Monthly Newsletter

Past Months

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July 2021 HS Monthly Newsletter

 

Hello all! Thanks for stopping by again to check out the latest Hilton Scott Music news. It’s been an exciting couple of weeks in Hilton Land for a few reasons, and we’re hoping some of you had a chance to check out the latest songs and music videos that went up over the past month. If you haven’t had a chance to take a look, no worries, Uncle Hilton forgives all, and there’s still plenty of time to catch them on the website, across FB, and the newly minted YouTube channel. All this social media, Hilton hardly knows what to do with himself these days.

 

In case you missed it, we put out an homage to summertime around the 4th with a nice little video compilation and track titled “Summertime,” --- how apropos you might say. We also released a song we were very excited about titled “Wild, Summer Nights,” blazing forward with some rock music and (pardon the language) but kickass Goonies footage. In case you’re not picking up on it, we were going for a real summer feel with the latest additions to the song catalog. A new blog even went up in which Hilton did a bit of a soapbox thought piece on the latest track, so be sure to check that out as well.

 

Moving right along, HSM jumped (or dove head first) into the wonderful world of pop, top 40 music with a first attempt at releasing a female pop song with a more commercial, radio friendly vibe. It was a joint collaboration with a hugely talented singer and songwriter, Laiken Strobush, who, although didn’t record the song in the end, provided most of the lyrics and inspiration for the wonderfully, feel-good vibe of the song. Much appreciation goes out to her for her part in making the song a reality, so please take some time to check in on her latest musical endeavors here. Also, another great thanks to Victoria Singger (no pun intended with her name), for laying down the vocals for the final recording. She sounded great, and we owe her much thanks for helping the vision of the song come alive.

 

Finally, and we sure hope it is becoming a little easier to find and see, but some more ads/posts/buzz has been going up around Hilton Scott Music. It’s been immensely rewarding to get some more attention via the website and social media, and we couldn’t thank you enough for popping in to check things out and hear the latest HSM songs. HSM is a firm believer in the adage “music is entertainment, and it’s written and recorded to be heard,” so the fact that some more ears are taking a first or second listen to the tracks means a great deal to us.

 

Next up…

As promised, we will be releasing a country, pop song titled “Quittin Time,” in the next week or two. The song is currently in post-production and going through the standard several hundred listens to make sure it’s ready for release. With the latest two female songs being released, you’ll notice that those tracks are no longer found on the Singers Wanted page, but have no fear, a handful of new songs ready to be completed with fresh new singers will be going up in their stead.

 

It’s been a wild, crazy summer, and there’s still so much more to go…fall semester be damned,  

 

Thanks,

 

HSM

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Who am I Lyrics Answers

1. Shilo from Shilo by Neil Diamond

2. Brandy from Brandy by Looking Glass

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Hilton Scott June Monthly Newsletter

 

Hello all! Thanks for checking in again with Hilton Scott Music. Things have really been heating up this past month (in more ways than one). A handful of new songs, video projects, and collaborations are in postproduction and will be released throughout July and into early August. First out the gate is a song in celebration of Summer---thus aptly titled “Summertime.” A simple video montage with the new song can be found on the homepage and our social media sites, so please make sure to share and like the video with your friends. We’re told that if more of your friends can become our friends as well, the world would be a much friendlier place…Given the nature of summertime and all the magic it brings, hopefully the cheery video footage helps bring to mind just what it is to be outdoors and enjoying all the things a warm, sunny day has to offer. (Note—In a game of Where’s Waldo, see if you can spot the Hilton original footage within the video…)

 

Next up, and we’re very excited here at Hilton Scott Music to be taking this next step, we will be releasing two new pop tracks with separate female singers. We’ve been promising for months that HSM would be making more of an effort to cater to the top 40 crowd and less to the Lucero and TBS fans out there, but we simply haven’t delivered on that over the past 6 months. Well, now we have. A song –tentatively titled “Waking Up”—will be making the rounds in mid to late July. Following in August, we will be putting out a country, pop track titled “Quittin’ Time.” The tracks are recorded at this point, so no teasers here people…they will be dripping out over the next month and a half.

 

Building off those exciting projects, we have a new song being released in mid-July titled “Wild, Summer Nights.” There will be more to come on this, but suffice it to say, a lot of time and effort went into making this song special, and we believe it is. Having been a part of many songwriting efforts over several years, I can honestly say this is a personal favorite. If you’re interested, HSM will be putting out a small blurb on this in the blog section when the video and song get posted in the next week or two. For a teaser…there will be Goonies footage within the project, so even if you hate the song, there’s still going to be some footage of Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, and Ke Huy Quan—who had a spectacular mid 80’s movie career…There also may or may not be personal footage of Hilton himself doing the Truffle shuffle.

 

Finally, you should ---with any luck and some well-timed deposits from the Hilton reserve---start to be seeing more and more HSM marketing campaigns and advertisements cropping up on social media sites and the like. As we mentioned last month, it’s not in Hilton’s nature to be asking for people to share or like the music we put out simply for the sake of it, but the more exposure Hilton Scott Music can get, the more exposure all the singers, sound engineers, graphic design teams, musicians, and friends in general will also get. So, if you could, hit LIKE on those icons and videos when they pop up. Like any business, word of mouth and spreading the word really does help. Thank you in advance.

