For a full interview with Hillsboro, and more wild sports-themed photos from our shoot, visit Rocktographers.ca!
hometown: Victoria, BC
Nima Walker: Vocals/Guitar
Dexter Hodgins: Violin
Tucker Hoey: Bass
Sam Wells: Guitar
Oliver Hollingshead: Drums
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Bio
A short, inspiring stint in San Francisco opened Nima Walker’s eyes to a visceral punk and alternative music ethos. He returned to Victoria in late 2018 with a laptop full of fragmented song ideas and a focused vision for a new project. He connected with guitarist Colt Hoey and the two began to flesh out Walker’s demos into noisy emo songs.
The duo initially reached out to friend, Dexter Hodgins, to play drums, but happenstance had him show up to the first session with his violin (after a fiddle gig). The group settled for electronic drums, and Hodgins’ role on violin was cemented as his melodic, textural parts elevated the songs to exciting new territories.
Walker, Hoey, and Hodgins chipped away at recording and producing these songs over the next year while juggling school and other musical commitments. One night, the trio dug through names of random American towns and came across Hillsboro several times. Since it also served as a subtle homage to the Duster track, “Reed to Hillsborough,” the group unanimously adopted Hillsboro as a band name.
With an EP nearing completion, the opportunity to play the first Hillsboro show spurred the addition of Oliver Hollingshead on drums, who rehearsed only twice with the band before performing at the Avant Garden in Vancouver. That same weekend, Hollingshead recorded drums for the EP, bringing a new intensity to all of the tracks. “Car Sex” was released by Instant Records the following month.
Hillsboro’s run of shows in support of “Car Sex” was cut short in March 2020 by the pandemic, so the group shifted their focus towards writing new material. Colt’s brother, Tucker Hoey, had roadied for the band at their last show before lockdown. When the time came to add a full-time bassist, Tucker was the natural choice, and held down the position with driven picked-bass parts.
Rehearsing in this 5-piece format during lockdown, Hillsboro honed their sound and undertook writing and demoing their first LP. In the absence of live performances, they filmed a handful of acoustic sessions and a mini doc, “I Could Do All the Things I Want,” to accompany the release of “Painkiller/Stray Dog” in late 2020.
Hillsboro have now finished their first full-length record, which is self-titled and will be released in fall of 2023. With the return of live shows, they are grateful to be playing new music beyond the confines of basement rehearsal spaces and sharing the experience with old fans and new listeners alike.
Discography
Painkiller / Stray Dog EP – 2020
More to come very very soon…
Latest news
Recently, Hillsboro had the honor of opening for Vancouver legends Pink Mountaintops at Upstairs Cabaret for their “Going Coastal” tour, and the gang will take their own shot at a west coast tour in the fall to support the release of their album.
MP3s
Hillsboro – I Don’t Care Because You Do (download)
Hillsboro – Closer (download)
Hillsboro – Swallow (download)
