Hillary Hand

Hillary Hand


When listening to Hillary Hand's music you would never know that this amazing songwriter, vocalist, and pianist has only been writing songs since 2011. While this endearing Colorado born musician has been playing piano since the age of 6, it took her 17 years to put the pen to paper and write her first song. Unlike many her age, she didn't spend her time walled up, glued to a screen, or caught up in the tedium of everyday life. Traveling the world, finding love, and starting a family, her busy life is quite clearly a pool of inspiration that she draws from. With lyrics that suggest a maturity usually reserved for those far older than Hillary, and arrangements that captivate, you can expect nothing short of brilliance from this artist in the years to come.

Hillary Hand was born in 1987 in Logan, Utah, and was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has been playing the piano since early childhood and has been crafting original music for almost as long. Performing as a solo artist and with her band, Hillary Hand and the Roseliers, Hillary sings lead vocals and plays keyboard alongside her producer and fellow keyboardist, Drew Bartels. She is also joined by Joe Degelia on guitar, Joel Burns on drums, Josh Hand on bass, and Melinda Hand on backup vocals. The music of Hillary Hand would be described as a synthesis of indie pop, folk rock, and synth pop. Influential musicians include, Feist, Cat Power, Lana Del Rey, Metric, Blondie, and Fiona Apple.

Hillary launched her music career in 2011 with the short-lived band, The Ivory Banks. Soon after, she joined up with Drew Bartels and began work on her EP, Paper Doll, which was released in late 2012. Popular songs from the album include the title track, “Paper Doll” and “Say Goodbye”. Hillary has released a few singles since then including a Coldplay cover, “The Scientist”, and most recently, “Run Like a Rabbit”. She is currently working on her full-length album due for release in 2014. Hillary has performed at a variety of venues all over Colorado Springs and Denver and most notably at the UMS Denver Summer Music Fest. She currently lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, son, and two mischievous cats.

"My proudest moments aren't very significant to most people but rather significant to me. I had never played a solo show until recently and found that I love it. It was a huge step as I used to get a bit queasy before playing shows."

popVLTR: You've been making moves in Colorado Springs, how'd you get into music? Hillary Hand: I got into music as a duo with a friend just for fun and it started to become something I loved to do. It just sort of organically evolved from there and I started my band shortly after.

popVLTR: Congrats on releasing the 'Blue Side' video, who are some of your influences? HH: Influences, as far as other artists or just people in my life who inspired the song? I'll answer both since i am not sure what is meant :) I am always changing in my music. Being someone who appreciates most genres I find it difficult to just write with one style in mind. With this particular song there wasn't a specific influence but rather I wanted to tell a story, bearing in mind the feeling of the song being bit light hearted yet desperate. A woman is bearing her soul to her significant other with a hope in mind of being brought back to the old days. I wish I played the guitar because I would have rather played this song as such, but I tried to make due with what I have. Patsy Cline is one of my huge inspirations for these more folk style songs.

popVLTR: What are some of your proudest moments in music? HH: My proudest moments aren't very significant to most people but rather significant to me. I had never played a solo show until recently and found that I love it. It was a huge step as I used to get a bit queasy before playing shows. Events : My band and I, Hillary Hand & The Roseliers, played a show at the UMS in Denver last summer and will most likely play again this year. Recognitions: I have been recognized in The Rooster, a magazine based out of Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins. I released my first EP, Paper Doll, in 2012 and am working towards my first full length album. I have also released a handful of singles since then including 'Tameless Tongues' and 'Run Like A Rabbit.'

popVLTR: What cool stuff is on the horizon for you? HH: I have a lot of shows coming up. Some solo, some with the full band. Some in Colorado Springs and some in Denver. Unfortunately we had to turn down SXSW this year but will hopefully make it next year. 2014 will be good year for us. We have a lot to look forward as far as shows and hopefully a new album. - PopVulture

New York, Colorado based indie pop band Hillary Hand & The Roseliers announce the release of their new music video for “Run Like A Rabbit.” The video premiered exclusively on CREEM Magazine. This past year, MileHIMusic chose them as one of the “Standout CO Artists from SxSW 2014,” where they raved, “Hillary’s soaring vocals are reminiscent of Adele’s 21 album, with traces of Fiona Apple.”

