Full Name?: Liz Anne Hill
Position / Job title?: Starling Glow‘s singer
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A pop star veterinarian. I wanted to tour the country healing animals in my mobile vet-clinic aka tour bus, while selling out arenas at night. Then I took a biology class in college and decided I had better just stick with singing haha! I also really liked trains and thought it would be pretty nifty to be a train conductor.
2. Fast-forward several years/decades. How did you land (or create) your current position?
I spent a decade learning the ropes in independent bands- writing, recording, passing out fliers for shows, slinging merch, playing shows to no one, slowly building a fan base, learning how to use social media, touring in my dad’s mini van. Fast forward to two years ago, my producer Billy Mohler was auditioning singers to collaborate with on some songs. I pulled just enough strings to sneak into the audition at the last minute… (Aforementioned string involve a bribe, an alley behind an elementary school, and a dead guinea pig… RIP “Punk”). A week later, I still hadn’t heard anything back, so I emailed Billy something along the lines of, “Hi, I’m Liz. I was the last audition of the night. If you haven’t already picked someone, I would like to take you to lunch and tell you why I’m the girl for the job.” And that was how Starling Glow got started.
3. Did you have to take on internships to get there? How important in general, do you think, are internships?
I think that there’s definitely an element to paying your dues when it comes to music… Although sometimes paying your dues shares a very gray area with getting taken advantage of. I used to record demo vocals for several writers. I was ambitious and eager to cut my teeth, hopeful for the promise of making some connections in the industry. I spent hundreds of hours in the studio working until the early in the morning for little or no pay, singing to the point of exhaustion to hone in minute shades of tone and inflection that the producers wanted. I look back on that time like an internship- and although I didn’t necessarily make the connections I had hoped for, the hours of practice were invaluable in making me a better vocalist.
4. Tell us what a typical work day looks like for you. What is your job REALLY like, both the glamorous and not-so-glamorous parts?
The music industry can have a lot of “Hurry up and Wait” days, but last week was jam packed! I had band rehearsal, a show, a wardrobe fitting (which is probably the most terrifying part of my job), a meeting with the label, did an interview AND shot a music video. Thank goodness for coffee because without it, I don’t think I would have made it! Other weeks though are a lot quieter- I have plenty of time to work out, read, play with my horse, draw, write, cook, etc. I really appreciate my free time because when it’s time to tour/record/shoot etc, free time is pretty hard to come by.
5. What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to other career-minded women?
Know your worth but don’t be a diva. It’s important in any industry to be confident in your work, diligent in improving your abilities, and vigilant in maintaining your reputation. However, in any field, but especially in music, no one wants to work with a person who thinks too highly of themselves, no matter how talented they are. Being humble and personable could be the difference between working or not!
6. Let’s talk about work/life balance. What does that mean to you? Is it important?
It’s super important to me! I’m lucky enough to be close with my family and have some amazing friends. I start to feel lonely or burnt out if I don’t make the time to visit them.
7. On that note, do you think women can have it all? Both the baller career, and the happy family?
I have major respect for women who can maintain a successful career while raising children- my mom did it and seriously deserves a trophy. She built a business from the ground up during the day and still sang my sister and me to sleep every night. For me though, I’m not in the place to think about a family haha, unless my horse counts?
8. What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received – career-related or otherwise?
My dad always talked about this concept called “polite tenacity”- always be courteous but don’t be afraid to actively pursue an opportunity.
9. Parents love to say, “just wait ’til you have to face the real world…” When you were in college or high school, what did you think the “real world” looked like? What is the difference between what you thought and reality?
Haha to be honest, I kind of feel like I cheated the system! My folks are incredibly industrious people, and live by the rule of “when you pay for it, you appreciate it more”. When I joined my first band at 14, I got a job cleaning stables to help pay for expenses like recording and merch. My parents never deceived me about how difficult the music industry is- they were both in locally successful bands in the 80’s but opted to just play music for fun once they had a family to raise and a business to run. I never thought “the real world” would be easy- before getting signed, I worked 70 hours a week between three jobs, sometimes going a month without a day off, but it was totally worth it and makes each success with Starling Glow even sweeter.
10. If you married a millionaire husband and didn’t have to work, would you? (Be honest.)
You better believe it. Haha, my grandma always warned me that it’s better to be able to support yourself than rely on a man! Even if I won the lottery though, or came across a treasure chest, I’m too much of a busy-body to just kick back and coast. For me, it’s important to create and contribute, otherwise I think I’d go crazy!
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