 

Summer is looking bright, and it’s only getting brighter,

 

HSM

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Who am I Lyrics Answers

1. Bobby McGee from Me and Bobby McGee

2. Spider Murphy from Jailhouse Rock

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Hilton Scott Music May 2021

 

Happy three-day weekend and unofficial start to the summer of 2021! Welcome back white pants, top-down drives, rope swings, outdoor concerts…maybe, and of course, Hilton’s seasonal viewing of the sitcom Wings. If Minnesotans are lucky, we’ll get a few glorious days of warm, sunny weather in June before things quickly turn over to a hot, humid swamp for the remainder of our one month of moderate temperature--- but hey, it makes those few nice days all the more special, right? It definitely gets a little depressing sometimes sitting through zoom calls with singers and collaborators chilling in LA and down south in Florida while we’re either frozen out in a tundra or dripping in humidity, so it’s nice to be able to rub it in when we can.

 

 

May was a productive month in Hiltonland for a few reasons; Most notably, we put up a new song with singer Nick Grant of NYC, which is currently featured on our Facebook page and homepage of the website.  If you haven’t taken a listen already, click “Not Enough,” to listen now. We want to thank Nick for his time and effort in recording the track with us, and we encourage everyone to show him some love on his twitter feed @nickgrantful! We met Nick only a few weeks prior to working through the track that you hear today, and it was a great time collaborating with him and getting to learn more about his own projects and musical endeavors.  Those of you in NY, Nick will be performing at Saghar in Port Jefferson Long Island on June 18 at 6 PM. Mention Hilton Scott Music or the song "Not Enough," and Nick will give you a special shout out during the show!

 

May also saw a dramatic uptick in our website visitors and overall interest with musicians and singers across the board. It has been great having a flooded inbox with singers reaching out to us, and we do our best to get back to everyone that does reach out, especially when they include vocals and information about themselves. The new design of the website and promotion of Hilton Scott Music as a songwriting team has really been paying off in a number of ways, so thank you to everyone who helped make that happen. Thank you also to those of you who have reached out to us in an effort to learn more about what it is we do and whether or not our projects could be mutually beneficial. Finally, a new track under the artist name of Hilton Scott titled "Fire" can be heard on the site as well. 

 

Projects in the works—We have some big things planned for the next three months…music videos, a vlog, hopefully some new press release outlets, and as always, constantly new music to share with everyone. Unfortunately, we still have to tend to the less sexy parts of the business… like networking, registering copyrights, reviewing contracts, drumming up press, etc, so each new part and song we do get up takes time and is a process. We anticipate a video release and new song around July 4th but can’t make any promises as so much of what we do is tied to others that we work alongside to make all this happen. Provided all things go well, we’ll be doing a fun little press pump for the new song and video…if things don’t work out… well, Hilton doesn’t have to tell you what types of bad things happen then.

 

On a final note,

 

Those of you who stop in from time to time probably know we try to avoid doing a lot of showy, shameless self-promotion here on the website, but Hilton is proud to announce a new sister site to the Hilton Scott Music platform called Hilton Scott Writing. Making its debut “soft” launch on June 1, 2021. The website focuses on the other side of the entertainment spectrum, writing. It’s a little more laid back over there, but you may recognize some familiar faces and names along the way. A new blog series, “Who needs friends when you have a blog?” can also be found over there. We hope you take the time to check it out. If you find yourself definitely not a fan of Hilton Scott Music, perhaps the writing website will give you another outlet to express your disdain with what it is we do.

 

 

“In the summertime, we go fishin or go swimming in the sea,”

 

HSM

 

 

“Who am I” lyrical answers;

1. Killroy—if you said Mr. Roboto, you receive nothing.

2. Tommy

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Hilton Scott Music April 2021

 

Happy 1 Year to the Hilton Scott Music Website!!! What a ride it’s been…I gave us 3 weeks, and Auggie had us penciled in for a meltdown around week 9, so we hit the over on both – kudos to us. If you’re a returning fan, you may have noticed a dramatic rebranding effort on the part of Hilton Scott Music in the last month, and if you’re a new browser checking out the lay of the land, welcome. In a sea of singer/songwriters, and literally millions of other talented musicians and artists, the new look of the website is intended to give a better picture of what it is we actually do here at Hilton Scott Music. While zoom calls and first introductions are always helpful and the best way to get across what we do, the content on the new site should help singers/artists/music professionals get a better sense of what we are looking for, how we may be able to assist you, and some things we simply don’t do.

 

Unfortunately, Hilton’s had more than a few emails or callers go off on us about the supposed wool we’ve been pulling over the eyes of unsuspecting singers and musicians alike…the fact of the matter is we are a collection of songwriters—2 at the moment—doing just that---writing songs. Some are fully written and are in search of better vocals to improve the songs, some need assistance with lyrics, and some are open pieces or concepts of music where we’re looking to collaborate fully with songwriters. Depending on the project, that could mean paying singers for their time and the relationship ends there, it could mean sharing songwriting credit with fellow songwriters, or it could mean helping a singer get a better-quality song for their own EPK in return for them lending their voice to a song we’re looking to complete – a barter system if you will. That’s as simple and straightforward as it gets. If the song was written by HSM, songwriting credit sticks with HSM. If a song is written with a partner, songwriting credits are shared.