Frontwoman Hillary Hand has been trained in classical piano since the age of 6, and performs as a solo artist as well as with her five piece band from Colorado Springs. She recorded her first EP Paper Doll, in 2012 where the single “Domino” was heard on MTV’s “Awkward.” Since her first EP, she has recorded a few standalone singles, including “Tameless Tongues” which was featured on ABC’s new hit drama “Black Box.” The band has performed at venues across the Colorado Springs and Denver area, including the UMS Denver Summit Music Festival. Currently, the band is recording and self-producing their next album, set to release in the beginning of 2015.

Pop Vulture raves, “With lyrics that suggest a maturity usually reserved for those far older than Hillary, and arrangements that captivate, you can expect nothing short of brilliance from this artist in the years to come.” Stay tuned for the upcoming album and more releases from Hillary Hand & The Roseliers!

Read more at http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/167018-hillary-hand-roseliers-release-official-music-video.html#x9ueR5Ykc5iYaqEa.99 - Alt Sounds

Hillary Hand and The Roseliers Release New Video

This song is absolutely addictive and I can’t wait to hear what’s next from this talented fivesome from Colorado Springs.

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So, I’ll admit; although this Colorado-based artist has been toiling around the music scene for a few years now, I just stumbled across them this week. Hillary Hand is a classically trained pianist who just a few years began toiling around the local club and coffee room scene, and just drips with potential.

She released her first EP, Paper Doll, in 2012, and saw nice success, especially on the small screen. Two songs made it onto MTV shows, “Domino” (Awkward) and “Say Goodbye”(Finding Carter). More recently, a newer single, “Tameless Tongues” was featured on ABC’s Black Box. But I missed all of that :)

The new release. “Run Like A Rabbit” is a synth-driven journey that is absolutely captivating. It’s danceable pop-rock that crosses several genres, and should be destined for regular airplay on Alternative and Indie rock outlets. Hand’s vocals are intriguing and authentic, and she boasts an impressive range. The music is nicely arranged, and chock full of mesmerizing riffs.

Check out the video below. While we wait for the 2015 release of the band’s forthcoming album, grab the single here on iTunes – you’ll be hooked, too: Run Like a Rabbit – Single - Raras Farm Rock Magazine

Colorado’s Hillary Hand and the Roseliers linger in the indie-synthpop realm between St Vincent and Metric, but their video for “Run Like A Rabbit” evokes darker themes than their deceptively sunny veneer. Taking rabbits back to the creepy of Donnie Darko, the pulsing melody drives a tale of a woman masked and trapped — in her head; in her home; in the suddenly disturbing white picket fences. It’s little wonder they’re earning “one to watch” accolades; we can’t look away (or stop pressing play). - Open Til' Midnight

We’re premiering indie-pop band Hillary Hand and The Roseliers‘ brand spanking new video for “Run Like A Rabbit” below. Blending pop hooks and electro synths, the band’s sound has been compared to the likes of St. Vincent and Tegan & Sara. Front woman Hillary Hand has recorded tracks that can be heard on hit television shows such as MTV’s “Awkward” and ABC’s new hit drama, “Black Box.” - Creem Magazine

Indie-Pop Band Hillary Hand & The Roseliers Premieres New Video on CREEM Magazine

Check out indie-pop band Hilary Hand and the Roseliers! They recently premiered their official music video for “Run Like A Rabbit” on CREEM Magazine. Click HERE for the feature and click HERE to watch the video. Blending pop hooks and electro synths, the band’s sound has been compared to the likes of St. Vincent and Tegan and Sara. - Vents Magazine

Pop of an independent nature is what Colorado’s Hilary Hand & The Roseliers do, and they do it quite well. They’ve alreayd been compared to the likes of St. Vincent and Tegan and Sara, and now you may cite Hilary Hand & The Roseliers. Check out “Run Like A Rabbit” to see how they run off with you, and then wait (im)patiently for their album, which will be released in the new year. - This is Books Music

This month in The Rooster Magazine we highlighted twelve of our favorite bands and artists in our “Local Music Madness” feature. They are all making the neatest of sounds and adding their own unique piece to our sonic culture here in Colorado. But we can say all we want about them, and it wouldn’t make any difference to you whether or not you like their style. So here we are, offering up some of their music.

