Hilary Roberts Talks New Single ‘Woman To Woman,’ Female Empowerment, And Healing

Hilary Roberts shared her thoughts on her powerful new single, Woman to Woman/ Inspired by the support of her friendship with Brandy Ledford and her journey of healing from trauma, the song boldly poses the question: “How am I helping other women?”

Let’s dive in…

Hi Hilary, how are you?

I am great! Super excited about our song release!

Your new single, ‘Woman to Woman,’ is out now! Can you share the inspiring story behind it?

This song Is about experiences that I have been through. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, I battled addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine, weighed just 93 pounds, and bore the visible scars of a life consumed by pain. Trust was nearly impossible due to early childhood trauma and being trafficked at 16 years old. But then came Angie Thomas Brown—a woman of integrity, love, and strength—who took me in, nurtured me, and taught me what it meant to truly love one’s self. She loved me until I could love myself. She was like a mother, like a big sister. She never backstabbed or gossiped about another woman. She simply led by example. Years later, in 2004, Polly Pistole became another guiding light, further shaping my understanding of love and self-respect. Through Polly and her husband Dave’s beautiful marriage, I learned what it meant to be cherished by a kind and respectful partner. Polly stood by me through heartbreak, reminding me, “You are worth more than this.” Polly’s unwavering support helped me break free from the cycle of toxic, narcissistic abuse. Today, I have a safe group of women who I can lean on, and they can lean on me. One such beautiful souls is my sister from another mister, Brandy Ledford (star of Baywatch Hawaii, and many other shows and movies) is the woman helping me in the music video, Woman to Woman. 

Why was it important for you to release this track on International Women’s Day?

It’s a special day for us! And since this song is about women helping other women and uplifting and being safe and trusted and cheering each other on, I can’t imagine a better day to release it!

This song comes from a deeply personal place and supports a cause close to your heart. Can you tell us more about that?

Red Songbird Foundation was established to help those less fortunate obtain the care they need for child abuse, trauma, mental health, alcoholism or substance abuse. I went to trauma treatment at six years sober and it changed my life. I wanted other women (and men) to have that freedom. The nightmares that I used to have every single night began to dissipate. I started rejecting the shame that wasn’t mine to carry, that belonged to the perpetrators. I started talking about my dark past that I was never going to share. It took time but I began to see more of my worth and bit by bit I began rejecting narcissistic abusive relationships and friendships. Today I have a safe, loving, respectful and considerate marriage. Red Songbird Foundation has helped many people overcome their intimacy disorders, heal from PTSD, get sober and stay sober. We have given away millions of dollars away in scholarships for trauma, mental health, alcoholism and drug addiction. To watch people, heal and realize their worth and discover parts of themselves they never have known and to not just survive, but thrive is such a powerful journey to witness.

Can you walk us through the creative process behind the music video and how it all came together?

The concept of the video was mostly mine. I wanted it to show a broken woman (me) and having a safe, powerful, beautiful, healing woman (Brandy Ledford) help pick the broken woman up and love her, so she could heal. Eden our director, came up with the idea of the bed in the motel room. I wanted to be on the floor because there are times that we are so done that we cannot even get in the bed. And then there are times that awful things have happened to us in that bed, and we don’t want to get in it. Eli, whose production company oversaw this whole process and also has shot a lot of my music videos, had the idea of me helping another woman, which was fabulous. The message of passing it on was brilliant. Eli said it’s not only a place of being broken when you’re on the ground at your lowest, but it’s also a place of rebirth and new beginnings.

How do you hope the video enhances and reflects the song’s message?

I hope people will watch that and say,” I can have the courage to reach out to someone safe and get the help that I need”. Also, for women to reflect, “How am I helping other women? Am I tearing down or am I lifting up? Am I living in fear or am I courageously standing with love?

Am I being a woman of integrity?”

Your close friend, actress Brandy Ledford (Modern Family, Baywatch Hawaii), stars in the video. How did she become involved?

I wanted someone that I felt safe with and that I could trust to go deep emotionally. I knew that I was going to go back to the headspace of the places I had ended up in the past that caused incomprehensible demoralization. She is a woman who walks with love. I mean, just look at her eyes. She’s looking through the eyes of love. Brandy has always been a safe space for me. We share intimate fears, pain, achievements, joyful moments and we both know we can be ourselves with one another. She knows I would never do anything to harm her, and I know the same about her. It’s so sacred to have a friendship like the one we share. Also, little known fact, we were born in the same hospital three weeks apart. 

How does her role in the video reflect both your friendship and the broader theme of female solidarity?

Sometimes we are going through trials or difficult times. When one person is not doing well, the other one who is stronger can lift the other one up and vice versa. Those women that I mentioned in the beginning of this interview, I have been able to be there for them through difficult times that they’ve had. And that’s what this is about, if you’re not doing well, how can I be there for you? If you’re having fabulous achievements, how can I cheer you on? It’s about acknowledgment. It’s about support. It’s about safety. It’s about integrity.

If listeners take away one message from ‘Woman to Woman,’ what do you hope it will be?

You are valuable.

LISTEN HERE