{"id":2481170,"date":"2026-06-29T22:45:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T22:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2481170"},"modified":"2026-06-29T22:45:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T22:45:48","slug":"new-music-monday-hillsboro-confronts-addiction-struggles-on-sophomore-album-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/new-music-monday-hillsboro-confronts-addiction-struggles-on-sophomore-album-release\/","title":{"rendered":"New Music Monday: Hillsboro confronts addiction struggles on sophomore album release"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Victoria and Vancouver Island have a lot of musical talent, and Victoria Buzz wants to highlight some of the best and brightest local artists and bands.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every Monday, there will be a fresh \u2018New Music Monday\u2019 article to help people find and support local artists and bands that are up-and-coming, well established or hidden gems!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For this endeavour, Victoria Buzz has partnered with our good friends at <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4dFEKJP\"><b>CFUV 101.9 FM<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, UVic\u2019s campus radio station, to find and select the musicians and bands for this regular column.<\/span><\/p>\n<aside class=\"eta-spotlight eta-spotlight-featured\" aria-label=\"Buzz-Worthy Business\">\n<p><span class=\"eta-spotlight-dot\">\u2605<\/span> Buzz-Worthy Business<span class=\"eta-spotlight-badge\">Featured<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"eta-spotlight-inner\">\n<p>\ud83c\udf55<\/p>\n<div class=\"eta-spotlight-copy\">\n<p>Domino&#8217;s Pizza<\/p>\n<p>Pizza<\/p>\n<p class=\"eta-spotlight-tagline\">Delivery\/carryout chain offering a wide range of pizzas &amp; a variety of other dishes &amp; sides.<\/p>\n<p><span>\ud83d\udccd Victoria<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"eta-spotlight-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/victoriabuzz.com\/?eta_click=2&amp;dest=site&amp;eta_place=spotlight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\">Visit Website <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To date, there have been 82 New Music Monday features published through this collaboration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This week, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hillsboroinc\/\"><b>Hillsboro<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the New Music Monday highlight!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The five-piece alternative-rock\/emo\/shoegaze band from Victoria has been making waves in the scene since they formed in 2019, and have just released their sophomore album, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Party in Your Name<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though the band has had some members come and go through the years, the current lineup consists of Sam Wells on lead guitar, Nima Walker on vocals and guitar, Dexter Hodgins on violin, Oliver Hollingshead on drums and Layten Kramer on bass.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt started as just kind of a project to play some basement shows and evolved after that,\u201d Wells told Victoria Buzz. \u201cAs soon as COVID hit, it became more of a dedicated recording project.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019d say the current incarnation of the band kind of started around 2022, we came out of COVID zone, the band started playing shows a lot more and we have a record that had been worked on for a couple years that we put out in 2023.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She says that after their debut self-titled record was released, Hillsboro started touring more frequently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Hillsboro first started playing, their sound has evolved as the band grew tighter and Walker was able to refine his process for songwriting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen working on the first record, a lot of that stuff was Nima\u2019s first attempt at writing songs,\u201d Wells explained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe was working on the early EPs that came out and were mostly home recorded at the same time as he was writing a lot of the material for the first record.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She noted that the approach for their self-titled album was to make a \u201csleazy alternative rock\u201d record, which all members had a soft spot for.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was kind of floored when I first connected with Nima and he showed me the stuff he\u2019d been working on,\u201d Wells continued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was pretty blown away that it was some of the first material he\u2019d been writing, and he was like 21 at the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the new record, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Party in Your Name<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Wells said that having the core of the band established with less movement of members, the band was able to have a bit more stability in their approach to writing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She explained that they all come from different backgrounds and have played in projects that span many genres which became a strength when Hillsboro was recording the new album.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe all came together under this more 90s, 2000s rock thing, bringing all those influences together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"highlight-track-woah\"><strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hillsboro.bandcamp.com\/album\/a-party-in-your-name\">Highlight Track \u2013 \u201cwoah\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Wells, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Party in Your Name <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has a bit of an overarching theme which covers struggling with and overcoming addiction, as well as confronting the harsh realities of life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This theme is perhaps best illustrated on the track \u201cwoah,\u201d the lead single of the record.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn my early twenties, addiction shaped the landscape of my life, distorting my sense of self and stability,\u201d Walker explained.