“Music Can Be Escapism, But It Can Also Make People Think”: Jo Hill on New Single and Advocating for Men’s Mental Health in Music.

We sat down with Jo Hill to catch up on her musical journey, the inspiration behind BIG BOYS CRY TOO, and how her West Country roots and personal experiences have shaped her sound and storytelling

“You grew up in a very musical household, with your grandmother being an opera singer and your father studying music at university. How has this shaped your approach to writing and performing today?”

“I grew up in a household where my grandma trained to be an opera singer. She had dreams of touring the world with an opera group, but she got pregnant at 18 and never got to live that dream. A similar thing happened to my dad—he studied music but found that a career in music was too difficult to pursue, so he never got to follow that path. I feel like they both want me to succeed in this so badly because they never got the chance, which makes their support all the more meaningful.”

“Sadly, my grandma passed away years ago, but she always took me to singing competitions and was the reason I could have music lessons growing up. As a kid, she got me performing early on—taking me to sing at old people’s homes. I really thought that was my fame, like, “This is it.” But it definitely pushed me to perform more and more, getting better each time, with less fear and simply getting up on stage and going for it. That’s what they both taught me: just do it, just go for it. In terms of writing, both have very overactive imaginations and a strong sense of storytelling, which I’ve adopted into my own writing.

“You describe yourself as a “POW girl” and mention your West Country roots. How do the West Country roots and describing yourself as a “POW girl” aspects of your identity influence your music and artistic persona?”

“POW Girl is a character I came up with when I first moved to London and got into a mix of different things. I really got into Kacey Musgraves and that country vibe, feeling like a bit of a prangy cowgirl—a bit of a girl from the countryside who’s anxious but moved to a big city to chase her dream, feeling flappy and all over the place. The flip side of that is that I was getting through it and chasing my dream, feeling like a POW, POW, superhero for doing so. It’s the duality of being a woman growing up—flipping between your anxious self and your superpower self.”

“Coming from the West Country, I grew up in a tiny village where everyone knows everyone, which influences your sense of storytelling and noticing the special in the mundane. But it’s also a weird place where everything and anything happens when people are bored, so a lot of sh*t goes down and people get experimental. As a kid, we used to waterbomb cars and make dens in the woods to get high in. That sense of adventure and freedom is the feeling I try to capture in my writing. “POW Girl” also justgives confidence. When you try to put on your “POW Girl” mentality, as some of my fans have been saying, and just push through, do it, and stay positive, it’s really hard sometimes.”

“Who are your main musical influences, both generally and specifically for BIG BOYS CRY TOO?”

“My main musical influences are Kacey Musgraves and the classics like Joni Mitchell, Queen, The Beatles, Bowie, and Tracy Chapman, who have all shaped my sense of storytelling and I adore the lyrical world I discovered through them. Kacey opened up this world of slightly-country that I fell in love with, and I’ve also been listening a lot to Japanese House recently. While I do listen to dance and pop music a lot, it didn’t influence BIG BOYS CRY TOO, which I think is more of a Sade-type song. I drew inspiration from “By Your Side” by Sade, which has a really warm feeling. That warmth was also influenced by Kacey with the warm-slightly-Americana feel.”

“Your music often draws from personal experiences and life stories. Did BIG BOYS CRY TOO originate from a personal experience, a conversation you wish you had with someone, or a broader commentary on societal expectations?”

“BIG BOYS CRY TOO came from experiences within my family. I don’t want to go into specifics, but a lot of boys and men close to me have struggled with their mental health, particularly when I was growing up. They were older than me, and I didn’t quite understand it at the time. I just remember them going off to uni, coming back, and telling me how much they struggled. Even years after they’d been to uni, they still couldn’t sleep at night and were so anxious and confused. I remember feeling so sad that we never had those conversations when they were going through it, which I believe made it even worse because they were so embarrassed to talk about their feelings.

“I personally remember when I first experienced anxiety, I was so ashamed, embarrassed, and confused—like, what is this? I can’t imagine what that must feel like as a man, where you feel like you can’t open up about these things because it makes you appear weak. There have been a lot of people taking their lives in my hometown, especially men. And because of this energy of men not being able to wear their emotions on their chest and say how they really feel, I think that really drove me to write this song.”

“Your previous project, Cinematic Baby, explored themes of innocence, darkness, and community, all rooted from Glastonbury. How does BIG BOYS CRY TOO continue or diverge from these themes?”

“BIG BOYS CRY TOO is actually very different. Cinematic Baby was rooted in my hometown, more of a specific location or body of work, and focused on community. To be honest, the next music for me is more about things I’ve been through as a woman and things I’ve noticed in the world—it’s kind of a commentary on what I feel isn’t right in the world. So maybe it feels more experience-based and broader rather than being specific to a location, if that makes sense. You could phrase it more as a “coming-of-age” theme. So yeah, the next releases are about self-discovery, learning life’s lessons, and singing about them.”

