One of Canada’s most beloved and revered guitarists, Steve Hill returned to his adopted hometown of Montreal to launch his new album Hanging On A String which was recorded in Los Angeles at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606.
Born in Trois-Rivières in 1974, Hill began playing the bar circuit at age 16, turned pro a couple years later when he joined the legendary Bob Harrisson Blues Band before launching his award-winning solo career.
Over the years, Hill has shared the stage with many of his heroes, including Ray Charles, B.B. King and Jeff Beck.
Hill has released 12 albums since his 1997 solo debut, exploring everything from country and metal to jazz and the blues. Produced by 10-time Grammy winner Darrell Thorp (Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Paul McCartney), Hanging On A String features Hill’s one-man band in which he plays all the instruments at the same time.
Hanging On A String, released on November 1 and followed by a North American tour, included a much-anticipated Montreal “homecoming” show at the Beanfield Theatre featuring both Hill’s one-man-band and his iconic power trio.
The music legend sat down with Time Out Montreal for a candid Q&A.
What is the theme of your new album Hanging On A String?
If there’s a theme I think it would be perseverance. You know, the state of the music business, the state of the world, we just keep on keeping on no matter what. It’s a very personal record.
You had a car accident in California last year. What happened?
Well, there were two car accidents in the past couple years. In November 2022 while driving home from a gig I fell asleep at the wheel. The car was a total wreck but I was fine. It was a miracle. Then last August in California when a friend picked me up at the airport, somebody ran a red light and right into us. I had broken ribs and after two or three days in the studio, the producers decided to postpone the recording to January of this year. I’m back to normal now, no longer in pain. Recording this new album, I was never more prepared for anything in my entire life.
All the songs on Hanging On A String are co-written by you and Jean Pellerin, except When The Music’s Over. Why did you record this song by The Doors?
Co-producer Brian Loudenslager had heard an older song of mine where my vocal reminded him of Jim Morrison, so he suggested I record this song. I had to figure out how to play the guitar, keyboards and bass on one guitar. Once I figured that out, I recorded it in two takes with a film crew in the studio. The song is eight minutes long. It was so natural. That was such a great call by Brian.
You got your start as a teen busking on street corners in your hometown of Trois-Rivières before being recruited by Bob Harrisson. What was that like?
Oh, man, I learned so much! I actually started playing clubs with The Fuzz Washington Band which I started when I was 15. We were playing bars by the time I was 16, we did a few shows in Montreal. We played at Station 10. We opened for Lee Aaron at La Brique when I was 17. When one venue booked Bob Harrison for a weekend, he didn’t have a guitar player. Somebody recommended me and he offered me the gig. The week after I was doing four nights in Montreal, and a month later, we were playing Le Spectrum. It was amazing.
How did classic rock icon Michel Pagliaro help you improve your singing and songwriting?
Michel is a no B-S kind of guy. I was used to people telling me, “Oh Steve, you’re good!” But Michel told me, “You got to work on your songwriting. Your singing sucks. Sometimes it’s good, but you got to work on that.” It was a great learning experience to be able to play with him for three years. He’s such a great songwriter. He’s a mentor of mine. I think he’s the best rocker we've ever had in Quebec, one of the best songwriters in Canada. All those hits, people have not forgotten those songs from the 70s, they will be around forever.
Your guitar work on Nanette Workman’s cover of AC/DC’s Ride On is incendiary.
I’ve recorded a bunch of stuff with Nanette. She’s a legend. And I love AC/DC, I’ve always loved that song!
How did guitar legend Jimmie Vaughan influence you?
His brother Stevie Ray Vaughan was a huge influence but by the time I was 17 or 18 I discovered the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and that first album Girls Go Wild just knocked me out. I opened for Jimmie four or five times, and there’s something about his playing. He was a big influence on Stevie also. After Stevie died, everybody wanted to play like Stevie Ray Vaughan, which I did when I was a teenager. But at some point, I made a conscious decision to find my own voice. I didn’t want to be a Stevie clone. And Jimmie Vaughn introduced me to another type of playing. After the T-Birds, he started a solo career and stopped playing with a pick. I was already doing that a little bit, but that really influenced me into playing with my fingers. I haven’t used a pick in over 20 years, I play with my fingers, and that enabled me to find my own sound, my signature sound, and my voice on the guitar.
How important was Jeff Beck?
I met Jeff a couple of times. In my book, he’s the best ever. There’s a special place in my heart for Hendrix but Jeff Beck brought the guitar to new levels. The thing about Jeff Beck is that he never stopped evolving. Usually guitarists have their style and they stick with it. But Jeff just kept practicing and refining it and finding new ways to express music on the guitar. He came up with stuff with the whammy bar that nobody had done before. Beck would play one note and you’d know right away that’s Jeff Beck, and that’s very hard to do.
The king of the blues, BB King, was a fan of yours.
I had just finished playing onstage, and somebody came to my dressing room and said, “Mr. King would like to meet you.” I had opened for a lot of people but most of them, you don’t even meet them. I was nervous and Mr. King was very gracious. It knocked me out how humble and how nice the guy was. He was the ultimate blues royalty. We wouldn’t have the electric guitar playing that we have without BB King. He changed the way people play the guitar. And he was such a great singer and such a gentleman and respectful professional right until the end. That’s why he had the career he had.
You have headlined at the Montreal International Jazz Festival some 15 times. Is Montreal a second home for you?
I moved to Montreal when I was 18 and I lived in Montreal for 25 years. But I bought a house in my hometown of Trois-Rivières seven years ago because I couldn’t afford to buy a place in Montreal. But Montreal is my second home. I have spent as much time in Montreal as in Trois-Rivières. So, yeah, it’s always special to come back to Montreal. I love it. I love the fans there. I love the culture and I love the food in Montreal.
Which is your favourite Montreal neighbourhood?
I spent most of my time in the Plateau and downtown. I moved to the Plateau when it was a place for artists to get cheap rent. That was a long time ago! But the Plateau is still a very special place for me. I love Saint Laurent Boulevard, I love the Main.
Favourite music store?
Steve’s Music Store is very special. It was like a pilgrimage when I was a kid. I couldn’t wait to go to Montreal to go to Steve’s.
Favourite comic book store?
I’m a comic book nerd. I collect comic books. And every time I go to Montreal I visit 1000000 Comix and Capitaine Québec.
Were Steve Hill comic books for sale when you performed at the Beanfield Theatre on November 30?
Yes!
What is your favourite bar, nightclub or venue in Montreal?
The best live venue was Le Spectrum. I played the Beanfield before when it was The Corona, and it’s a very cool place. And I’ve always loved going to Barfly. I love that place! I’ve seen great shows there. And Bistro a Jojo is a classic. I love to go there and jam.
Favourite local restaurant?
I love Schwartz’s Deli on the Main. I try to go when there isn’t a lineup.
Favourite Montreal festival?
It’s hard to beat the Montreal International Jazz Festival. I mean, when I was a kid, it was my dream to play there, and I ended up playing at the festival many times. I was fortunate for a while, jazz fest co-founder Andre Menard was my manager, so I got to see many great shows at the festival.
You are the meanest guitar player in Canada. How do you feel when people call you a living legend?
It’s not the kind of thing that I think about. I live in the moment, I don’t think about what I’ve done in the past that much. I’ve been doing this for a while, but I’m always trying to get better. I’m always working on the next thing. I want to get to a point where I can hear something like that and believe it. But I’m not there yet. I’m still working on it.
For more info about Steve Hill, click here.
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