KYE ALFRED HILLIG – “ON SMALL WINGS”
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE
Tacoma songwriter Kye Alfred Hillig returns July 8 with “On Small Wings,” the first single from his forthcoming album Widowmaker Express, due August 5. Over the last decade Hillig has quietly built one of the Pacific Northwest’s most distinctive songbooks, earning a reputation for emotionally honest songwriting that values hard truths over easy answers. The former Destruction Island and Pistol For A Paycheck songwriter has always had a knack for finding beauty in life’s rougher corners, and “On Small Wings” may be one of his most hopeful songs yet, landing somewhere between the weathered grace of The Jayhawks, the humanity of Damien Jurado, the melodic warmth of Wilco, and the thoughtful indie-folk spirit of artists like Kevin Morby and The Shins.
Written as a reflection on love, vulnerability, and patience, “On Small Wings” pushes back against the idea that meaningful connection arrives on demand. Instead, Hillig offers something quieter and ultimately more enduring. A reminder that the things worth having often take time, showing up slowly through trust, perseverance, and a willingness to remain open despite disappointment. As Hillig puts it, love isn’t “coming cheap out of the vending machine,” but arrives through showing up for others and investing in something larger than yourself.
Like much of Hillig’s work, the song feels inseparable from the landscape that shaped it. There is something distinctly Tacoma running through these melodies. The weathered docks, bobbing work boats, salt air drifting in from Commencement Bay, creosote-soaked pilings, and neighborhoods where resilience isn’t a philosophy but a daily necessity. Hillig writes from the heart of that world, drawing on years spent working in social services and observing the quiet struggles, victories, and humanity of the people around him.
“On Small Wings” also marks the beginning of a new chapter with longtime friend and producer Daniel G. Harmann. Recorded at Harmann Audio Labs in Seattle, the collaboration reunites two artists whose creative paths stretch back more than a decade. Harmann’s production gives the song an understated warmth, surrounding Hillig’s weathered storytelling with rich textures and subtle detail while keeping the focus squarely on the song itself.
While “On Small Wings” stands comfortably on its own, it offers an intriguing first look at Widowmaker Express, a record born from personal upheaval, hard questions, and what Hillig describes as “a wrestling match with God.” If much of the album explores grief, faith, heartbreak, and survival, this first single points toward something equally important at its center: hope. Not the easy kind, but the hard-won variety that arrives slowly, on small wings.
Kye Alfred Hillig
Widowmaker Express
(Independent)
Release Date: August 5, 2026
Artist Links
Background Photo Credit: Aaron Yost
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: THE VELDT – “MORNING, JUNE AND YESTERDAY”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: THE JOY THIEVES – “I’LL BE YOUR HAMMER” (FEAT. CHRIS CONNELLY)
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: THE SILVERTEENS – “DON’T BURN YOUR BRIDGES”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: NEW MILDREDA SINGLE FEATURING SUICIDE COMMANDO “VIRTUAL GODDESS”