 

What Hilton Scott Music Does

1. Write, arrange, produce, and pen songs in most mainstream genres.

2. HSM is fully confident given the right voice and relationship, several of the songs written have potential to be fan favorites helping to raise our status and brand along with the singers and musicians attached to the projects

3. Work with singers/artists to help develop a sound/style for a song that fits their own brand and image

 

What Hilton Scott Music is not:

1. Not a record label—we don’t sign artists

2. Not a recording studio—while we have years of amateur recording experience, Hilton is not a sound engineer---always looking to partner with one though

 

 

HSM looks forward to starting a second year on the web. Some things to keep an eye out for in the coming weeks and months…

 

Several new tracks, new singers, new voices, new genres

Guest blogs

Video – How a song is put together

Video blogs

A Tweet—sometime this year, a tweet will happen, maybe even an IG…

 

Big thanks to everyone helping in the overhaul of the website and rebranding effort. Please check out Ms. Vera Leigh, Music Consultant/Marketing/Management, who played a large role in the look and design of the new site.

 

You ain’t seen nothin yet,

 

HSM

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Answers to Know your Lyrics trivia:

Answer 1: Sheriff John Stone

Answer 2: The Devil

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Hilton Scott’s March Madness 2021

 

March Madness returned, and with it, a whole lotta ups and downs…at times Hilton’s teams were flying high—go Orangeman), at others, dreams buried in the sand (looking at you Illinois---and what the hell is an Illini anyway?) It was a bit like watching the Hilton saga itself unfold. New singers have climbed aboard, some projects have stalled, and others have taken new form during the course of March. The key part being that the journey continues onward, always making new connections and looking to work alongside other talented professionals and artists alike. We’ve been fortunate enough the past month to share stories and ideas with musicians at all different levels. From singers teaching themselves steel guitar to poets wanting to let their word be heard through music, it’s been a fun month. Every single interaction is interesting and special to hear when other musicians/writers share what they are doing to release their creative side.  

 

Big news…A new song is up on the site again, so hopefully, just maybe, that means a potential opportunity for other singers to get involved.

 

In bigger news….In an effort to reshape our image and try and resurrect our woeful social media presence to at least a functional level, Hilton started working with a music consulting firm in the hopes of trying to get some more publicity. I think the conversation can best be summed up by Vera (our awesome consultant) telling us that “the first place to start is actually getting some friends on Facebook,” and get this, “an actual Facebook page”…Turns out we didn’t have one…only a business page. Paint me cynical here, but I think that sounds like the kind of thing one of our many so-called “likes” on Facebook could have apprised us of. C’mon guys, I thought we were in this thing together…Anyway…It’s been a blast having weekly calls with Vera spending a little more time on the other aspects of songwriting, and that’s the business side. It’s led to a new blog topic that should be posted sometime in the next week… for now, we’ll try and wait till we square away the whole Facebook page thing first before getting too outlandish.

 

In even bigger news…Hilton world is coming up on the one-year anniversary of the first website launch. It’s a pretty cool moment to be perfectly honest. We’ve been around for one year, and we are in a strangely similar place to where it all began…writing music, working alongside other accomplished musicians, and doing what we love doing—making music that maybe, just maybe, other people like listening to.

 

And one…,

 

HS

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February 2021 Update

 

Smile, Hilton’s back with an update for the short month of February. 28 short days later, we’ve hardly had time to settle in on projects, let alone deal with the zombie apocalypse...if you haven't learned yet, most of our references will be at least ten years old. Smile is the key word of the month, however, given the latest collaboration, Smile, between Hilton Scott and LA singer John Fullwood. We won’t say much other than to encourage you all to take a listen and give any feedback you have on the single.  It is the latest successful track mixed via tele-tracking (trademark still pending on that phrase by the way) working with musicians and singers across the country to help keep Hilton’s sounds fresh and always changing. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to check out Sing Along as well, released back in December, featuring David Scott of Mississippi. Two different genres, but Hilton is always striving to excel as a songwriter in general with catchy hooks and relatable lyrics no matter the style or song.

 

Other news of the month included some setbacks and disappointments, but that’s all part of the game. With new songs being written and recorded, certain projects tend to fall behind. I promised two blogs in February and a hyped video, but unfortunately, one blog was all we got to….we did release a song though…Smile….notice the subtle use of the word over and over again with the link—pretty good strategy, hey? The Hilton video, like all new music and projects, is constantly being worked on, but as new singers join the team and other projects evolve, we have to adapt. Last month was focused on releasing Smile. The goal for next month is another release with yet another singer and hopefully a different genre as well.

