With a second album now out, I caught up with The Hill’s Jon Kowit to find out about the making of the Noble Station, his move into a more public profile and his songwriting in general.
Hi Jon, can we start with a bit of background? How did you get into playing music, and what path has led you to where you are today?
I have played for decades, but I am self-taught, so I was always a bit shy about playing in front of and with others. I really only wanted to play guitar and piano to write songs, and I kinda kept that to myself until the last couple of years.
So, you have always been active in music, but it is only in recent years that you have released your own music? And what got you to that point?
I had been in the background trying to help some great artists, but I guess I thought my tunes were getting better, and I wondered maybe I should just put them out there and see if they connect at all.
The new album, Noble Station, is a gorgeous affair. Please describe the general sound of this piece and the influences and inspirations that inform it.
Thanks so much. I honestly try to let the songs just come over the transom, so there’s no intention to have a certain sound, but likely there’s a lot of influences from great singer-songwriters, alt-country/americana artists, indie rock, and older, traditional country artists. But, there’s a subtlety to the sound of The Hill that my producer, Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner, engineer, John Anthony, and the great musicians who craft their respective parts understand so well and help me achieve.
Similarly, these are songs with a message, or at least a story. Are there things that you are trying to express, conversations that you want to start with the listener?
I think there’s always a story or emotion I am trying to capture, but I purposely try to leave most of the canvas for the listener to imagine themselves. On this album, for example, I do have a story written from the perspective of my old dog about me, one from a newly separated parent, a couple of love songs, so I think on this album I filled in the stories a bit more than on the first LP.
When you compare this new album to your debut, Get In Line, what strikes you most about the journey between the two? What has changed? What are the similarities?
I am pulling songs through that simply sound right to my ear (which I play by) for both albums. But, I’d like to think I’m a bit more confident with my vocals, which some people seem to like and some hate. Maybe getting both some kudos and rejection helped a bit this time through.
I described the album as Americana. I always find it a tricky term, so let me ask someone from that country: what do you think encapsulates the idea of Americana, and am I right to describe your music as such?
I think it’s tricky too. I never know what to call it, because I am really not trying to fall into a genre, as smart as that would be. But a blend of folk, country, roots rock is Americana to me, and that’s what I think it sounds like. Well, maybe with some 70s soft rock mixed in.
Do you plan to tour the album? And if so, will that be as full band shows or more intimate gigs?
Some shows have been talked about, but Slo-Mo is so integral, and he’s got quite a full calendar with some other notable projects. I guess it’s a wait-and-see for now. I wish I were a bit younger and could experience the hop in a van thing though…
And finally, what does the future hold beyond the album, both musically and perhaps personally too?
I guess I’m not much of a planner, but I’m hoping to continue to create, and hopefully it connects to a wider and wider audience. Not sure I made the right decision going old school and doing full 12-Song LPs, so I think smaller collections of connected songs and/or singles will be the path forward… assuming they come over the transom.
Thanks for taking the time to talk to me and best of luck with the new album and everything else you are doing.
