Chris Phillips is a 33 year old singer/songwriter from South Wales who has recently rediscovered his love for songwriting after 12 years away from the game. He has recently released his first EP to whole world via itunes and is in the middle of writing and recording his debut album, which he is hoping to release by Summer 2013. If you like the Indie sound of the mid 90’s, then you’re gonna love this!
01. How did you get started in music?
I have always had a love for music, but I had my first guitar for Christmas in 1995, it was at the prime of the Britpop era and I was starting to get obsessed with guitar bands. But if I’m being honest, when I opened the guitar on Christmas Day I was gutted as it meant I had something to learn! Turns out it wasn’t a bad present after all and about 6 months later I was in my first band doing my first gig… had to be the best feeling ever!
02. Where did your direction come from?
When I was very young I was captivated by the mystery of the 50’s and 60’s. My mother used to play records by Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Buddy Holly and The Beatles and the stories behind the music and the artists used to fascinate me. I still have to pinch myself when I think that my mother watched The Beatles and Rolling Stones live. The stories she tells me of those days out are amazing. When I was in my teens Oasis arrived and they changed my life. The 90’s became our very own version of the 60’s. The charts were full of guitar bands and I just remember it being an amazing time to be a teenager.
03. Who were your major influences and inspirations and who do you despise?
The biggest influence on me musically will be The Beatles, Stone Roses and Oasis. When you listen to the songs you will hear that quite evidently, at the end of the day you tend to sway towards your influences. If you’re a footballer and your hero as a young boy is Lionel Messi then you will want to play like him, if you’re a superhero and your idol is Spiderman then you will want to spin webs like him… know what I mean? As for despising someone, its a pretty strong word but I will happily say Bloc Party. Never heard anything they have done and I don’t want to. Listening to them talk is enough.
04. What inspires you to make your current type of songs and sound?
The sound comes from the influences I have already mentioned, The Beatles, Roses and Oasis. There’s no denying that really and I will never want to anyway. Its the music I love and its the music I want to make. The inspiration behind the songs comes from life and the journey we are all on.
05. What can someone who has never seen you live before expect from your live shows then & possibly even now?
Back in the day they would have seen 5 lads on stage having a good time and blasting out rock‘n’roll tunes. Now they will see me, with a guitar and a microphone, singing melodic songs that people will like. I am certain of it. I suppose the next step would be for me to get a band together and that will come, but all in good time. It has to be just right.
06. How do you begin your songs? What types of themes and subjects do you deal with?
I start writing with the chord structure, I basically sit there strumming away until something starts happening. If nothing happens within about 20 minutes I tend to put the guitar down and leave it there. Once I have a nice chord structure I will then start working out a melody and then the lyrics will come in last. It is easier if you have an idea of a song before you start because it just seems to write itself then. With regards to subjects and themes, I think the older you get the harder it gets personally. When you are young you are arrogant and full of your own self importance, but by the time you are 33 you have grown up a little and the meanings behind your lyrics seem to get a bit more serious. A lot of the songs that I am writing now have reference to life, death, love and the dreams you once had. It sounds deep but you can take from the lyrics what you want, thats what they are there for!
07. How has your music evolved since you first began playing?
It’s evolved in the sense that its more mature and deeper lyrically. I have improved 1,000% as a songwriter, I have no doubt about that and I have different things in my life, such as my wife and child to inspire me. I’m not old by any stretch of the imagination but the more you grow up the more you begin to realise just how precious life is and the songs I am writing now reflect that.
08. What has been your biggest challenge? Have you been able to overcome this? If so, how?
Musically? This will be my biggest challenge. Starting from fresh, on my own, at 33 years of age. I don’t know how I will overcome it but I am sure I will because I believe the songs I am writing are great and people will like them. Its not really a challenge though is it? This is entertainment, enjoy it thats what I say. That way if I do a gig to 100 people and they all absolutely hate it, at least I can say
“Well I had a good night!” Seize the moment as someone once said to me!
09. Do you play covers? If you could pick any song, which would you like to cover most and why?
I have a couple of covers in my set, but its purely to keep the interest going in the early gigs. As soon as I have spread my wings and my own songs become more popular the covers can do one! But, if I could cover one song in the whole wide world it would have to be… ah this is tough…‘Eleanor Rigby’… dont know why I have picked that really, its just brilliant!
10. Where did you envisage being in five years time?
Right here, doing another interview with you hopefully. But on the back of a successful debut album and tour… you gotta have a dream aint ya?
11. Who would you most like to record with?
The Beatles in 1966 (Revolver) or Oasis in 1995 (Morning Glory)… I would have loved to have been in those sessions.
12. What should we be expecting from you in the near future?
I currently have an EP available on itunes called ‘Times Gone By’ and I also have gigs coming up on the 28th July (Taffs Well Rugby Club) and 11th August (Mackworth Arms, Aberdare) and hopefully plenty more after that. I am also in the middle of writing and recording my first album and I hope that will be ready by Summer next year. Just watch this space, cause you never know where you might see me! It will either be on Jools Holland or a Crimewatch e-fit photo, but one way or the other you WILL see me!
Links
Facebook
Twitter@Chris9Phillips
EP: Times Gone By is available on iTunes
Photos by: Clixx Photography