“Can you walk us through your writing process? Did the melody or lyrics come first for BIG BOYS CRY TOO? Were there any challenges or surprises during the writing and recording of BIG BOYS CRY TOO?”

“When writing BIG BOYS CRY TOO, I was in the studio with Havelock Hudson and Will Bloomfield, which was actually the first time ever writing with both of them together, though I’ve written loads with each individually. The song originated from some chords Havelock started playing on guitar, and the initial track felt quite depressing as the chorus was sung more straight and strokes-y than swung.”

“We changed it, giving the song a swung feeling, then moved to the piano, and it all felt warmer. I remember the lyrics “let me in,” “shedding skin,” and then “you don’t have to be a big boy about it” came first, and we all were like, wow, this could be cool if the song was about this! So it was probably the melody that came first, then the chorus lyrics, probably the verse and the pre-chorus last.”

“What are your favourite lyrics from the track, and what do they mean to you? Which lyrics do you think will resonate or impact the listeners the most?”

“It’s generational to not get emotional/ We sit in silence at the table/ I’ll give you an open door/You’ve never been in before.”

“These lyrics really paint the imagery for me. I don’t know if you’ve seen Sex Education, but there’s this scene where Adam Groff and his dad are sitting at the dinner table, unable to speak to each other. All too many times you see these scenes in films or in real life where men are there but can’t tap in emotionally, and the lyrics are really a commentary on that.”

“Also, how it’s kind of generational—my granddad never spoke about how he felt, my dad didn’t either, and then it passed down to my brother, you know? These lyrics are me saying, “It’s okay, I’ll give you an open door, a space you’ve never been in before, like you’ve never experienced just laying your cards on the table, so let’s do it together.” These are the lyrics that I love.”

“The lyrics suggest breaking generational cycles of silence and stoicism. How has this theme resonated with your personal experiences or stories you’ve heard from others?”

“The idea of breaking generational cycles of silence and stoicism definitely comes from my grandparents and my parents. My dad comes from a very religious background and was raised in an environment where, as a man, you didn’t talk about your emotions or how you felt, and I think he struggled at times because of this. The same with my granddad and his relationship with his dad.”

“It feels to me like it’s a dad-to-dad thing—following and looking up to your dad growing up, thinking as a young boy, “If he doesn’t do that, I won’t do that.” I think things are getting better, but there are still a lot of structure in place in society and unconscious biases that don’t create space for men to openly talk about their emotions or a space for them to feel like it’s okay to not feel embarrassed and weak.”

“How important do you think it is to normalise conversations about men’s mental health, and what role do you see your music playing in that process?”

I think it’s really important to normalize conversations about men’s mental health. I remember struggling with my own mental health and just Googling people who had been through similar experiences. It was so helpful to see that others were going through the same things. I think it’s like that, but multiplied by 100, for men. The more you’re able to speak about it and create conversation, the safer people feel and are able to do it themselves, which in turn then becomes less stigmatised and seen as okay to talk about.”

“It’s been really touching to see people reacting to the song, saying things like, “I need to send this song to my brother” or “My dad’s really been struggling” or “My boyfriend’s really been struggling.” We also created a beautiful music video where fans sent in videos of them and their dads. Music can be powerful in sending messages because it’s something you can sit with and connect to. I just hope the song can bring people closer together—like a daughter sending it to her dad—that’s the aim.”

“Things like these are so important, and I’d love for this song to play a role in someone’s life and have a positive impact, making someone feel safer or closer to a relative, or maybe even more open. That would be incredible.”

“How do you balance the artistic expression in your music with the responsibility of conveying important social messages?”

“This is my first song with an outright social message behind it, apart from maybe Stay At Home Girl. A lot of the songs I’m about to release also brush on this, and I’m really excited about that. I think it’s an artist’s responsibility to make people think and feel, but I don’t believe you have to convey an important social message in every song at all. After all, music can be escapism.”

“I released HONEYMOON, which is literally just about love—most songs are about love, and people want to listen to that. But then you also have music like Earth Song that makes people think and carries a message. Going forward, I think I’ll always want to include this element, not in every release, butwatching how people connect and how songs can really help others is amazing—it’s almost like a two-in-one.”

“You played this track during your mini tour with Alfie Jukes, what has the response for it been so far? Was there any feedback in particular that touched you?”

“Playing this track during the mini-tour with Alfie was amazing. I really needed that tour because I had just left this label, and it was incredible to meet his fans. A lot of people seemed to really love BIG BOYS CRY TOO and kept asking when it would be released. The most touching feedback has been people messaging me and commenting that they sent the song to family members or partners who are struggling, thanking me for making it. And now, people are making montage videos of themselves with their fathers, especially on TikTok, and it’s so beautiful. So touching.”

