Jo Hill

Jo Hill's journey into music began in the small village of Cheddar, a place where everyone knows everything about everyone, where she started crafting songs, stories and anything to distract her from village life as a young girl. With a grandmother who sang opera and entered her into a singing competition at just nine years old, Jo's path as a storyteller was set in motion early on. Fast forward to today, and Jo's music is a nostalgic blend of heartfelt storytelling and modern vibes, drawing inspiration from legends like Queen, Boney M, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and Joni Mitchell. Her sound invites listeners on a journey through different worlds, evoking the spirit of the past while staying firmly rooted in the present.

But Jo's path hasn't been without its twists and turns. While studying Arabic at university, she faced a challenging period in Jordan battling Lyme disease. Rather than giving up, she found solace in songwriting, transforming her struggles into creativity. During the Covid lockdown, back in Cheddar, Jo's dedication shone through as she wrote a song a day while working on a strawberry farm. Jo would write songs for strangers on the internet and help them tell their story in a song during lockdown which she coined 'song in a day.' Starting with raw piano tunes, Jo's music evolved as she explored new styles and collaborated with diverse producers.

The discovery of artists like Big Thief, Remi Wolf, and Kacey Musgraves broadened her musical palette, merging classic influences with contemporary sounds. Her songs are deeply personal, rooted in the emotions of everyday life. A major milestone in Jo's career was the release of her debut single, "Honeymoon." Independently launched, it marked the beginning of her career and highlighted her resilience.

Jo's upcoming debut album, girlhood., is a celebration of sisterhood, empowerment, and unapologetic self-expression. As Jo describes it, "girlhood. is about wearing your vulnerability on your sleeve and being a badass bitch while doing so." Jo's intimate gatherings in London, where she jams with fellow female artists, have become beloved events, fostering a sense of community and creativity. Currently, Jo is putting the finishing touches to her debut album, a true labour of love that reflects her artistic evolution. Despite being signed and dropped by a major label, she persevered, crafting a collection of songs that tell her story.

Her Bedroom Sessions with female artists promise more raw, inspiring collaborations.

Beyond music, Jo is passionate about causes like period poverty, women's rights, and mental health. Her work with refugee charities and efforts to support Gaza highlight her commitment to making a difference. Balancing her music career with hobbies like Muay Thai, Arabic lessons, and meditation, Jo's rich lifestyle feeds her creativity and fuels her passion.

Jo Hill's music is an invitation to embrace openness, honesty, and connection. Through her journey, she inspires her audience to find strength in vulnerability and celebrate the magic of storytelling.

Join Jo Hill on her musical adventure and prepare to be moved. Jo Hill's live shows are an intimate and electrifying experience, where her raw emotion and captivating storytelling truly shine. Whether performing in cozy London venues or at local pubs, Jo connects with her audience on a deeply personal level, often sharing the stories behind her songs. Jo performs alongside her girlband 'the pow girls' as she calls them and her performances are known for their authenticity and warmth, creating a much-needed inclusive community.

Debut Album — track by track

girlhood.

POW GIRL: Is the entrance track of the album all about how insufferable Jo can find being a fast paced, anxious, young women in her 20's who's, one side, living in the big city and following her dream like a "ka-pow" superwomen, and on the other side, constantly burning out by running at 100mph, people pleasing and trying to keep up with the pace of her male counterparts. To be a woman sometimes feels like toeing the line of superwoman and super maniac all at the same time.

WHERE DID ELLA GO: We move onto Jo's self-proclaimed version of 'Roxanne' meets Ed Sheeran's 'A Team.' This is one of the rawer songs about a childhood friend of Jo's that got dealt some unlucky cards in life and after a childhood in care ended up as a sex worker and is now in prison. Instead of shaming her for her life choices 'Where Did Ella Go' is an uplifting anthem singing Ella's praises for doing whatever she needed to survive and just like in school, she'll always be a badass in Jo's eyes.

