After taking piano lessons from touring musician Ted Sablay of The Killers and releasing her first single, local artist Hindley wants to continue making music.
Reese Hindley Johnson, who goes by Hindley as a musician is 14 years old and is a freshman MCMC student.
“I started playing piano around age 12 and started writing music around age 13,” Hindley said. “I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember.”
She turned her childhood playroom into a recording studio where she practices singing and piano, producing random notes and chords until it sounds good.
“I started doing theater with my mom and realized how much I loved singing for an audience,” Hindley said. “I’m also passionate about sharing songs with substance.”
Hindley said Sablay taught her the piano and also helped her write her first song, “The Future is Human.”
The song was written about current events in the world, specifically the struggles of refugees. She said no matter who you are, we are all human in the end and deserve respect.
“Some people have more than sense; you’re wading the river from the tears that they’ve wept; you act like a prince, but what about your subjects?” Hindley sings.
She said she loves experimenting with different sounds until finding one that works for what she envisions her song to be.
This can be a long process of practicing and changing the sound as she goes along, she said.
“The biggest problem I’ve had to overcome is really figuring out what I want my songs to sound like,” Hindley said. “I’m still finding myself and my sound.”
Hindley has seen over 30 concerts, drawing inspiration from artists such as The Killers, Mansionair, White Reaper, Alex Cameron, COIN, and Mikky Ekko.
She recalled a trip she took to Nashville, Tenn., to Mikky Ekko’s recording studio.
Hindley said she is inspired by Ekko’s alternative, indie sound.
The goal was to go to his studio to learn from him and possibly start recording her song. She never thought they would finish the song, but Ekko stayed until it was done.
“I remember he had me sing such random and weird noises into the microphone and it felt crazy, but it worked,” Hindley said.
She said having him help produce and record her song was indescribable.
The piano Hindley plays in “The Future is Human” is the piano Ekko used while producing his music.
“It was surreal to sit down and play it and know that it shares that sound with so many of his songs,” Hindley said. “We both played those keys.”
Hindley makes writing music a fun process by putting her emotions into her work. Hindley said she makes her songs unique without caring if others don’t quite understand what they mean.
“I love that you can express yourself however you want, in any way you want, and people don’t have to understand what it means,” Hindley said.
Hindley’s music is available on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google Play and more. She eventually plans to go on tour, performing at small venues, traveling and just enjoying herself.
But she’s not looking for fame. She wants to perform because she’s passionate about it, Hindley said.
“There’s something special about performing to a small audience,” Hindley said. “I would love to have a relationship with my fans like all the bands I love have with their fans.”
Hindley said she plans on learning more things to help her music and plans on possibly adding others to the mix to play guitar and drums to add to the sound.
Hindley’s single “The Future is Human” can be found on Spotify abd other streaming platforms.
