PHILLIP McPHILLIPS – A CONVERSATION WITH AN ENGLISH MUSICIAN

PHILLIP McPHILLIPS – A CONVERSATION WITH AN ENGLISH MUSICIAN

By Ralph Beauchamp

It’s funny how you meet people nowadays. Phillip McPhillips is an English musician who has migrated to the US and lives in CT. One day I was bringing my dog, Milan, to a new dog park just for a new adventure and there was this one other person hanging with his two beautiful pets. We started talking and lo and behold, Phillip is a songwriter of some renown from over the pond. The more we converse, the more interesting his life became. McPhillips has played in several well known English bands and has written some amazing music.

I few weeks ago, I went over Phillip‘s house to discuss this interview and I could tell that he had an eclectic vibe to himself. There were musical instruments strewn all around the house. He even had a mandolin that was once owned by Mark Knopfler. The more we just sat and talked, the more I realized that Phillip McPhillips‘ story would be a fantastic read. He loves to talk and his musical experiences are truly entertaining. Before I left, he took out his guitar and played me a couple of his songs and I was enthralled. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I enjoyed writing it.

AMP: What first got you into music?

PHILLIP: What first got me into music was my brother, Kev, and my best friend Stefan. My brother has always been a songwriter. He was also in my band, Slip, replacing a guitarist. We have always written music together since we were kids. Kev is a natural songwriter. We’ve been Beatles fans since we could walk and we wanted to be just like them. 60s bands like the Stones and the whole 60’s movement was incredible. The swinging 60’s was a very exciting musical era to many. 60’s television programs had an amazing musical vibe also. We were not there the first time around but had the reruns to influence us.

AMP: You’ve performed in both the UK and US. Do you feel that the ambiance is different in the two countries?

PHILLIP: I’ve performed in the UK and the US. I played a song by The Beatles called “Back in the USSR” in Connecticut and half the audience absolutely loved it and the other half absolutely hated it. In fact, somebody came up to me and said they hope they never ever hear that song again.

Why? Was it because of the way some people feel about Russia, I guess, but to me it’s not political it’s just a fantastic song about women and legs. It’s got a wonderful guitar solo, simple as that for me really. Just an amazing song. In answer to your question about the difference playing in the UK to the US, I feel no difference on stage. Being on stage feels no different no matter where I am. The “Stage” is a universal place.

AMP: Who were some of your early inspirations?

PHILLIP My biggest inspirations were Elvis, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin,

AMP: What is your creative process like?

PHILLIP: My creative process can be anything from dreaming a song which I’ve done a couple of times, or just having a melody pop up in my head and sitting down with the guitar to work that melody out. When I’m jamming around on the guitar sometimes it just comes naturally. Also, lyrics sometimes come first so I’ll put the music to the words. If the song comes together quickly it sounds good, but the more time it takes to write the less I like it. Catchy comes quickly but stays a long time

AMP: You still collaborate with your English band mates. How does that work?

PHILLIP: I was very lucky with my band, The Stand, James E Williams on Drums, Duncan Lutz on bass, Nik Lederer on guitar and myself singing, to have been able to play the new Cavern club in Mathew Street, Liverpool which was built just a couple of feet up from where the old Cavern was. Liverpool City Council in their infinite wisdom decided to fill in the old Cavern club.

We have started working together again online after all these years, we have been working on a song I wrote about moving to America unfortunately, it’s not ready for this publication, but there is a video of me with the acoustic playing it before my family and I moved to the US, I’m sure AMP will put it up here. The song is called “Coming to America” and is how I perceived the US before my family, and I arrived here.

AMP: Who do you feel is the most underrated musician of all time?

PHILLIP: Probably one of the most underrated artists of all time was one of John Lennon’s friends…..Ivor Cutler a poet/musician who was from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. He also starred as the bus driver on the Beatles film, Magical Mystery Tour. Underrated, but not completely unknown.

AMP: Is there a band you wish you were part of?

PHILLIP: The band that I would wish to be part of is the Traveling Wilburys, say no more, just amazing.