Today is Hillary Hand’s day; and Hillary Hand wants to give you some free music. Just click on the ‘download’ button on the Soundcloud insert below, and enjoy.

The demanding life of Hillary Hand is one that supplies her writing with plenty of inspiration. She’s a traveler, a family woman and through it all manages to contribute alluring music. Oddly enough, the artist never wrote a song before 2011. While she had been playing the piano since the age of 6, it took years to actually convey her emotions in the structure of song. Since, she has been writing and recording with very little breathing room between the two.

Hand is what one comes to expect from a singer / songwriter. The whole genre usually emphasizes more on the tone and story of the vocals than the accompanying melodies. The narrative becomes more vivid and emotional with the approach, grappling at heartstrings with a soft ferocity.

Her newest EP “Paper Doll,” was released this past summer on Unboxed Records, and is a delicate work of subtle harmonies with stark contrasts in instrumentation. It’s a soulful listen that lies in the cohesive boundaries of the singer / songwriter account, and manages to attract the common nuances of the genre with her own flare of personality.

- See more at: http://www.therooster.com/blog/colorado-music-madness-hillary-hand#sthash.AlVSzM1P.dpuf - Rooster Magazine

Standout CO Artists From SXSW 2014



Hillary Hand



Playing as a solo/duo act from Colorado Springs, Hillary Hand was featured in four unofficial showcases this year at SXSW, including shows at the 512, Shanga-Li, and the Chuggin’ Monkey. This year was the first time the group has had the opportunity to travel to Austin for the festival but they played with such ease and confidence that it seemed like Austin was a second home. Hillary’s soaring vocals are reminiscent of Adele’s 21 album, with traces of Fiona Apple. Coupled with her lyrics of love and loves’ lost and Hillary Hand is impossible to ignore. Two of her showcases featured a drummer/guitar player that brought an elegant edge to the sound; filling out shallow parts of each song and setting a rhythm to dance along to. Hillary Hand is a must-see so keep an eye out for shows around Denver this Spring. - Mile Hi Music

Led by their classically trained frontwoman and lead vocalist, Hillary Hand & The Roseliers are an exciting new five piece that combine new wave, post-rock, and damn good ear for rich, exuberant hooks.

Because of their knack for indie pop songwriting, they’ve been compared to St. Vincent and Tegan and Sara; however, on their latest, the vibrant and thumping “Run Like A Rabbit,” the Colorado Springs based quintet take a turn onto a dark highway exit outfit and gorge themselves on shimmering synths to light the way.

On “Run Like A Rabbit,” Hillary Hand & The Roseliers employ the gritty yet stylish eletro-goth of Shiny Toy Guns and the nocturnal, predatory confidence of The Sounds ushered along by the sonorous voice of Hand, a dead ringer for Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Additionally, the hums breathing from the electric organ lend the song a distinctively spooky synthpop sound ideal for the fall and winter months.

Hillary Hand & The Roseliers are currently recording and self-producing their next album, set to release in early 2015; a project that can’t come soon enough for us.

Bonus: Check out the music video for “Run Like A Rabbit” featuring Hand wearing a paper mâché rabbit mask eerily reminiscent of splicer masks in Bioshock and the animal disguises worn by the killers in the 2011 horror film, You’re Next. - Angel J Malendez

“Music became a new found love that was not only an avenue for me to write about my life experiences, but also about faith, struggle, joy, confusion and everything in between,” Hillary Hand explained. “I would say life, in general, has influenced me to write music.”

Hillary Gruener, aka Hillary Hand, is a growing Colorado star that has really found herself after making the move from Utah to Colorado. She was born in Logan, Utah, but she was surely raised in Colorado Springs. From the normal growing pains to musical training, Hand has been molding her musical personality since she was a little girl.

