Hil St. Soul

Hil St. Soul is the alias of Hilary Mwelwa, a Zambia-born British singer/songwriter who is comfortable performing classic soul, smooth jazz, uptempo funk, and gospel. Her versatility earned her the honor of Best Newcomer by the U.K.'s Blues & Soul magazine. She has performed at festivals in Holland, Norway, and England, sharing stages with the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:7GaxyUddsPok8BuhxN6OUW">James Brown</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:336vr2M3Va0FjyvB55lJEd">D'Angelo</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4ylR3zwA0zaapAu94fktwa">Macy Gray</a>. An accomplished and prolific songwriter, her compositions have been recorded by <a href="spotify:artist:5moJNCJeiNwuQAhDLJXULs">Incognito</a> and Maysa Leak, among others. Mwelwa's vocal style doesn't lack drama, but she's more subtle than demonstrative. She has found a comfortable niche that appeases classic soul fanatics without deterring lovers of hip-hop. Working closely with Victor Redwood-Sawyerr, Mwelwa released four albums from 1999 through 2008, and achieved her commercial peak during this period with Copasetik & Cool (2002), featuring the charting single "All That (+ A Bag O' Chips)." After an extended hiatus, she resurfaced in the early 2020s with a handful of singles leading to the fifth Hil St. Soul full-length, Back in Love (2022).

Mwelwa moved from Lusaka, Zambia, to England when she was five years old -- just in time for kindergarten. She studied biochemistry at London's Westminster University, but a strong love for music pushed her to leave school and follow her heart. She made her debut mononymously as Hilary, releasing the single "It's On" through <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dome+Records%22">Dome Records</a> in 1996. An a cappella demo of "Until You Come Back to Me" -- written by <a href="spotify:artist:7guDJrEfX3qb6FEbdPA5qi">Stevie Wonder</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:62dJ3dqOn3JuY73VXIpEOl">Clarence Paul</a>, and Morris Broadnax, and popularized by <a href="spotify:artist:7nwUJBm0HE4ZxD3f5cy5ok">Aretha Franklin</a> -- proved to give her more direction. She loved the song so much she waxed electric and acoustic versions for her 1999 debut album, Soul Organic, a <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dome%22">Dome</a> release jointly written and produced with Victor Redwood-Sawyerr, aka VRS, who had assisted her with "It's On." Mwelwa and Redwood-Sawyerr returned three years later on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Gut%22">Gut</a> label with Copasetik & Cool, and hit number 81 the U.K. pop chart with "All That (+ A Bag O' Chips)," a bhangra-flavored remix of "All That." Copasetik & Cool was licensed for U.S. release in 2004, establishing a long-term association with the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Shanachie%22">Shanachie</a> label.

The third album from Hil St. Soul, Soulidified, was released in 2006 with production duties split between Redwood-Sawyerr, <a href="spotify:artist:68P6JiHWJsv5VqfLPchS1n">Eric Lau</a>, Ernie Green, and Anthony Tidd. Among the highlights were "Baby Come Over," a duet with <a href="spotify:artist:7u6LfVyYpEzMpHLL7jTyvU">Dwele</a>, and the opener "Hey Boy," one of Redwood-Sawyerr's five productions. Redwood-Sawyerr would produce the majority of 2008's Black Rose, a lively set with the uplifting <a href="spotify:artist:7Gf3LSwa5hh8Cjo60WhVjC">India.Arie</a> co-composition "Life." Mwelwa issued an LP under the name Hilz in 2011, but was inactive as Hil St. Soul for over a decade. Teaming with producer Regi Myrix, she revived the Hil St. Soul alias in 2020, issuing a pair of singles that year. In 2021, she covered <a href="spotify:artist:6m30rs1IQqnWqV5nKMpU7U">Ohio Players</a>' "Heaven Must Be Like This" and partnered with <a href="spotify:artist:3u7hrkQcZmqCkcDg3WPczt">Noel Gourdin</a> for "Blessed." "A Feeling So Beautiful" followed in August 2022, building more anticipation for the arrival of Back in Love, the fifth Hil St. Soul album, that November. ~ Andy Kellman & Andrew Hamilton, Rovi