Hill Kourkoutis

Hill Kourkoutis
Birth name	Hillary Kourkoutis
Born	January 23, 1988 Toronto, Canada
Genres	Rock, pop, alternative, dance, hip hop
Occupation(s)	Musician, Producer, Songwriter, Director, Actor
Instruments	vocals, guitar, bass, piano, drums
Years active	2000-present
Associated acts	Hill & The Sky Heroes, Drowning Girl, Serena Ryder, The Weeknd, The Cliks, Martha and the Muffins, Saidah Baba Talibah
Website	hillkourkoutis.com

Hill Kourkoutis (born 23 January 1988 ^[1]) is a Canadian songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, director and actress.

Biography

Early life

Hill was born in Toronto, Canada in a family of Greek descent. She started her first band The Sirens at the age of 11 with group of friends from the all girl’s school she attended. Later she studied guitar, piano, voice and theory under the Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum.

Career

Music

Hill Kourkoutis was a part of many bands including alternative pop/rock duo "Drowning Girl" with David Paoli before starting Hill & The Sky Heroes - her collaborative solo project. As a session musician and a live side player, Hill has played and toured with Serena Ryder, The Weeknd, Martha and the Muffins, Danny Michel, Saidah Baba Talibah, The Cliks, Martha Johnson, Adrian X, Dane Hartsell, Keshia Chante, Alyssa Reid, Mookie & The Loyalists, Mercy The Sexton, Hunter Valentine, Andrea Wasse, Tara Slone, Simon Wilcox, Jeen O’Brien and Andrea England.^[2] Moreover, Hill has been recognized as a finalist in the Canadian Radio Star songwriting competition ^[3]>, the U.S.A Songwriting Competition and as a Semi-Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition.^[4] She frequently writes and produces for many other artists spanning multiple genres (rock, pop, soul, blues, dance, alternative, indie, hip-hop).

Film

At the age of 16, Hill was cast in a reoccurring role on the hit television series Radio Free Roscoe ^[5] (Noggin/The Family Channel) as the strong but silent drummer Megan. This led her to her studies at Ryerson University where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in Film Studies and was awarded the Norman Jewison Filmmaker’s Award,^[6] the Harvey Hart Director’s Award and a William F. White award for her short existential comedy “…And The Planets Conspire”. In her third year of school she signed on with Toronto-based production company The Field as a music video director. She has shot music videos for Serena Ryder, Mother Mother, Sass Jordan and Alex Cuba The PSA “Get Women Working” she directed for ACTRA won the Min Sook Lee Labour Arts Award and featured many of Canada’s leading actresses including Tantoo Cardinal, Jayne Eastwood, Karen LeBlanc and Taborah Johnson. Her video shoots have been covered by Entertainment Tonight and eTalk and she was featured in eTalk’s piece on Canadian female directors.^[7]

