe in the Morning:

“It was definitely a collaborative project. I started writing songs maybe three years ago. As far as the recording process, I did a lot of the recording in Vermont in my dad’s studio. So having a dad that’s a jazz guitarist came in handy (Laughs). I did the rest of the recordings here in the city [New York]. In terms of the musicianship, at that time I wasn’t performing, so I didn’t have a set band. There was a lot of people playing on the album, from friends to professionals. Over the time of three months or so, we got all of the parts together. It happened pretty nicely too.”

On three myths about indie artists:

“The fact that some people think you have to be talented to be an artist. You don’t.With today’s technology In music you could make basically anyone’s voice sound good for a pop track. The notes can be pitched/tuned to make them sound higher clearer and better than they were actually sung. Cool, but scary. Makes the experience less organic And for a potentially disappointing experience when you watch the singer live.

Another one is that you can get lucky and be “discovered” by an A&R/label dude nowadays. I guess this still happens but it’s MUCH more rare now than it used to be. You have to have a strong online presence/following and already be somewhat established to get noticed. All about working hard and building it up. Which is what I’m in the process I doing! Constantly doing things for music now (go to shows, play shows, open mics, make videos, write, record, connect with anyone and everyone) and hopefully it’ll come back to us with a bit of luck down the line.

Another, lastly, is that people think artists are always crazy or eccentric. Some of us are fairly normal. (Laughs).”

On what fans can expect from her live shows:

“You will find a range of stuff between ukulele relaxing soul pop to a jazzy balance like my song, “September.” I like to get everyone involved at my shows, from singing along to [dancing]. My shows have a lot of range with changes and shifts from time to time.”

On artists she would like to tour with:

“I can give you like a lineup for every year. (Laughs). There are so many great artists. I would tour with artists that have a similarity to my style. Maybe Sara Bareilles, who is one of favorite pop singer-songwriter or Ingrid Michaelson. If it was possible, definitely the Beatles!”

On what’s next for her:

“I am always making new music. So hopefully I can put another release out in the summer. I’m not sure if it will be a full album or EP, but it is definitely in the works. Lastly, I am pushing for a tour in the next year and a half.

For more information on Hillary Capps, just out her website.


Read more at http://limerencemag.com/2013/03/artist-on-the-rise-hillary-capps/#0rXKsc3EDRqDpSBL.99 - Limerence Magazine

Hillary Capps joins Channel One News - Hear it Now: Artist of the Year competition:

Voting home:
http://www.channelone.com/music/vote/

Promotional video:
http://www.channelone.com/video/artist-of-the-year-2013/
- Channel One News

File-O-Facts: Hillary Capps

Childhood Hero: "The Spice Girls. I was a 90s kid. Spent many a sleepover party dressing up as Posh, Ginger or Baby Spice."

Name: Hillary Capps
Star Sign: Aquarius
Place of Birth: Burlington, VT
Now Based At: Brooklyn, NY
Level of Education: BA music/culture & media studies – The New School

First Instrument Played: Voice then piano then guitar
Current Instrument: Ukulele
Last Venue Played: Arlene’s Grocery
Last Gig Attended: Colors in the Air at Rockwood Music Hall
Can't Go On Tour Without: Hmm I have lots of essentials but definitely need Clif bars, PB&Js and Bare Minerals Makeup
The Best Thing About Live Music Is: It’s so fun to go to a live show after the band has released an album. It’s an entire different experience to hear the songs live… it’s like hearing them for the first time all over again because live performance is an entirely different medium nowadays . Such fun to experience the spontaneity of the live (as both a performer or an audience member!)

The Person I Would Most To Collaboration Is: Paul Epworth
Worst Thing To Happen To Music Is: There is much more focus on money/marketability rather than originality and talent today. Often artists are looked at more as products than musicians.
Best Thing About The Current Music Industry: Because of user-friendly recording software and countless outlets online to post your music/videos etc. to it’s easy to get your music out into the world, which is great. You don’t have to have a big record deal in order to be successful anymore. There are really great online communities and ways to connect with other artists via social media that you wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s kind of a catch-22 though… since everything is so accessible to everyone there is a lot of over saturation so it’s tough to be heard as an individual through all the noise.

Turn On: Dark chocolate, strong men, pole dancing
Turn Off: Cilantro, people pushing to get on the subway train before you can get off… I mean come on you’re gonna get on the train, and heaven forbid you didn’t there’s another one coming 8 minutes or sooner. Calm down.
Biggest Influence: Old School – The Beatles. New School - Adele
My Favourite Person On TV Right Now Is: Lena Dunham… well the entire cast of Girls
Childhood Hero: The Spice Girls. I was a 90s kid. Spent many a sleepover party dressing up as Posh, Ginger or Baby Spice.
When I Was Younger I Wanted To Be: See above. Also Rose (Kate Winslet) from Titanic. And Jewel
Last Album Bought: The Lumineers
Last Song Listened To On MP3 Player: Stay – Rihanna/Mikky Ekko
The Music I'm Into Is: All over the place! If you put my iPod on shuffle you’d be like what?... why is Steve Reich coming on after Taylor Swift? I love pop music… I’m a sucker for the formula (Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady GaGa, etc.) I really love singer/songwriters like Ingrid Michealson, Kate Nash, Sarah Bareillus and Adele… I think my style is most comparable to/influenced by artists like them. I also could sing along to pretty much any song by the Beatles. And I grew up singing jazz so I really dig Ella Fitzgerald, Hoagy Carmichael, Nina Simone and the like.
Favourite Current Band: Mine! … ha no just kidding. This is too hard! I’ve been listening to the new Lumineers album a lot though.

