PLAY: New song by Celina native

CELINA - On the surface, Remington Hill's newest single "Iceberg" is a catchy, soulful song about heartbreak and the uncertainty that often precedes it.

A deeper look into Hill's most recent project reveals there's more to be discovered about the 21-year-old's neo-soul sound and style.

With influences such as Stevie Wonder, the Bee Gees and Earth, Wind and Fire, Hill's stylings echo the soulfulness of the seventies brought to the 21st century with quiet storm jazz, R&B and disco.

Hill, a Celina High School graduate, said he has written songs since childhood, but started to mature as an artist in 2018. The St. Marys resident has written lyrics for artists locally and around the world, including Celina native Lauren Schroeder, known artistically as Lauren Jean, on the song "STAR" in 2020.

Hill said he started with a demo of "Iceberg" in June. He finished recording the full song in late August at Naptime Recordings studio in Indianapolis, Ind.

Hill said the song was born after exploring different perspectives about friendship. Hill said he wished he could be best friends with someone instantly, while a friend of his said she believes friendship isn't too different from an iceberg - there's more to learn and love about a person the deeper the friendship or relationship goes.

Hill said his songs lean more toward storytelling than the copy and paste formula of traditional pop songs.

"I like to think about other people's perspectives," Hill said. "I like to think about points of view that other people may have … I think that's why I love the concept of storytelling in that way."

"Iceberg" combines elements of jazz, rock, gospel and R&B, borrowing from inspirations such as Anita Baker, Hill said.

"You want to have some time to breathe when you're listening," he said of the song. "Artists like (Baker), Chaka Khan … with my future music, that's the same kind of stuff I want to do. I want to do more rock and more disco, (music) that's funky but also has intention behind the lyrics."

The song is set apart from some of Hill's other works through the addition of live instruments, largely thanks to Hill's producer, he said. Hill's producer at Naptime Recordings helped push for and create a more developed overall sound, he said.

"I never would have thought that this song would have somewhat of a blues/rock feel to it," Hill said. "I'm thankful for my producer. If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have moved that direction. But that really helps me set apart what I was imagining."

Hill said his previous works were mostly digitally produced and computerized, so the addition of experienced musicians playing live instruments made all the difference. "Iceberg" also gave Hill the opportunity to incorporate his falsetto crooning abilities, he said.

"The mood (of the song) is a bit of a hopeless heartbreak - knowing that even though the love you're pursuing could be the end of you, it's all you want," he said. "It's the melancholy realization that whether you like it or not, you're all-in on falling in love. You might as well lean into it and accept it."

"Iceberg" will be released on Jan. 1 on Spotify and Apple Music, Hill said, with an accompanying music video also debuting on Jan. 1.

Until then, Hill's other works such as his 2020 singles "Through" and "STAR" featuring Lauren Jean and his 2019 album "Ottico" can be found on Spotify and Apple Music.

Hill can be found on Instagram at @remington.hill and Facebook @remingtonhillofficial for updates.