 

BDBBDDDDDTTTHhhattt….That’s all folks,

 

HS

 

January 2021 Recap

 

Long January, “but there’s reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last.” Aside from feeling quite fitting, I figured the 90’s fans out there may appreciate the reference. Not quite the right month…but you get the picture. While we’re all likely a few months away yet from a return to normalcy, a number of things happened throughout the month that make me think some semblance of order may be returning to life, at least in Hilton land. SNL returned with some spot-on humor, some truly cold weather finally found its way to the frigid town of Duluth, MN, and Tom Brady advanced to the 10th Superbowl of his career…literally more championship appearances than Hilton has had dates in the past ten years…There’s a joke in there somewhere I’m sure, but it does get harder and harder to look in the mirror each morning.

 

All jesting aside, the year started with a promising number of new projects being completed in the first few weeks of the year. Having taken our campaign for talented singers “on the road” so to speak with craigslist posts nationwide, we’ve found a handful of wonderful singers we’re very happy to be working with moving forward---hopefully releasing more singles as the weeks go by. We’ve been promising new tracks and new singers for a number of months now, but we may be getting closer to actually delivering with four new tracks actively being recorded as this is being written. Most exciting, however, is that we’ve found some extremely talented female singers who will hopefully be helping us further bridge the gap into some more mainstream sounding pop and ballad performances.

 

Expect new tracks throughout February, at least two new blogs, and a special video surprise from Hilton.

 

Stay tuned in, turned on, and truly appreciative of the new year,

 

HS

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Happy New Year (2021) from Hilton Scott!

 

Happy New Year to everyone. I was just thinking that it was about time 2020 finally came to an end, but then I thought, I think that about every year…new beginnings I guess. I figured the best way to ring in the New Year would be to do a recap of 2020 taking a look at the highlights and the lowlights---spoiler alert…the lowlights outweighed the highlights for the year. Regardless, lets recap some of the exciting news from last year.

 

2020 Highlights

If I missed something, let me know.

 

1. Hilton updated the website, started this fabulous newsletter, and opened a twitter account (though hasn’t tweeted yet—see Lowlights for more on this). I wanted to quit here while I was ahead, but Auggie told me I had to write more.

2. Released a single featuring Chuck Foster titled My Blue Heaven…It can be found on the website, YouTube, and the magic of google.

3. Hilton did his first guest spot on the Morning Show with Chris Allen on Kool 101.7. I’m told that the recording was unfortunately lost but trust me when I say it was pure magic.

4. Work continued in anticipation of a new EP or full album in 2021…

5. Currently working/collaborating with singers and musicians out of New York, California, Mississippi, Colorado, and even a few local Minnesota residents. The state of Texas pulled my craigslist ad so I’m weighing my legal options there…

6. Released a single in December titled Sing Along featuring David Scott on vocals. The song expanded the song catalog in a hopefully more country appealing direction for the Hilton fans out there that enjoy that sort of thing.

7. I’m sure more has happened, but it’s hard to remember sometimes. I started having to carve hashes into the wall of the studio to remember the days that have passed. Turns out it was 365 or something like that.

 

As with any piece of entertainment, now it’s time for my personal favorite…the blooper reel.

 

1. Started a Facebook and Twitter account, but to my knowledge, have not posted on either…I guess it lets people know we’re out there amongst the people yet still a rung up from the commoners just not willing to interact with them?  

2. In a sad development, and despite not really utilizing Facebook, Hilton’s undeniable charm led to the breakup of Aiden and Rita from our Facebook followers. I really thought those two crazy kids would make it…(This dates back to the May Newsletter for you less than frequent visitors)

3. No March Madness. This really has nothing to do with music, but it was a blow to Hilton’s frequent gambling habits…Wagering on the color of the next car to drive past the palatial estate at Wellington just doesn’t hold the same thrill as buzzer beaters did.

4. Despite a letter campaign and several well-intentioned advocacy groups, Auggie refused to do a guest spot on the blog or release his YouTube channel to the world. As if 2020 wasn’t already hard enough dammit. Emailed letters are still being accepted at hiltonscottmusic.com. Please put “Auggie YouTube Channel” in the Subject.  

5. Hilton's blog officially had ten thousand nine-hundred and eight viewers less than the YouTube video titled Epic Old Men Walking. Again, this is literally a video of shots of old men walking on the street. I have to admit I had to a take a long look in the mirror after this one. Definitely a gut check…To make matters worse, Uncle Kenny unfriended me…who does that to a family member?

6. I took hours of footage of myself talking to the camera as I recorded new material, but the good doctor told me it wasn’t a healthy habit to be talking to myself all the time, so we had to get rid of the footage…this may or may not have happened…it’s hard to say what’s real anymore. I also vaguely remember running for president but sometimes I confuse myself and Kanye.

7. Most disappointing of all, less than impressive output for new material reaching the fans. There’s lots of material, several songs written and recorded, but always looking for the best singers out there to make the songs and music the best they can be.

 

Well, that pretty much sums up 2020 for those of you who only like to check in once a year. A lot of other stuff happened too, but I think we’ve all had enough of hearing about it. I had intended to do a much bigger production for the New Year, but Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, and Snoop Dogg all turned me down as if they had a better place to be. Seacrest reached out late, but I’m sorry, he’s simply no Dick Clark. Looking forward to a fun, productive, and enlightening new year.

