MTF first introduced you to Hilary York in 2024, and we now shine our spotlight on her once again
Hilary York is an Austin singer-songwriter with a low, warm voice and a 1970s songwriting soul. She has played stages in Austin and far beyond since 2000. Two injuries threatened her guitar work. The Musician Treatment Foundation brought her back both times.
Words came first. Hilary started writing poetry at seven and fell for songs and lyrics. She sang for her family, backed by her uncle on guitar or her stepmother on piano.
Her ear formed early. As a child, she wore out cassettes of Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, and Paul Simon. She found David Bowie and Kate Bush, then Tom Waits, Parliament-Funkadelic, and Joni Mitchell. She loves Harry Nilsson and Marvin Gaye. She sings in a low register, so she leaned toward male voices growing up.
Then a fall set her back. Recovering from an illness, Hilary went down in ankle boots with no support and landed on her shoulder. The soreness made guitar painful. She could not play long stretches, and she had a full slate of solo gigs.
A friend connected her to the Musician Treatment Foundation. The application moved fast. Hilary saw Dr. Alton Barron within days. He ordered an MRI and a cortisone shot and met with her several times about the injury. She returned to work almost right away.
The next year brought a second case. In 2024, Hilary could not bend her thumb. Dr. Barron removed a small benign tumor.
“With great relief, I was playing guitar a week later.”
-Hilary York
Hilary keeps a steady stage life. She holds a monthly residency at C-Boy’s Heart & Soul and plays there at 7:30 pm on the third Sunday of each month. She is writing new music and has a new single on the way.
Hear Hilary on almost every streaming service. Visit hilaryyorkmusic.com or her Linktree to find it all. You can also see her at the MTF Elvis Costello Tribute Show in early September!