AMP: Where do you perform and is there a chance for a regional or national tour?

PHILLIP: No chance of the world tour I’m afraid. Maybe a small one in the US if any of my music takes off, I’m far too busy. Far too busy now with my brand-new life in America, which is a beautiful country. I love it very much and home is where the family is. I would only consider a tour, if I could go on tour with my wife and children and the pets. That would be great.

AMP: You’re a dad. Does having children give you a different perspective as a creative?

PHILLIP: Yes, I’m a dad and love it. During the horrible lockdowns, my youngest daughter Frankie was 5yr’s old at the time. She was walking around the house singing “mummy and daddy say uh uh uh.” I said, “what’s that?” She said, “it’s mine.” I asked, “did you hear it on TV or anywhere else?” She said, “nope it’s mine.” I contacted Kevin Hill, who has a studio in Sheffield England, to ask if we could work together on this idea?

I was in a Duran Duran Tribute band with Kevin for around 8 years. Kev was the guitarist and all-around genius sound engineer and so on. I started writing the verses for the song, as my 5-year-old Frankie had already started the song with her idea and melody. Working with Kev online backwards and forwards, we completed the song. Kev did a wonderful job and also Kevin’s daughter sang on the chorus. Frankie sang lead vocals and Frankie’s sisters, Piper and Charley, sang backing vocals along with my wife Heather and myself.

AMP: What’s next for you musically?

PHILLIP: Working with The Stand in the the studio again and to keep writing.

AMP: How about a little more background on your musical self?

PHILLIP: I was also in a band with James, the drummer from The Stand, and my brother Kev, and an old friend of mine Andy Biggs. The band was called Rhonda. Now that was a great band, before I moved over to America, we opened up for The Human League, Bananarama, and Heaven 17. This was in Worcester located in the Midlands, England.

I remember going to EMI one week, in the morning and followed somebody in though the door, which was a locked door. I went up to the reception desk and said “could I see somebody in A&R please?” They misheard me and thought I had an appointment. “You’re here to see somebody from A&R? Please hold on for a moment” and picked up the phone and told the manager that an appointment was waiting for you downstairs! I just said “yes” and was going along with it.

The manager came downstairs, showed me into a boardroom with a huge massive table in the room. I asked about the table and he said “yes it’s a beautiful table that we rescued from a shipwreck”. “Wow” I said, to which he replied “who are you?” He also said “sorry”, because the whole team were hung over from going out to see a potential signing last night and couldn’t remember who he was supposed to be seeing this morning!

I thought to myself “this is a lucky stroke”. I explained that I did not have an appointment, but while I’m here could I please show you a video of my band? He said yes why not and loved it. He replied “this is wonderful I love it but unfortunately, I’m unable to sign anything that is not grunge. We are under orders to only sign grunge.” So, as you could imagine I was a little upset. Yes, I had a lucky escape from fame once again, lol.

A friend of mine called, Martyn Goodacre, who is a famous photographer, that lives in Germany took a lot of pictures of famous bands in his time. He took that very famous photo of Kurt Cobain. Martyn introduced me to a lot of small labels one night in London in the pub, like Food Records, that Blur were signed to.

I gave our music to them and a video we did at the time but then got a bit drunk that night and took it back from the small labels, because a bigger music label walked in and I gave it to them. Needless to say, they all told me “to piss off! “Now that’s the actions of a proper Rockstar I guess. But luckily, I escaped fame once again, lol.

When I formed 2oon with Andy Biggs and Jamie Nind, back in 2000, we wanted to get our music played on the radio like all other bands did. The only way you could get your music played on the radio back in the 90s in the UK was going to a pluggers meeting at the radio stations. But they would only see you if you were a record label!

So we formed a record label, on paper only, called Nice As Pie Records. So now we could phone a radio station and ask to arrange to be seen at a pluggers meeting. They asked for all our label information. We were in at Virgin Radio right smack dab in the middle of Carnaby St in London England. I get to the front of the line and sure enough, the Dj’s busted me realizing our label was only just formed a few days ago. They said I had “big balls” for trying to beat the system.

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