DCist Interview: April Hill

It's safe to assume that when April Hill left the relative stability of her job at a Wall Street powerhouse firm to pursue her love of music, she couldn't have predicted that the country's financial sector would sink to shockingly low depths and her drastic career shift would seem like a smart move.

But it has. Hill was recently selected by readers of the independent soul movement's standard bearing web site, SoulTracks, as co-recipient of the Best New Artist award with her debut, Love 360. Drawing on the influences of legendary female jazz vocalists of the past and some of today's most creative artists, the Atlanta native and Howard University alumna is carving her own niche.

Tonight at Bohemian Caverns, Hill will be one of three vocalists taking part in the opening night of the Can A Sista Rock A Mic? Festival. She'll be opening for headliner N'Dambi, at 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available in advance.

Questions for April Hill:

First off, congratulations on being named a co-winner of SoulTracks' Readers' Choice Award for New Artist of the Year. What does this type of recognition mean to you?

Thank you so much! This award from SoulTracks is huge for me, because SoulTracks is a major voice in the soul community. It is further confirmation that this is the path God wants me to follow. Just to be among the other artists who were also nominated is an honor. They all are extraordinary artists.

Your first post-Howard career was at Goldman Sachs. How did you make the transformation from financial analyst to singer/songwriter? Was there difficulty in going from the "sure thing" investment bank to the fickle music world?

It definitely was not easy, and it is still not easy. It is always difficult when you put yourself out there. Before, I was strictly judged on my work product. My mentors and my family have definitely played a huge part in making the bumpy parts less bumpy.

What has been the most difficult part of being an independent artist and what has been the most rewarding?

Being an indie artist can be difficult due to the many hats you have to wear. You are the head of marketing, the distribution company, tour organizer, band rehearsal coordinator, out of the box thinker/thinking of ways to keep your name out there, investor/ budget developer, and, oh yeah, a singer/songwriter/entertainer. You now represent every department of a major label. However, with all that said, there is nothing like someone saying that your music has helped them in some way. There is nothing like using a gift God has given you. A gift that makes you truly happy.