My Favourite Drink Has To Be: My man got me into Manhattans. Great drink for the winter. I also love pretty much any cocktail that has ginger beer in it.
My Favourite Book Is: Ooh also really tough! I actually don’t have an all time favourite book but recently I really dug: A Visit From the Good Squad. Right now I’m reading Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenes. It’s great.
My Favourite Website Is: Kickstarter!
My Favourite Item Of Clothing Is: A black lace dress I got at Urban Outfitters when I was 16 and has proved to be the most versatile, durable and useable piece of clothing I own. I also have this bright red vintage hat that I really love.
My Favourite Shop Is: Again, I just cannot pick one… Anthropologie, Free People, La di da dee (boutique in Brooklyn), and Trader Joes.

The Best Boredom Buster Is: Hmm I don’t know if my answer is appropriate to list here…
The Best Film I Ever Saw Was: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Forest Gump
My Ultimate Snack Is: Dark chocolate. Ginger chews
The Worst Food Invented Is: Cilantro. Bacon (I know, I know a lot of people will dislike me for dissing bacon… but it’s pretty gross)
The First Thing I Do When I Wake Up Is: Snooze my alarm. Then make coffee.
I Can't Leave The House Without: My iPhone and chapstick

I'm Well Known For: Singing (fairly obvious) and staying busy to a fault perhaps
My Hobbies Are: Working at a jewellery store, taking photos, going to brunch, changing my hairstyle, collecting postcards/images/photos etc. for my bulletin board, watching Downton Abbey and Girls, playing the ukulele and writing songs.
I Have A Passion For: Well it’s obvious; music. But also a healt - AltSounds

Truth:

Singer-songwriter Hillary Capps recently released her EP, “Maybe in the Morning.” The EP is available through iTunes.

Sarah:

Hillary Capps demonstrates the flawlessness of her voice in her EP. The EP begins with title track, “Maybe in the Morning.” The easygoing alt-pop track features light instrumentals, making the focus mainly on Capps’s fantastic voice. Capps manages to make the song poppy enough to grab your attention, but the focus is still on her unadulterated vocals.

Capps continues to impress with a couple of ballads. Accompanied with just a guitar, Capps’s pure voice fill the speakers. “Find Yourself,” in particular, contains the simplicity that catapulted Norah Jones to stardom. “From the Roof” features a fun ukulele and quirky yet catchy chorus.

“September” is another gorgeous pop ballad, but it features a fuller band. Complete with piano and drums, the seasonal track is set to be a standout from the album. Hillary takes her voice to places you don’t hear in the previous tracks. “September” features the songstress’s even higher notes and dramatic bravado. Capps complements the track with an equally beautiful music video, seen below:

The album ends with the adorable “Pennies.” The song has a strong chorus, despite her impossible-to-copy voice.

“Maybe in the Morning” is basically perfect. There are no frills or extras to take away from Hillary’s pure talent Instead, Capps blows you away with her signature fairy-like voice. It’s a great EP, but it could be the start to an even better full-length.

Get the album!

Keep up with Hillary Capps:

www.hillarycapps.com

@hillcapps

facebook.com/hillarycappsmusic - Truth or Sarah

Listen to the interview here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/comedy-concepts/2013/01/28/manic-manic-music-guest-hillary-capps - Nancy Lombardo

Following two albums, 23-year-old Hillary Capps takes a pop-focus with folk and jazz influences in her newest EP, Maybe in the Morning.

"It's sort of an eclectic mix of all my musical experiences coming into one, and it definitely showcases the direction I'm headed now," Capps said.

This up-and-coming singer-songwriter grew up in Vermont, on a "dirt road sort of in the middle of nowhere" listening to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Hoagy Carmichael. "I love all the old standards and think they're really magical to listen to," she said.

Capps moved to New York City for music college, and joined a rock band that toured down the east coast and to Austin, Texas. While this was a great experience, it wasn't the perfect fit. "We would rock out on stage. I didn't have the chance to croon and be subtle."

She learned that it's important to push yourself in new directions, "but not to the point where you're hurting your voice or doing something that doesn't feel right."

Co-produced with Anthony Farina, Maybe in the Morning is entirely original material and addresses themes like timing and finding your way. During a moment of nostalgia, Capps composed "September" at her piano. "From the Roof" came out of a rooftop experience with an ukulele.

The gravitation to pop was natural for Capps. "I found the songs I was writing did have these little hooks and catchy moments," she said. "It definitely caters to a broader audience because it has different genres in it."