 

Stay safe, masked, and get the vaccination when you can,

 

Happy New Year!

 

HS

 

 

November 2020 

 

Keeping things short, sweet, and to the point this month. With the year quickly coming to an end…and not soon enough on several fronts…we’ll save the long update for a recap of the entire year in the Special New Year’s Newsletter on the other side of the month. It’s going to be big, bold, and innovative…or it will be very much similar to what we put out every month. Either way, one of those things will be true. That said, work and songs are progressing, new plans are being considered for more social media exposure, and Hilton will be releasing at least one new track by the end of the year… “Sing Along” -- a song with country underpinnings and dare I say a “sing along” kind of hook.

 

Now that the word play is out of the way and I imagine you are all “hot and bothered” at this point by the exciting news, we are in all seriousness very excited about releasing the latest track that will feature David Scott, a Mississippi resident with ties to the southern Nashville music scene. As Covid has continued to shut down many doors across the country, it has also opened a handful of doors as well with artists all over the world (literally from Germany to Mexico) looking for opportunities to still do what they love, even if from the confines of their own home, and Hilton is reaping all the benefits. Score one for the basement dwellers…we’ve literally been training for this moment most of our lives. Paid to work from home, avoiding the public at large, and making music everyday…I just wish the ninth grade me could see me now!

 

Please continue to refer anyone you know that may be interested in singing, writing lyrics, social media canvassing, etc..as we are always looking for new talent to not only assist us in reaching our long-term songwriting goals, but also help others reach their goals as well. Whether it’s writing and collaborating on a song together, just looking for some studio work and pay, or wanting to showcase your singing voice and are in need of a song to be your vehicle, we’re open to all types of working relationships that help ultimately put new music and artists into the mainstream where the musicians still actually strum their guitars, sit at a real drum sets, and don’t assume aggressive auto-tuning vocals a la T-Pain style is a standard filter on every song. Probably should take that last line out, I’ve heard T-Pain is extremely litigious…

 

Keep an eye out for the release of our latest song Sing Along, and if we don’t hear from you until 2021, Happy Holidays, Happy New Years, and Happy listening to Hilton Scott!

 

Seasons Greetings from Wellington Street Hit Factory,

 

HS

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October 2020 - Hilton’s 6th Month Anniversary Spectacular!

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Well, it’s officially been six months since we started this crazy journey together trying to get our foot in the door on the social media front, and we’re still here. I thought I’d ring in the anniversary by checking in to see how the blog has been going over, and I see we have had 8 views. Really? 8 goddamn views? There’s literally a video on YouTube at this very moment titled “Epic Old Men Walking,” that has 10,000 plays. For clarification, it is actually a video of old men simply walking. That’s nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-two more views than Hilton’s blog. C’mon! Auggie told me to be professional and not to swear in our 6th anniversary post, but goddamn it, who the hell the cares, no one’s listening anyways. Props to mom, Uncle Walter, and our lone, anonymous Twitter follower for continuing to check in on the website from time to time, though, I’ve noticed even Uncle Walter’s check-ins are becoming fewer and far between. On the plus, the month of the pumpkin certainly lived up to its reputation for being downright scary; Covid cases skyrocketed, Hugh Grant took to the small screen, Kanye was an actual presidential candidate, and several of our prominent and mask-less leaders even fell ill with the virus…who would have guessed?

 

All joking aside, October was an exciting month in Hilton Land. As I mentioned last month, we started working with new singers over the past few months and have added some interesting new locales to the list of places we are tele-tracking vocals from; Mississippi and Mexico. The ability to record vocals (or any instrument) from separate locations has been a boon to the talent we have been fortunate enough to attract to ongoing projects during this time of self-imposed isolation. We are still posting and looking for singers all the time, but it has been interesting and fun to keep working even in times of social distancing by being able to coordinate songs from hundreds of miles apart. Maybe I should write a blog on it…oh yeah, I did. On another exciting note, we have continued to try and expand our music beyond the Duluth city limits and have been lucky enough to have gotten some airplay on college radio stations across the country; even picking a fan or two along the way.  

 

Although the latest songs we have been recording with the new singers come from an older catalog of music written over the past five years, rest assured that the new music I’ve been hyping over the past several months continues to be meticulously recorded and tracked a piano chord and guitar lick at a time as we continue to await the perfect voice to pick up the phone and give us a call. Nevertheless, I’m particularly excited about the singer we are working with out of Mississippi who is bringing some real-deal “country” vocals to our CMT focused work, which makes a huge difference in the overall production and vibe of the song. I’d love to set out some clear dates for when some of these tracks will be ready for the website, but as any songwriter/musician knows, it tends to all come together when you least expect it. I hope to have the next single “Sing Along” out and circulating for mom come December, but the new music and EP will definitely be looking at a 2021 timeline.

 

If you are a singer, know a singer, have a friend whose friend is a singer, or just want to chat with Hilton, get in touch.