“What advice would you give to other artists who want to tackle difficult or sensitive subjects in their work?”

“My advice to other artists would be: go for it! Life is too short—just go for it as long as it’s true and not contrived, and you’re not doing it just because you feel you should. You have to write a song because you really connect with it emotionally and care about it, or you just think it’s really f*cking good.”

“Honestly, if it matters enough to you to share it with the world, then do it. You don’t want to be left sat on what-if's."

“You’ve had support from BBC Radio 1, performed at major festivals like Boardmasters, and toured with artists like Alfie Jukes, Madi Diaz, and Cat Burns. How have these experiences shaped your career and influenced your performance and songwriting style?”

“The Madi Diaz shows really changed how I perform. I had been releasing music for about a year before supporting her, and for the first time, I noticed a real connection with her fans, which was beautiful. They’ve been coming to all my gatherings ever since.”

“There was one show where we weren’t allowed to play with the band at the last minute, so we had to go with an acoustic setup. It turned out to be truly a beautiful accident. Ever since then, I’ve been doing an acoustic three-person setup, and it has revolutionized my performances. Especially now that I’m not with a major label, not everyone can afford to play with a big band, so this setup really lets the songwriting shine through.”

“I remember being so nervous for that performance because we were supporting Madi Diaz, who’s incredible, and just thinking, “My God, I need to do a great job, but ah! We have a different setup last minute.” I was super honest with the audience and told them how I felt, and it turned out to be a beautiful, happy accident where I really connected with the people.”

“I learned from this that honesty is so important. I love performing; it’s my favourite thing in the world, and Ithink that these experiences make you a better performer. As a support artist, people aren’t there to see you, but you have to make them want to see you again. So, I see it as a fun challenge—who here can I connect with?”

“Your involvement with refugee charities in the Middle East has exposed you to many different cultures. How has this influenced your music, and has your style changed because of these experiences?”

“I studied Arabic at university, worked with different refugee charities, and lived in the Middle East, which is kind of where I started doing music. To be honest, I feel like it has influenced my understanding of melody. But I haven’t, as of yet, released an Arabic song, although I’ve written a few. I’d definitely be excited to explore that in the future.”

“It’s funny because while I was there, everyone was so obsessed with Western music, and I was obsessed with Middle Eastern music. I remember trading with producers, saying, “I’ll do an hour of Arabic music with you, and then you can do some Western music with me,” which was so interesting. I would definitely say it has influenced some of the melodies I use.”

“What’s it like hosting “secret gigs” in London and LA? How do these intimate performances influence the way you connect with your audience? Do you have any special memories from these events?”

“My secret gigs... Ah, I love them! I love them. They’re so special—really freeing and DIY. I get to play unreleased stuff I like, and people seem to love coming along. You get to meet fans, hang out with them afterwards, and try new material. A really special memory from these gigs is someone who came along after their dad had just passed away. They were feeling really sad and vulnerable, but they were brave enough to get up and sing a song about it. The whole room was in tears—it was so emotional and really special and wholesome.”

“Another memory I’ll never forget is the LA drummer guy. Towards the end of these secret gigs, I usually invite someone to come up and play. This time, the person brought up a whole drum kit to play, and the entire room was watching. It was almost like they’d never played drums before—like a free jazz kind of vibe, playing along with my song Glastonbury. They were doing these experimental jazz patterns over it—very interesting. It was a funny memory of just thinking, “Wow, this person is going rogue and doing something completely different,” but it was a poignant moment from LA.”

“How do you see your music evolving in the future, especially after tackling such significant themes in BIG BOYS CRY TOO?”

“Oh, my music evolving… It’s going to include more spoken word, maybe some janky country-like folk. What’s it called? Punky country. Let’s just say that right now, that’s the vibe I’m in—folky, punky country. And better-spoken word. Yeah, that’s all I’m saying for now ;)”

“What’s next for you? Are you focusing more on songwriting and recording more music, or is performing more in store for the near future?”

“Next for me is finishing my debut album, that is going to come. I’ve already started writing the next body of work after that because I simply love writing. I’m also going to be doing lots of shows, getting on the road, doing lots of gatherings, and performing my first big headline show in November. So very excited about that!”

Jo Hill’s latest single, BIG BOYS CRY TOO, is a poignant exploration of masculinity and mental health, challenging societal expectations that often force men to suppress their emotions. With her unique blend of warm melodies and powerful lyrics, Jo creates a safe space for listeners to reflect on the often-overlooked struggles of men in expressing vulnerability. In a music landscape that can sometimes shy away from difficult topics, Jo Hill stands out by using her platform to spark meaningful conversations.

BIG BOYS CRY TOO is available to listen to now on every streaming platform.