Discography

as Hill & The Sky Heroes [8] Electric Matter - (2015) Dark Days - EP (2015) 11:11 - Album (2012) 11EP - EP (2011) as Drowning Girl Bang! (2008) as a Producer Hill & The Sky Heroes - “Dark Days” - EP (2015) Eh440 - “Turn Me Up” - Album (2014) The Cliks - “Black Tie Elevator” - Album (2013) Hill & The Sky Heroes - “11:11” - Album (2012) - co-produced with Adrian X Saidah Baba Talibah - “Revolution” - Single (2011) - co-produced with Saidah Baba Talibah Hill & The Sky Heroes - “11EP” - EP (2011) - co-produced with Adrian X Lucas Silveira - “Mockingbird” - Album (2011) Martha and the Muffins - “Echo Beach 30th Anniversary Version EP” - Single (2010) - co-produced with Martha and the Muffins Drowning Girl - “Bang!” - Album - (2008) - co-produced with Simon Wilcox as a Songwriter Hill & The Sky Heroes - Dark Days - All Songs (Independent, 2015) Martha Johnson - Solo.One - “No Man’s Land” (Muffin Music, 2013) The Cliks - Black Tie Elevator - “Savanna”, “No Good Do’er”, “Gone” (Bandwidth/Universal, 2013) Hunter Valentine - Collide & Conquer - “The Pulse” (Bandwidth/Universal, 2012) Andrea England - Hope & Other Sins - “Hothouse Flower” (Lemonade Factory Music, 2012) Hill & The Sky Heroes - 11:11 - All Songs (PuckEye/EMI, 2012) Hill & The Sky Heroes - 11EP - All Songs (PuckEye/EMI, 2011) Dane Hartsell - “Nothing” (21 Entertainment/EMI, 2011) Mercy The Sexton - Say It Back - “He Said, She Said”, “Months Go By”, “Away, Away”, “I’m Only Saying” (Independent, 2011) Mookie & The Loyalists - “Took Me By Surprise” (Sony Music Entertainment, 2010) Martha and the Muffins - “Big Day” (Muffin Music, 2010) Drowning Girl - Bang! - All Songs (PuckEye/EMI) as a Musician Hill & The Sky Heroes - Dark Days (2015) - All Instruments Matt Blais feat. Sam Roberts - “Fire From The Spark” (2014) - Keys Adrian X - Soulgazer - “Limitless” (2014) - Bass The Cliks - Black Tie Elevator (2013) - All Instruments Serena Ryder - iTunes Session EP (2013) - Piano/Vocals Martha Johnson - Solo.One - “My Reverie” (2013) - Vocals Hill & The Sky Heroes - 11:11 (2012) - All Instruments Hunter Valentine - Collide & Conquer - “The Pulse” (2012) - Vocals Saidah Baba Talibah - “Revolution” (2011) - Wurlitzer, Organ, Vocals Hill & The Sky Heroes - 11EP (2011) - All Instruments Lucas Silveira - Mockingbird (2011) - All Instruments Mercy The Sexton - Say It Back - “He Said, She Said”, “Months Go By”, “Away, Away”, “I’m Only Saying” - Vocals “Midnight” Bass (2012) Mookie & The Loyalists - “Took Me By Surprise” (2010) - Vocals Martha and the Muffins - Echo Beach 30th Anniversary Version EP (2010) - “Echo Beach” - Guitar, “Big Day” Guitar, Bass, Vocals Drowning Girl - Bang! (2008) - Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Keys Filmography Music videos (as director) Hill & The Sky Heroes - “Doctor, Doctor” (2012) Serena Ryder & The Beauties - “Ramblin’ Man” (2010) Serena Ryder & The Beauties - “No Air” (2010) Serena Ryder & The Beauties - “The Funeral” (2010) Serena Ryder & The Beauties - “Ramblin’ Man” (2010) Modern Superstitions - “Visions Of You” (2010) San Sebastian - “Young Youth” (2010) Diego Gomes - “My Best Friend’s Girl” - YTV/The Next Star (2010) Madi Amyotte - “Front Row” - YTV/The Next Star (2010) Delhi2Dublin - “Tommy” (2010) KAY - “M.A.J.O.R” (2010) Michou - “Eavesdropping” (2010) San Sebastian - “Wake Up” (2010) You Say Party! - “There is XXXX (Within My Heart)” (2010) Alex Cuba - “If You Give Me Love” (2009) Crystal Shawanda - “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” (2009) Sass Jordan - “Why Did You?” (2009) Mother Mother - “Hayloft” (2009) Theo Tams - “Lazy Lovers” (2009) Serena Ryder - “All For Love” (2009) Drowning Girl - “Tragic Romantic” (2008) Tara Slone - “My Little Secret” (2006) Shorts/PSA’s ACTRA: TAWC Toolkit PSA (2012)…Director Electric Red (2010)…Director The Flock (2010)…Director, Writer …And The Planets Conspire (2008)…Director, Writer Star Maker Machinery (2008)…Director, Writer Go Pomo! (2008)…Director, Writer Thousand Pound Eyelids (2006)…Director, Writer Television 2014 The 43rd Annual Juno Awards Herself Musician for Serena Ryder, “What I Wouldn’t Do/“, “For You” 2013 2013 Much Music Video Awards Herself Musician for Serena Ryder, “Stompa/What I Wouldn’t Do” 2013 The 42nd Annual Juno Awards Herself Musician for Serena Ryder, “Stompa” 2013 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Herself Episode #21.182 (Musician for Serena Ryder, “Stompa”) 2011 Serena Ryder Set List Herself Musician for Serena Ryder, “The Funeral” 2010 The Next Star Herself 1 Episode, Director 2004-2015 Radio Free Roscoe Megan 10 Episodes [9] Composer 2012 Grimey [10] External links hillkourkoutis.com twitter.com/hillkourkoutis hillandtheskyheroes.com imdb.com/name/nm2244086 hillkourkoutis.com/cv/hillkourkoutisdiscography.pdf References "About me". "music cv" (PDF). Catching up with Hill Kourkoutis. Natalie Donohue. March 7, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2015. "International Songwriting Competition". "Radio Free Roscoe". "Norman Jewison Award". "film cv" (PDF). "Hill & The Sky Heroes". "Radio Free Roscoe". "Grimey".