 

As always, thanks for stopping by. Stay safe, stay masked, and above all, stay sexy…you know Hilton will,

 

HS

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September 2020

 

 

After weeks and months of recording mostly instrumental tracks, Hilton has finally started moving into phase 2 of the recording process by working with individual singers who have reached out to us over the summer and early fall. Still recording primarily through tele-tracking, it’s nevertheless still an exciting milestone to hit when we start to piece together new songs and shape them towards the final end product with new singers. That being said, as mentioned in last month’s newsletter update, Hilton is still asking (begging—self-respect went out the window for me years ago) for both singers and lyricists to reach out if they are interested in a collaboration. Coming to the realization over the past few months that we simply have too much material to write lyrics for on our own (and the female pop songs we are trying to record don’t particularly lend themselves to being written by a male in his mid-thirties with a penchant for heartbreak and rhyming “heart” and “start” in every song), fresh new lyrics actually written from the female point of view is highly welcome and sought after at this point. Along those same lines, as can be seen from our lackluster social media presence, any singers or lyricists with a creative disposition are also welcome in helping put together social media videos for new music we record, so we can more properly showcase the new songs and artists we work with.

 

The last few months have been a slog, but with a little bit of luck and a lot of King of the Hill reruns, we’ve managed to make some slow progress and move the recording of the new album (EP) forward---at least from a demo standpoint. I finally completed my celebration of the early Meg Ryan films from August and September –Innerspace is highly underrated--- so October has opened up again for more focused music related work.  Make sure to check out the latest Hilton blog on recording difficulties we’ve been facing and add any comments you may have of your own experiences and frustrations in the studio.

 

Call to Action---- Singers and Lyricists of any kind welcome to reach out. Remember to include vocal samples and a list of genres or specific singers you enjoy performing.

 

November 3 --- If you haven’t already, get out and vote!

 

The journey continues,

 

HS

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August 2020

 

This month's update will be short because,,, well, not much happened. I was hoping to have some new music up in demo form, but the recording process has been taking a bit longer than anticipated ---trying to get the sound of today's out-of-the-box-made-for-radio pop sound doesn't come quite as natural to me as what I'm used to recording. Nevertheless, several new songs continue to be recorded and worked on, and we have continued reaching out to new singers to collaborate with and record final vocal tracks. I hope to have new music up in the next month or so, but it all depends on how the songs are coming together and finding the right vocal and lyrical fit for the music. One additional thing to mention here is that given the pace at which our song catalogue continues to grow, it's becoming clearer and clearer that Auggie and myself simply can't complete lyrics to every song in a meaningful way. That being said, we are starting to open up collaborations with singers who also would be interested in contributing to lyric writing as well, so if that sounds like you, or you know someone it does sound like, please let us know.  I also hope to have a new blog up by the end of this month, but my latest obsession with pre-1995 Meg Ryan movies has been hard to overcome...she was (and still is) America's sweetheart despite the internet's claims of Mary Pickford to the contrary. That being said, keep checking in on the website, and don't be afraid to reach out through the site or on social media. 

 

As always, thanks for checking in, see you in Seattle, 

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HS

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July 2020

 

 

Well, I’d like to say it was a whirlwind July in Hilton land with albums being dropped, press tours being planned, and possibly a documentary on Disney+ just to keep up with Beyonce (I’m currently boycotting Netflix for dropping the entire Back to the Future saga from their catalog), but as it turns out, it takes a little work to get to that point…Damn. I do want to start off again by saying, however, thank you to everyone who continues to reach out to us, visit the website, visit our Facebook page, and all the singers who continue to send in demos for us to take a listen to and possibly collaborate with. It’s greatly appreciated. Having launched the upgraded website really only back in May, and still trying to fully get our feet on the ground with our social media presence, every click and visit to the website or play of our songs is meaningful and helpful.

 

That being said, although the developments that occurred over the last month aren’t quite as sexy or flashy as the ones mentioned above, I can assure you, the wheels have kept turning behind the scenes doing a lot of the things that are, for better or worse, a required aspect of trying to get known in the music industry. I won’t get into the boring details of the countless emails I send out trying to make networking moves with other Minnesota bands and agencies, or the obscure radio stations I pander to across the country begging to give Uncle Hilton some air time, but many things of that nature have been in motion. As always, the conversations I get to have with singers and other musicians from around the country when we have that first exciting talk about possibly doing a song together is always a thrill. I mentioned it in the first Hilton blog a couple months back, but there’s nothing like the first time working with a new singer or planning a project to get the creative juices flowing.

 

On the Horizon---  New music is constantly being written and recorded in the home studio…A.K.A Auggie’s basement, and the hope will be to get some new music up online (if even in demo form) in the coming weeks.

 

Calling All Singers---Hilton is always looking to work with like-minded singers and musicians, so if you’re even slightly curious about what we’re up to or possibly working together, reach out. (Maybe you know a friend, hell maybe you know two. Crazier things have happened) I can assure you, I’m not the monster that “Aiden” from Facebook says I am. "Rita" was never really his girl to begin with….You would get that reference if you were a true fan---hint, hint the May Edition below.

