JILL WINTER IS PART ROCK GODDESS, MEDIA PERSONALITY AND SYNDICATED RADIO HOST. SHE'S PERKY, QUIRKY AND YOU'D WANT HER AT YOUR HOUSE PARTY! LET'S MEET HER SHALL WE?

How are you?

Doing great, thanks. Hope you are as well.

Can we start by asking what or who got you into music?

I grew up in a musical household so I was around music from day one.

You’re a bit of a genre bending diva, from rock to dance and everything in between, who would you say are your influences?

I love anything that has a good melodic hook. I grew up listening mainly to ’80’s rock but there’s a huge scope of what that could mean. I listened to everything from KISS, Motley Crue, Warrant, Van Halen, Heart, Roxette, Queen, Tears For Fears to 90’s bands like Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Alanis Morissete and so many more.

Which modern-day bands or producers inspire you?

I absolutely love Mammoth WVH which is Wolf Van Halen. He writes, sings, and plays every note on his albums and then has a touring band. His last name may have gotten him in the door but his talents will keep him in the industry indefinitely.

When’s the last time you picked up your guitar? Are you really ‘not so nice?’

I picked up my acoustic a few days ago. ‘Not So Nice’ is more of a tongue in cheek phrase that worked with the song I was writing and became the title. I try to be as kind as possible but I am only human and we all have our off days.

What’s the journey been like to hit onto the Syndicated radio scene?

It has been a fun journey that began when my now program director, Dan Mathews of ‘Klubjumpers” fame, did a remix for a couple of my songs. He heard I was doing a podcast at the time so he offered me a slot on FM radio which turned into my Syndicated show “Middays With Jill Winter” which airs in California and Kansas. (Links on my website and Linktree)

Can you walk us through a typical day in the life of Jill Winter?

My days always start off with family. I have a husband, two kids and a house. Thankfully, I’m able to work remotely so once they’re off to work and school respectively, I am able to jump into whatever needs to be done for the day, including my radio show, social media content and when I have time, working on new music, which I tend to release sparingly. Sometimes, I will also do a social media clip of a cover or just the hook for fun.

What musical genres do you particularly like to work with and who’s been the most exciting discovery for your radio shows so far?

I like anything that has pop sensibility whether that’s Pop/Rock, Pop/EDM, Acoustic Pop etc. We play Top 40 music on my radio show and I remember when “Golden” by Harry Styles came out. I fell in love with that song the first time I played it in rotation. It had such a modern/retro sound.

Who’s been the best collaborator as a producer that you’ve worked with so far (DJ Bingington must come close?)

DJ Bingington is my partner in all projects and he holds me accountable which is great and I have the utmost respect for his opinion. He is so talented as a producer and in so many other facets so he is definitely at the top of my list. I juggle a lot so it’s important to have someone as a second set of eyes and ears. In a past project, I had the pleasure of working with

Grammy Award winning producer Bob Cutarella, and I learned a lot from him as well. I also worked with Eshy Gazit who is very big in the K-Pop scene now and that was a great learning experience as well.

Is there anyone you’d simply die for to work with?

I think it would be so much fun to sit in a studio with Dr. Dre. Most people would probably expect me to say Rick Rubin or Mutt Lange, someone from the ’80’s but Dr. Dre doesn’t HAVE to do it anymore, so if he’s in a project, it’s for the love of music and as you’ve mentioned, I love genre bending.

When’s the last time you felt naughty? (From ‘Alarm’).

I’m a very happily married woman so…

‘Numb’ is a pretty big banger. What was it like shooting the video? (Those pills look awfully big!)

Thanks. I shot all of that footage in front of a green screen in Florida. My dear friend Den Wilcox, who unfortunately is no longer with us, made all of the other magic happen in Australia. He would tell me how to act in a scene and what the background was going to be. I would send the footage and he added everything in. It was so much fun. He also created my video for ‘Anthem’ the same way. I’m very grateful for him and our friendship. While he is incredibly missed, his legacy lives on through his art.

Christmas Vacation – greatest Xmas movie of all time?

Absolutely! I loved it so much, I covered the theme song. Which, incidentally, is available for free download on my Bandcamp page as my gift to everyone.

How do you see the future of the music industry evolving, particularly for independent artists?

I don’t have a prediction. It all depends on the future of social media and technology. I will say it is not an easy industry to break into or to navigate.

How do you see AI playing a part in music? Should it be stopped now before it gets out of control?

I think it’s already been proven that AI can be useful, yet dangerous when the track using the AI “Kurt Cobain” was released. I don’t think there’s any stopping it but I do believe in ethical usage of AI and not stealing anyone’s likeness or voice using technology without their permission.

What goes on behind the scenes to get your show onto the airwaves?

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Never give away the trade secrets 🙂

What do you consider to be your biggest success so far?

My family is by far my biggest success. My husband and I just celebrated our 20 year wedding anniversary and we have two amazing children that are best friends. We have taught them to treat others how they want to be treated and every teacher or school professional tells us how kind and polite they are. That means everything. As far as the industry, the fact that I continue to do things that I love, on my own terms, is what I consider being successful. I decided to stop gigging/touring because once I had kids, I never wanted to be away from them. But I still get to reach countless people on the FM airwaves with my radio show. My music is streamed all around the world and my social media interaction is incredibly fulfilling as well. Most people are really kind and supportive. So while I’ve opened for artists like Eddie Money, Jason Bonham, Twisted Sister, Bret Michaels etc in the past, I’m really happy being exactly where I am doing exactly what I’m doing right now.

What role do you believe radio stations play in shaping musical tastes?

People hear what the newest “big thing” is as soon as it’s released so if they like it, they know where to get more of it.

What do you think sets your radio shows apart from others in the industry or other FM radio stations?

I happen to be a huge fan of TV and entertainment so I incorporate that into “Middays With Jill Winter.” If there’s a great show that just came out or is returning from hiatus, I will discuss it and recommend it. I try to keep my show as uplifting as possible.