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Globe-trotting soul singer-songwriter Alana Hil is inviting you into her diary. With a voice big enough to fill every nook and cranny of your mind, it’s only a matter of time before Hil’s voice is blasting through speakers everywhere. We sat down to chat with Hil about her upcoming EP Diaries of a Common Woman, opening for Macy Gray, and designing makeup looks. 

OnesToWatch: Where did the title Diaries of a Common Woman come from?

Alana Hil: It actually came to me pretty naturally because all of the songs touch base on my emotions. I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Over the four songs it kind of explains the numbness I feel and then the extreme of the anger and how it affects my intimate relationships and some trauma that is rooted in the mental health issues. I experience all of the human emotions so I am a common woman.   

I wanted to commend you for your post on the background of “love and mental breakdowns,” which is where you shared your story with BPD. What was it like to share this with fans? 

There were definitely a lot of emotions. I was skeptical about doing it but I know that other people struggle with their mental health. I actually had quite a few people reach out to me and say “Thank you so much for sharing that,” “My sister deals with that,” or talking about someone that they know that deals with that and they're like “I want to show them this song.” 

What was it like to release your next single “heartbleed over coffee” after sharing this part of you?

It actually felt more intimate, I connected with my fans more by that point. A lot of people keep reaching out and ask me “What does this one mean?” It was cool to build a bridge with my fans and I hope that each song can do that because “heartbleed over coffee” is about me sweating the small stuff. Literally my heart bleeds over coffee, if I don’t have my coffee I’m in a bad mood.

I’m the same way when it comes to coffee! I want to talk about your musical background, it’s so cool and unique. You sang gospel growing up in Kentucky and studied Indian classical music in the Himalayas. Is there another niche type of music that you’d love to dive into or that you feel really influenced by?

My mom was engaged to a reverend from AME so he introduced me to gospel and I went to church with him so I got to hear Kirk Franklin and stuff, and I got to sing in the choir, so that was my intro into gospel music. After college I traveled around the world for a while and I lived in India and I studied at the School of North Indian Classical music so that was interesting. I’m really inspired by Paul Simon. He often will collaborate with different cultures. He did an album in Brazil, then he did one in South Africa. I really like that idea of collaborating with other cultures. Of course I love blues and soul music. 

Do you have a favorite place you travelled to? Even if you weren’t necessarily studying a genre of music while there?

I lived in a van in Australia for almost a year, so that was really interesting. 

You briefly touched on how you might want to approach collaboration but I want to dive into it a bit more. Your genre-blending style makes you a very versatile artist, which I imagine could present some really cool opportunities within the music sphere. Do you have any dream collaborations or dream projects?

Ooo dream collaboration, let’s see. I really like Olivia Dean. Her writing is amazing. I don’t know what you call that, pop-soul-ish. I like Teddy Swims. Those would be cool dream collaborations for who’s current. Someone like Annie Lennox would be interesting. 

You had the chance to open for Macy Gray this summer, can you take us through that day and that performance?

I opened up for her in Belly Up in Aspen. It was pretty cool because I used to live there so it was a full circle moment, going back there and performing for her. It was cool! I did soundcheck, got to meet her band, then I performed, and her band watched. After her show I was just standing there and one of her assistants came to get me and she was like “Macy requests you in the green room.” I got to go up and she was like “The band was raving about your performance and I just wanted to meet you.” So I got to hang out with her that night, we were just kicking it, it was really fun. She’s cool, down to earth, I really like her.

Did she have any advice for you?

Advice, not really, but we talked about how you can use tracks to fill up sound in a bigger show. She asked me to come out on some more dates so that’ll be to be announced.

That’s so exciting! To have such a big name recognize you in that way.

I was definitely shocked when she asked me to come up. I was like, “Oh! Okay!”

I’m on my way, immediately!

Yeah! I was like running up the steps and one of my bandmates was like, “Play it cool! Be cool!” But yeah I’ve always respected her music. 

I have a fun question for you. I was stalking your Instagram and you have all these incredible makeup looks. If you were to design a make up look for this EP what would it look like?

Ooo. I’m inspired by, especially for this EP because it’s a little darker and it’s about the negative emotions that I’m experiencing, my moodboard is Picasso’s blue period. I would do a crazy blue eye, it’s moody, lots of shading on the cheeks, and the hair is like waves. I like the abstract element of art. It doesn’t make sense, you can play with the human form a bit. 

Final question! Who are your Ones to Watch? Who should we be listening to? Who are you listening to?

Who am I listening to right now? Sienna Spiro is pretty good. I like her voice, and she’s just 19. That's crazy. This is a tricky one because I try to stay off of my phone. Since I’ve been creating so much I don’t listen to as much music right now I’ll be honest. I really like this artist Clay.

Ok I know I said last question but if you’re not listening to music do you like to listen to podcasts or audiobooks to wind down after a day of creating? Or do you want dead silence?

I’m reading right now.

What are you reading?

It’s a German book by a philosopher. It’s called Ecce Homo and it’s about how one becomes what one is. It’s philosophy and he talks about all of his books. It’s a little interesting because it’s translated, which sounds a little pompous, but it’s really cool.