 

Also, you’ll probably notice if you listen to the songs we have posted, they have a rather similar sound overall, and that’s why we also have the Sampler Track included in order to give an idea of the different genres we cover apart from the more AAA or Alt rock tunes we have posted currently. Perhaps most exciting of all, Hilton has spent a fair amount of time trying to reach a more radio friendly audience with some fresh, new songs and sounds more in line with the Katy Perry’s of the world, so if that’s your thing, that is currently a niche sound for a female singer we are looking for. Furthermore, if you have an artist, or even a particular song in mind that you would really like to create a song around, let me know. While I prefer the singers that come in talking about Pat Benetar, Haley Williams, Adele, Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen, Ben Nichols, or Chuck Foster, if you are currently hearing some sort of Ja Rule meets Linda Ronstadt vibe going on in your head, let me know. I love trying to replicate sounds. (You never know, who would have guessed Ja Rule meets J-lo….ahh 2001, such a simpler time)

 

Tele-Tracking---Hilton mentioned this in his first blog a few months back, but given the whole Covid-19 thing seems to be hanging around (who would have thought crowded bars and house parties weren’t a good idea during a pandemic), we are always interested in remote singers or musicians who have access to their own recording space so that there is no need to have to crowd into a tiny recording area to work together. I wasn’t being facetious above when I said we have had singers from all over (Nashville, Colorado, Twin Cities) that have contacted us. (This plays well to my Phantom of the Opera mystique of avoiding direct pictures and being seen at all costs. I’m actually a miniature fighter pilot who has been somehow placed inside a mild mannered store clerk…props to those that pick up that reference)

 

As always, thanks for checking in, hope you enjoyed the ride, you’re exit is on the right,

 

HS

 

 

June 2020

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The Hilton Scott News Letter is no more…just joking. No need to worry, Uncle Hilton hasn’t forgot his monthly check-in with his fans, but this month there won’t be a full newsletter since, quite frankly, nothing much happened over the course of June regarding updates in Hilton Land. Given the chaotic state of the world at large, the month of June saw some much more important things take place globally with social protests, a return to a rising number of Covid-19 cases, and a sweltering summer heat that has led to what we call in the business a little downtime and a little time for Hilton… there’s a reason they call it a summer vacation people. That being said, the biggest update at the moment is that Hilton Scott songs have started circulating on Jango (not the lovable, fun time block game), but a music streaming site. Although we’re far from viral, it was exciting and nice to see that the music has started to take hold a bit more outside of the local (and most loyal) fan base. With that, I hope you keep checking in on the Hilton Scott Blog as new articles go up routinely (or when I’m not being lazy), and you keep telling your friends to check out the music. In the meantime, keep in touch and stay safe. See you in August.

 

Thanks,

 

HS

 

May 2020

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Well, we made it month two of the newsletter, can you believe it…. frankly I’m stunned. First off, I want to thank everyone who lent their support and encouragement last month for a number of efforts put in place to get the Hilton Scott Monthly Newsletter up and running, an updated website, the blog moving forward, and a solid (albeit still lacking) presence on social media. Who the hell knew social media took up so much of a person’s time? So, to everyone that helped undertake those projects, thank you. However, I also want to send out a giant thank you to everyone that sent words of encouragement and support in my endeavor to branch out into the social media world. I really appreciate it! I still haven’t sent out my first tweet yet (though I somehow have some oversea followers already eagerly awaiting that breakout moment?), but be assured, you will hear about it when I do.

 

Moving on from the thank you’s, the month of May was a busy one in Hilton land. Ironically, very little on the actual music front took place (I jest), but the social media launch and work on the website was a time-consuming effort. I do have a new found appreciation for those of you out there who have launched successful social media campaigns, as it really is a lot of work for very little initial pay off. I’ll admit that it was somewhat disappointing in those first few days after the launch when the only response I had received was at 3 a.m. from a guy named Aiden who called me out on Facebook for “getting back together with Rita” and warning me it was going to be a “big problem”. However, if Aiden is reading this, I assure him (and all my fans) I was not with Rita that night...we typically hang out on Tuesdays.

 

Another big segment that took place in May was my interview with Chris Allen on the Kool 101.7 Morning Show. First off, I have to say that Chris (he lets me call him Chris) is a really cool guy, and I want to thank him again for letting me be on the show. On top of that, he also wrote up a nice article on the Kool 101.7 website talking about Hilton Scott https://kool1017.com/hilton-scott-a-band-without-a-lead-singer/that was also much appreciated. Chris has been doing this weekly segment for artists not only in Duluth but around the region since quarantine was put into place, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. If you missed the interview, I believe the link I included still posts to the article.

 

I joked earlier about not doing too much music stuff, but as always, the month was filled with little projects here and there trying to help move the process along. On top of spending a great deal of time on recording new music and trying to figure out what the hell I’m doing with sound engineering, I also got to meet (over the phone) a number of talented singers that have shown interest in working together moving forward, so I definitely have a number of projects on the horizon which is always nice.

 

On the Horizon ---

 

A number of talented singers have submitted vocal samples and I look forward to moving forward with a handful of singers to work on upcoming tracks. One area I’m focusing on at the moment is finishing some more songs with female vocalists so I can expand on the genre and styles I write and record.