Capps is currently seeking a manager and a label. Meanwhile, she'll be playing at shows, networking and reaching out to radio stations. Her dream is to tour across the country and throughout Europe.

One challenge she faces is the overabundance of musicians. Technology has made it easier for people to spread their music, while making it "more difficult to try to get through all the sounds," Capps said.

She offered this advice to young musicians: "Find your voice and what it means to you, and make sure that what you're doing feels honest and right."

Music, she added, "is sharing love and creativity. It's sharing a voice and something that is a universal language to people." -- Leilani Rapaport - Channel One News

Maybe in the Morning, my first EP of all original material, is a labor of love that was in the works for the past year and a half and released on July 12th 2012. The album is comprised of six songs that range between genres of pop, rock, jazz and folk.

Why “Maybe in the Morning”? The title of the EP gets its name from the first track and single from the album. The common thread that weaves these six diverse songs together is the subject of time. Each track in its own unique way deals with timing, expectation, indecision, projecting into the future or clinging to something from the past. All of the songs came into fruition during different stages of an exciting, emotional, and somewhat tumultuous yet amazing period of musical and personal growth in my life.

It’s difficult for me to categorize this EP, and for that matter myself as a singer, into one specific genre. My varied musical experiences present themselves at different points throughout this album. With a jazz guitarist as a father I grew up singing Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Rogers and Hart and Gershwin songs. Before concentrating on my own material I sang at weddings and events across New England and recorded two full-length jazz albums. Resultantly, a lot of the melodies and harmonic choices in my own songs (perhaps the fifth track “September” in particular) are influenced by my experiences as a jazz vocalist.

While I was a junior in college at The New School I joined a Brooklyn based rock band called Cheers to Fall as the lead singer. I’ve probably never had more fun in my life. We played all over the city, released a five song EP and toured down the east coast to Texas for a 2011 SXSW Showcase. Ultimately it wasn’t the right fit for me or my voice but being in the band made me a better songwriter and performer. I continue to collaborate with the lead guitarist/songwriter/producer from Cheers to Fall, Anthony Farina (www.cityescapeme.com), on my new material. We have similar approaches to songwriting and work together well as a collective unit, building off of each other to propel a song to its fullest potential.

It was last year that I picked up a ukulele, moving in the exact opposite direction of rock music I suppose, and spent much of the summer on my rooftop in Greenwich Village writing happy, hopeful tunes (hard to write much else with a uke!). “From the Roof” and “Pennies” are the two ukulele tracks that made it onto the EP, adding some cheerful folk/pop into the mix.

In terms of the recording process the whole EP was very much a collaborative effort. I recorded half of the tunes in Vermont and half in New York. Nine amazingly talented musicians from Vermont, New York City and Atlanta played on the album. In order to fund the project I decided to do a Kickstarter Campaign and received overwhelming support from family, friends and strangers. Continual thanks to all of my lovely Kickstarter backers. Check out the campaign here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343143432/maybe-in-the-morning-ep

I’m so excited about this album and hope you enjoy listening! Check out my website or sign up for my mailing list for updates on upcoming shows and more.

Website:
http://www.hillarycapps.com/hc/Home.html

Mailing list:
http://hillarycapps.fanbridge.com/

iTunes link:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/maybe-in-the-morning-ep/id542589889
- The Urban Campfire

Ours is an age that reduces amateur vocalists to fanatical reality-television contestants. So it’s comforting to discover that there are still singers like Hillary Capps in the studio, honing their talents the time-honored way. A Perfect Dozen is the twentysomething jazz songstress and Underhill native’s solid debut release, a sturdy collection of 12 classic jazz vocal standards.

Despite her youth, Capps is already a veteran, and her savvy is obvious to the listener straight away, a capacity fashioned by an interesting combination of talent and pedigree. Since the age of 16, she has been performing with her father, a noted Vermont jazz artist, educator and studio engineer. He ably backs her on the record with the ensemble that bears his name, The Joe Capps Group.

Even veterans of the jazz stage will have to respect the younger Capps’ fearless song selections. Tom Jobin’s “One Note Samba” and Etta James’ “At Last” aren’t exactly campfire tunes. And they are certainly not for hobbyists, given their technical and emotional requirements. But Hillary Capps manages this challenge with impressive command of these and other classic selections. Her remarkably clean voice prevails delightfully over the skillful backing musicianship found throughout A Perfect Dozen.

In the hands of lesser talents, standards such as “East of the Sun” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” are often bumbled by over-singing or extravagant instrumentalism. But Capps and her fellow musicians avoid such pitfalls here. Her vocal accents are crafted with dexterity, and the band’s improvisations are rooted in a careful consideration of each tune’s composition.

“You Don’t Know Me” is a particularly touching illustration of the singer’s skilled phrasing and tonal range. This interpretation of the Cindy Walker classic becomes a superb dialogue between Tom Cleary’s nimble piano work and Capps’ lissome intonation.

What is most impressive about this album — and Hillary Capps — is the particular soulfulness the singer shows at such a tender age. A Perfect Dozen inspires anticipation of future works from this natural talent. Meanwhile, her debut collection is a welcome infusion of youth in a genre that can be stuffy.

- Seven Days