Hand started out on the keyboard and stuck with it for a over a decade and then it wasn’t until about 2011, when she finally decided it was time to take on music in a more professional manner. She sat down and wrote her first song, which led to her decision to pursue music, but falling in love and having a baby came first. She moved to Germany, met a guy, took his last name and a baby followed after. After growing homesick while she was pregnant, they made the move back to her hometown, sweet ol’ Colorado Springs.

“After moving across the ocean five times, we reluctantly, but purposefully moved back to America,” Hand said. “It wasn’t until my son was about eight months old when I sat back at my piano and started crafting songs.”

Now, residing in Colorado Springs, she lives her weekdays as a wife and mother, while on the weekends, she’s a musician and hairstylist. The busy weekends keep her on her feet and on top of her game. With her newfound focus to further her career with her band, she has been dedicating most of her time to Hillary Hand & the Roseliers, while never really truly breaking away from her solo career.

Hillary Hand & the Roseliers consists of her brother, Josh Hand, who plays the bass, her sister-in-law, Melinda Hand, who is a back-up vocalist and percussionist, Joel Burns, who is the drummer(and also the “backbone” of her songs) and Joe Degelia, who is the guitarist and has been doing music with her since the very beginning.

“I can’t say enough good things about my band,” Hand exclaimed. “They have been there for me in more ways than I could ever explain. They are so good at making my songs into something I could have never imagined.”

Early on, Hand wasn’t experienced when it came to writing music, so everything was new to her, but it didn’t seem like it when you heard her music. Hand’s music is edgy, creative and addictive, which is exactly how her music has been since day one. In the mix of her earlier music, a track off of her first EP, Paperdoll, got featured on the MTV show, Awkward. Her song “Domino,” which played during a scene on the TV show, just so happened to be one of her first songs as she started her journey into song writing. Shortly after, Hand’s “Tameless Tongues,” was placed on the show “Black Box,” which is a show on ABC.
When the music is good, fans will fall into place and that’s exactly what has been happening with Hand. The great music community in Colorado has gathered around her and she has been able to keep up a busy schedule of shows throughout the last year. From venues all over Colorado, to huge gigs in Texas, Hand has needed no helping hand in getting exposure. Through the Colorado Music Party and SXSW, Hand was able to play to a national audience in March.

“There is nothing scarier than going to an unfamiliar land, not knowing what to expect, and playing a show in the midst of some of the most amazing musicians in the world,” Hand explained. “After that experience, I feel like I don’t get the jitters so much before shows. I also no longer feel like throwing up, either, which is good as well.”

She played for the Colorado Music Party, which was a concert within the SXSW fest that catered to a Colorado music fan base, so she was quick to get some Colorado love. Then, she also played a set for a SXSW official stage and that played a role in allowing Hand to get a feel for traveling for gigs, and it was a good experience to play for a crowd that was so diverse.

Now, it’s 2014 and it has been just about three years since Hand has decided to really go for it. So much has happened and she has had a lot of success. It’s been a very short career so far and there has been a lot of musicians that have tried a lot longer and have achieved a lot less. With many years still ahead of her and her new found passion for a future with her group, there’s a good chance Coloradans will hear Hand’s name in the limelight.

For more information about Hillary Hand and her band, visit her website at www.hillaryhand.com, or connect with her on Facebook for updates. - Pueblo Pulp Magazine

I found her thanks to noisetrade and after listening to her song during few seconds, I've been immediatly captivate by her voice. She has a particular and gorgeous tone of voice ! Her debut single "Take Me Away" is spellbinding song of whom you should quickly become addicted. This song is available for free on noistrade at the moment, so do yourself a favor and download/ share it.

Hillary Hand is tough to nail down. Listening to her music is like hearing the passing of the seasons in a 3 minute time frame. Her delicate and breathy vocals carry you in gently, and leave you in a pounding storm of instrumentation, harmonies, and aggressiveness. But she brings you through the experience so masterfully, that what should be a dizzying array of influences and sounds becomes a cohesive journey that you never want to stop revisiting." - The Indie Discovery