 

The next Hilton Newsletter

 

We made it to month two so help me make it to month three by joining the mailing list and getting your monthly reminder to check in with Uncle Hilton (and that in no way is creepy). I’m always available for questions or whatever else you may want to chat about, so feel free to write back or respond to the newsletter or blog, or in whatever manner you may see fit to do so. While it was nice to be messaged at 3 a.m. and apparently involved in some sort of online love triangle, I am hoping for future social media interactions to be less dramatic.

 

Thanks again to everyone that helped make the social media launch a minor success in May and to everyone that responded and took the time to say some kind (or not so kind) things about the music. A good friend of mine made the mention of Jimmy Eats World meets the Hooters to give his take on some of the Hilton music, and if you know me at all, that was high praise.

 

Look forward to seeing you next month,

 

HS

 

 

Welcome to the first official Hilton Scott Monthly News Update

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April 2020

 

Well, April is officially in the books, and what a crazy month it’s been! And interestingly enough, not just for me on a personal level. It’s safe to say it’s been probably the most bizarre spring I can remember in my lifetime; Schools are shut down, businesses are closed, people are wearing masks, we’re being encouraged to beam sun light directly into the body, professional sports have been halted, and even March Madness was brought to its knees by this strange time (I know people who literary plan their entire year around that event), yet through it all, we try to go on as best as we can. At least that’s what I tell myself, and it makes me feel marginally better.

 

Introduce newsletter/purpose

 

That being said, I’ve tried to use the time productively and start generating a little more effort into my social media presence and give the world what they really want…another guy in his basement spouting off half-baked theories about who knows what… All joking aside, I have been wanting to get more interactive with fans and friends that do take an interest in songwriting and recording, so I wanted to  introduce what I hope to be a monthly newsletter for fans or friends of Hilton Scott so they can get an update on any new songs or news that happens throughout the year in Hilton land. I realize folks don’t want to be harassed around the clock to take a listen to a latest song I recorded or video I posted, so I thought this could be a gentle reminder once a month to check in with your pal Hilton and see what’s new. If you would like this gentle nudge forward CLICK HERE to sign up.

 

The hope is that the Hilton Newsletter will mention a few things that happened throughout the month; mainly things like new songs recorded, videos posted on the web, new collaborations, Blog topics, media attention, and upcoming events, but also (if you’re really lucky) the good headlines like “Hilton goes off on rant about the downfall of analog recording” or “Why are we only limited to 12 tones in the Chromatic Scale?”). I also hope to keep the newsletter interactive and would love to hear what my fellow friends, songwriters, and musicians are doing to get a leg up on the competition. If you have your own thing going, tell us about it and perhaps we’ll include you as a guest blogger or featured interview. If you’re out there and doing it, we want to know about it!

 

Note that in an effort to save a modicum of dignity and professionalism, I will be writing headlines in third-person as to give the cool impression they were drafted by my minions.

 

Since this is technically the first newsletter, I’ll get you caught up to speed on where we are:

 

Hilton quietly debuts professional EP in early 2020—I’m sure you read about it in all the … wait, oh yeah. Well, you know about it now. You can hear Hilton on Spotify, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, and of course, here on the Hilton website. The recording took place mostly in 2019 at Sound 5 Studios (may be worth asking Owen if they would like the plug and link here---could be a way to network by giving them a plug and ourselves in the process) The experience was fantastic and I’m happy to share more about it if there are questions.

 

Hilton Scott song “California Nights” makes it to Semi-Finalist phase of International Songwriting Competition – Although we didn’t win, it was still really nice to make it to even this level as I think the number was around 15% or so of submitted songs make it to the semis, so that was definitely cool.

 

Hilton Scott joins forces with Kid Highway to pay tribute to the Boss (Bruce Springsteen & and E-Street Band) --- Ever the admirer of Springsteen, and his nearly unfathomable catalogue of original songs, Kid Highway uses Springsteen titles and lyrics to create a story. Take a listen now and see if you can name every Boss song included in the track.

 

Hilton Takes to Social Media with a … well, I guess we’ll see. ---- Like Hilton on Facebook, follow the Hilton Twitter, and check out the weekly blog and latest video postings related to all things songwriting and recording, and of course, Hilton Scott

 

On the Horizon—

 

Hilton will be doing a radio interview with Chris Allen from 101.7 in Duluth on May 11, 2020

 

A number of talented singers have submitted vocal samples and we look forward to moving forward with a handful of singers to work on upcoming tracks.

 

The next Hilton Newsletter

 

I do hope that we can start to get some interaction with songwriters and musicians (after all- collaboration and getting your name out there is the name of the game), so please take the time to take a listen, share your own experiences or thoughts, or pass on the site and information to someone who might be interested.

 

We are always looking to work with talented singers for any number of projects we currently are tracking and welcome all singers to submit vocal samples.

 

Thanks, and I hope to be back in a month. If not, we had a hell of a run.

 

HS

Do you know your lyrics???

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I thumbed a diesel down just before it rained and rode us all the way into New Orleans...

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Hint--I like to sing the Blues

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Who am I?

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Answer in Latest Blog or Newsletter

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