RUDE AWAEKING: Jo started her period age 9 singing Avril Lavine on the toilet (too much info!) and her mum came in crying saying, 'you're too young!.' Rude awakening is all about the shame, embarrassment and outrage Jo had towards puberty and losing her 'innocence' as a child before she was ready to do so. Jo felt like she entered 'womanhood' at a very young age and was perhaps too young to understand what this all meant.

BIG BOYS CRY TOO: This song is Jo's letter of encouragement to her brother (who has struggled with depression for as long as she can remember) as well as other men in her life to talk about her emotions more. Jo has experienced some tragic losses in her life due to mental health issues and this song is a reaction to this. It questions the structures in place that makes men feel like they can't just 'lay it out' because BIG BOYS, Jo thinks, really do cry too.

ALL MY GIRLS ARE TOMBOYS: This is Jo's driving off into the sunset feminist power ballad that she wrote last summer as she was during her label turmoil. She was frustrated by way her journey as a female artist, the opinions and conversations surrounding what she looked like and how she presented herself was in another world compared to her male counterparts. This experience led her to write the uplifting anthem 'Tomboys' which addresses the never-ending confusing cycle of 'wanting to be taken seriously as a woman,' 'how to be safe as a woman' and 'how to be successful as a woman.' There's literally no winning and you're damned if you do 'act like man' to be taken seriously and damned if you don't. This is Jo's a call to arms for women to have each other's backs and show up for each other to make the ride more bearable and enjoyable!

VOLCANO: Volcano is about the loss of a friendship, a female friendship which was very important to Jo. Volcano explores the painful realisation that if friendship isn't serving you anymore, in Jo's case, having the courage to distance herself from someone who she loved dearly but also acknowledging that their toxicity doesn't have a place in her life right now. Which can be sad, liberating and confusing all at the same time and can cause equal heartbreak as to say a 'breakup.' The loss of female friendship is one side of girlhood. that Jo believes isn't written about enough.

SUPERMARKET SUSHI: This is Jo's 'Netflix and chill' comfort anthem. It's for those Sunday nights when you've overstretched yourself, said yes to too many things and all you want to do is curl up in a ball with either yourself, your besties or your dog and eat your comfort snack of choice. Sometimes all you want is a slice of home.

HOME 2 YOU: Jo's favourite on the album explores her struggle with everyday anxiety but acknowledgement of that rock she must keep coming back to, no matter what happens – her boyfriend. Jo wrote this song in LA 2 years ago, things were going well but she felt all over the place inside as she was running from session to session, meeting to meeting, overcaffeinated and in the process of being signed by a major label. She felt like she was trying to please everyone, overstretch herself and slightly loose who she was and what she wanted. This made her super grateful for the rock of the relationship she has with her boyfriend. 'Home 2 You' is about celebrating the feeling of being with someone that feels like home.

BUG LYF: BUG LYF explores Jo's love of the outdoors and is an ode to getting lost, letting go and slowing down to the pace of nature. Being a local Glastonbury goer and countryside girl who's no stranger to getting lost in the woods. Amongst the existentialism of being a 'pow girl' Jo believes in the power of nature and psychedelics as a natural 'grounder' of the experience of being a human.

JUST AS STRONG: Jo was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2019, and turned her perspective of health, herself and her attitude towards life around. 'Just As Strong' is about overcoming the hurdles that life throws at you and how you get more resilient with each knock you take. The twists and turns of the past few years have caused a fire within Jo that she is determined to keep alive and to come out 'Just As Strong' no matter what. It's the closing song of the album and contains the main messages of girlhood. Empowerment and unapologetic self-expression.

ZOOM OUT: It's Jo's letter to herself, and every other bad bitch out there that doesn't know their potential, they let the smaller annoyances of life get in the way of the bigger picture. Sometimes it's about zooming out, looking at the bigger picture, taking a deep breath and shouting U GOT THIS BABE! (To be confirmed if this is to be included on the album and could be a bonus track).

INTERLUDES: 'Dreams of a 15-year-old girl," "what does girlhood mean to you," "some words from Queen M," "Oh the places you'll go," "outlaw."