Ep. 9: Hill & Willie | Lessons We Learned From Making Our Latest Projects

Hey y’all, this episode is part two of our first solo round episode.Following up on Episode 8, where we unpacked the foundation of the Bilby + Ella Show, today we start with a quick call to our friend Eric Hangartner from the band Walden before diving into what this season of creating has been teaching us. From songwriting and collaboration to lessons learned in the studio, we talk through how our creative processes have changed and what it looks like to keep showing up and finishing the work.This conversation is about momentum, trust, and building something with intention. We talk honestly about learning as we go, staying rooted in the process, and finding confidence not in having all the answers, but in knowing why we’re doing this in the first place.If you’re a creative navigating your own next chapter, we hope this episode reminds you you’re not alone and meets you right where you are.00:00 Intro and jumping into part two01:10 Calling Eric Hangartner (Walden)03:20 Making a full-length record in a singles world05:05 Learning piano and keeping the process fun07:45 Why making records the old way still matters09:55 How our songwriting processes have evolved12:10 Finding your voice as a creative14:35 Lyrics first vs melody first17:05 Writing from journals and real life19:45 Finishing songs and trusting the feeling22:30 Lessons learned from recent studio sessions25:10 What we would do differently next time28:00 The importance of the right collaborators31:15 Process over outcomes34:10 What finishing music has taught us36:40 Creating without obsessing over release strategy39:30 Writing for yourself vs the listener42:15 Originality, influence, and finding your voice45:00 What we wish we could unlearn creatively48:20 Changing the music industry for songwriters51:30 Looking ahead and what’s next for the showFollow The Bilby + Ella Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠Follow Hill:⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠Follow Willie:⁠⁠⁠Instagram