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen I finally reached a turning point, I found myself unprepared for what came next: facing reality without the numbing presence of substances.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The band\u2019s singer added that the music of this album chronicles that reckoning\u2014an unfiltered confrontation with his past, regrets and hope for something better ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for how the song came together, Wells said that this track allowed the group to really dial in how the record was written.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think it was a real turning point for how we all wrote together,\u201d Wells added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA lot of this album started as FL Studio loop demos that Nima would create\u2014little instrumental palettes\u2014and \u2018woah\u2019 in particular was mostly that big screeching opening guitar riff and the electronic drum loop underneath.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they went into the studio with Colin Stewart at The Hive, the band opted to keep a lot of that demo DNA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think it was kind of a new step for us,\u201d she continued.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNima will put in these electronic drums because he\u2019s a great electronic producer, but it\u2019s just a reference for what we can do, but in this particular case we thought this whole track kind of hinges on this weird 90s acidhouse thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hillsboro used those drum beats as a foundation for each track and built around them throughout the record, giving its sound a distinct identity that stems from the demos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Check out \u201cwoah\u201d by Hillsboro below:<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=3144453157\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/track=2549228373\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hillsboro.bandcamp.com\/album\/a-party-in-your-name\">A Party in Your Name by Hillsboro<\/a><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listen to \u201cwoah,\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Party in Your Name<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the rest of Hillsboro\u2019s catalogue on <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hillsboro.bandcamp.com\/album\/a-party-in-your-name\"><b>Bandcamp<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/tidal.com\/album\/501825598\/u\"><b>Tidal<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/6XfHkelNLiUG2d5h422JAu?si=C52pApV1ThS4waYWuOw8Ig\"><b>Spotify<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/ca\/artist\/hillsboro\/1492574924\"><b>Apple Music<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though Hillsboro has several shows coming up, they don\u2019t have anything lined up in Victoria that can be announced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the rest of the year, they are embarking on a tour across Canada, touring in Europe after being invited to play the Left of the Dial festival in the Netherlands and looking to record some more material.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That said, Wells said that she expects they will try to play at least one more show in Victoria before they head out on tour.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep an eye on <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hillsboroinc\/\"><b>Hillsboro\u2019s Instagram<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to stay up-to-date on future shows and releases.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><b>Related:<\/b><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4dFEKJP\"><b>CFUV<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a non-profit campus and community radio station that plays a ton of local music of all kinds across Vancouver Island. If you like to support local music they are an amazing resource with a plethora of new local tunes in their arsenal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey mean everything to this community,\u201d said Wells.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCFUV is the foundation of so many young bands getting a chance to try things out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tune into CFUV 101.9 FM on air or <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/listen.streamon.fm\/cfuv\"><b>online<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let us know what you think of <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hillsboroinc\/\"><b>Hillsboro<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the comments below!<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vb-audience-card\">\n<p>Turn On Breaking News Alerts<\/p>\n<p>Be the first to know when major news breaks across Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island.<\/p>\n<p>        <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"vb-audience-btn\" href=\"#vb-push\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n            ENABLE ALERTS        <\/a>\n    <\/div><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source victoriabuzz.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Victoria and Vancouver Island have a lot of musical talent, and Victoria Buzz wants to highlight some of the best and brightest local artists and bands. Every Monday, there will be a fresh \u2018New Music Monday\u2019 article to help people find and support local artists and bands that are up-and-coming, well established or hidden gems! [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2481171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2481170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/New-Music-Monday-Hillsboro-confronts-addiction-struggles-on-sophomore-album.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2481170"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2481172,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2481170\/revisions\/2481172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2481171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2481170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2481170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2481170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}