Hillsboro has carved out a place in Pacific-Northwest DIY with their kinetic and emotional live presence. The band blends influences from alternative rock, emo, and electronic elements into a sound which is somehow both nostalgic and wholly their own. Screamo riffs are layered upon blown out drum breaks; screeching violins float over intricate walls of guitar. Often shifting between delicate atmospheres and sudden bursts of intensity, it's frontman Nima Walker's vocals that anchor the group's emotional core, with a style that feels rough-edged and deeply personal. In the summer of 2024, Hillsboro released the explosive “White Trash” EP, a follow up to the group's 2023 debut. The project received critical praise from Exclaim!, Under the Radar, and Cups & Cakes Network. “White Trash” captured the band’s sharpest material to date and drew attention from audiences beyond their scene in East Vancouver. The lead single ‘Fell’ quickly gained traction, peaking at #5 on Spotify’s All New Punk, and broke into the Mediabase top 50 charts with continued rotation on KEXP’s Audioasis and SXM The Verge over the last 18 months. Carrying this momentum forward, the band also started their own label, play dead. In just a few years, Hillsboro has taken their sound on the road across western North America by way of DIY tours, sharing the stage with the likes of Preoccupations, Emma Goldman, and PISS. In 2025, Hillsboro brought this energy to festival stages, including appearances at Treefort Music Fest, Sled Island and Philips Backyard, solidifying themselves as one of Vancouver’s most promising emerging acts.