Everywhere we travel and everything we see and do shapes who we become. A seemingly never-ending globe-trotting sojourn highlighted by unforgettable experiences a la studying yoga in India and recording in Mexico City, a dynamic upbringing, and innate creativity define the music of singer, songwriter, and producer Alana Hil. After generating millions of streams and attracting the likes of GRAMMY® Award winner Printz Board [Black Eyed Peas, Mark Ronson] to her corner, she formally introduces herself on her independent 2023 mixtape, 12:30, and much more to come.
“When you listen to me, I want you to feel inspired to be your full truest self,” she exclaims. “I hope you feel the gritty, raw earth in the music.”
Her truth always resided in music. Growing up in Kentucky, she developed her talents in vocal lessons as a kid and by participating in theater. During eighth grade, her mom married a preacher, and Alana found herself immersed in the culture of the African Methodist Episocopal church in Ohio. The choir embraced her talent and encouraged her to even perform solos throughout high school. At the same time, she listened to everyone from Luther Vandross, Jill Scott, and Lauryn Hill to Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, JAY-Z, and Common. After attending college in Nashville, she sold all of her belongings, moved to Maui, and pursued music full-time. Life twisted and turned with spells in Aspen, Australia, Thailand, Bali, and Mexico where she performed in wedding bands and recorded with various collaborators. 2018 saw her embark on another life-changing trip, studying music at the Northern Indian School of Classical music and yoga and mantra in the Himalayas.
“More than ever, I realized music could be a tool for healing,” she notes.
Various creative projects followed. She joined forces with Isaac Chambers and Ryan Herr, under the moniker Swan Hil, on the Moments EP in 2021. The title track notably generated over 232K Spotify streams and counting. On its heels, she linked up with Alexis Rodriguez on Otra Vida EP. A chance encounter at Los Angeles hotspot Black Rabbit Rose kicked off her partnership with Printz. He heard her singing, and they decided to hit the studio together. They carefully constructed what would become 12:30. With Printz’s immersive instrumentation and three-dimensional production, Alana breathed new life into generational anthems such as “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, and “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, adding a twist of otherworldly R&B as transmitted through her richly dusky vocal delivery.
Meanwhile, the original single “Beautiful” threads her sugarcoated baritone through a haze of hypnotic beats. It builds towards an instantly irresistible affirmation, “We’re beautiful with the shining light, beautiful with the reckless side.”
“That’s me and my girls,” she goes on. “We’re super into sustainability and living a sustainable lifestyle, which means taking care of our bodies in a very serious way. We all have very disciplined practices within yoga, meditation, and eating healthy, but we party pretty hard too. It’s like super opposite ends of the spectrum. Living life, you need to have balance.”
Ultimately, such balance definitely catalyzes her creativity.
“1230 is an angle number that encourages you to express yourself fully, communicate honestly and openly, and to use your talents to bring joy into your life and the lives of others,” she leaves off. “That’s the ultimate goal. I’m trying to showcase different sides of my personality. I was so broken that I had to figure out how to put my pieces back together. All of this was supposed to happen, so I could find myself.”