Celebrating Behind The Light – Song of the Week 2: Searchlight

“Take one step
And make it count
Hold your breath
Then let it out”

These lines come from “Searchlight,” the song that opens Phillip Phillips’ second album Behind The Light. They serve both as the first lyrics of the song and as the words that officially introduced us to Phillip’s new musical landscape after The World From The Side Of The Moon. The words confront us like a quiet but powerful command, one that carries beautiful and deep symbolism both for this song and for the entire Behind The Light.

Co-written by Phillip and Jon Green (who collaborated with Phillip on “Where We Came From” on The World From The Side Of The Moon), “Searchlight” is a celebratory song that, like many others on Behind The Light, contains a little bit of darkness within its light. This is evident in the brief opening lyrics, which evoke perhaps the tentative, fearful first steps we take as we embark on a great enterprise, or the courage it takes to face an uncertain new beginning – the calm before the storm.

When talking about “Searchlight,” Phillip has said that it’s dark song about love, but also one that’s very organic. The song is indeed built very organically around a straight forward beat and beautiful strumming guitars. Then subtly, but steadily, the song starts to grow in intensity by layering more and more sounds over the drums and the guitars; piano, strings, claps, horns, backing vocals, until we can’t help but be moved with renewed determination and hope.

“I want to feel what is like to be surrounded by you” Phillip sings, and by the end of song this is how we feel, completely surrounded by the music and its power to heal, “to cure [our] disease like a remedy.” This may be a song about love and the power of that special person to makes us feel whole. But it’s also, I think, about healing and about being forever grateful of having made it. It’s the perfect introduction to the journey we’ll be taken on for the rest of the album. Like the sick on the mend who feels stronger each day, take one step, and make it count.

*Every week until May 19 we are celebrating Behind The Light by featuring one song from the album as our song of the week. Read about our “Song of the Week 1”. And if you haven’t yet done so, click here  or here to buy Behind The Light!

Celebrating Behind The Light: Song of the Week 1- Raging Fire

The one year anniversary of Phillip Phillips‘ second album Behind The Light is only a few weeks away. So we are counting down to the anniversary by featuring one song from the album each week until May 19, 2015!

We start the countdown with “Raging Fire,” the first single to be released from the album and the one that officially ushered Phillip’s new musical era after the spectacular success of The World From The Side Of The Moon.

Written by Phillip, Todd Clark, Gregg Wattenberg and Derek Fuhrmann, “Raging Fire” was released exactly a year ago on March 3rd, 2014. To accompany the release of the song, Phillip and team commissioned artist Rob Carmichael to design the single’s cover. The result was a striking image of superimposed profiles of Phillip over a fiery red and orange background. The image not only perfectly captured the essence of the song but of Phillip’s new visual style and sound: it was a departure from the naturalistic photos and images of the previous album, but one that still retained an iconic image of Phillip. Upon its release, “Raging Fire” also managed to seem both familiar and new, as it brilliantly fused a new heavier, rockier sound with the warm and anthemic qualities of Phillip’s two previous massive hits, “Home” and “Gone Gone Gone.”

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Musically, “Raging Fire” is four minutes of pure, driving energy. It’s also a song of contrasts: a lush and warm string arrangement (by Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer) against solid, rocking drums and Phillip’s striking, passionate vocals. The lyrics also move from the intimate to the epic, evoking a love that has been touched by time and is full of shared hopes, pains and memories.

Talking about the meaning of this song, Phillip has said that it’s about love, and about wanting to feel the same way you felt the first time you kissed the person you love. It is indeed a beautiful song about love, particularly long-lasting love, and about keeping passion alive in your heart in the name of all your shared hopes, pains and memories. More than with any other song, with “Raging Fire” Phillip shows that he is a romantic in the true sense of the word, somebody who dares to believe that passion (be it in love, music, art, life) is always worth fighting for. And as it’s always the case with Phillip’s music, the message rings absolutely authentic and true.

Check out the lyric and official videos of “Raging Fire” below. Also, let us know what are your favourite parts or lyrics from the song, or share your thoughts or art inspired by the song. Don’t forget to leave your comments below!

Phillip Phillips Files Petition To Break From 19 Entertainment – What Now?

Special contribution by @PhillipReq

As many people are now aware (considering the news has made it to almost every major media outlet), Phillip Phillips has filed a petition to break from his management contract with 19 Entertainment. 19 Entertainment is American Idol’s show developer and co-producer.

The Hollywood Reporter gave out the full details of Phillips’ claim through this link. I advise you to read this, as it gives full understanding to what Phillips is alleging. In the claim, Phillips alleges that 19 Entertainment has purposefully left him out of important aspects of his career, including the title of his sophomore album, Behind The Light. I remember this vividly, as we all found out the album title and the cover of the album before Phillips even knew about it. Someone found the album cover on a press release, and then hours later, Phillips announced it as well after finding out through media.

The complaint further adds how, “19 has constantly manipulated (Phillips) into accepting jobs and entering into other transactions that were for the benefit of 19 and its affiliated companies rather than for (Phillips). … This case presents exactly the kind of situation that the Act absolutely forbids: a purported artist manager and its related entities openly operating as an unlicensed talent agency.”

He was told to do a concert for JetBlue, which he was not compensated for, as well as perform for corporate events for an “insurance company” that was stated as an endorsement deal. The reason it was stated as an endorsement deal, was so 19 Entertainment could claim a bigger pay-cut from this (a whopping 40%), as it would fall under the Merchandising agreement. This deal however, should have been done through a licensed talent agency, where the company should only take a 20% commission through the Managements Act. He is seeking to invalidate their management deals on the grounds that their personal managers procured employment for them in violation of the TAA, which states that only licensed talent agents can solicit employment for performers. Furthermore, 19 Entertainment told Phillips that he should use a producer for his album (we assume this is Gregg Wattenberg), which Phillips stated was a conflict of interests. He was also told that this producer would not receive huge royalties for his work, however this was false information.

It was also stated in the claim that Phillips asked 19E several times to improve his contract, because of the successes that he brought to the company. We can assume that he wanted to work more under Interscope Records, his label, or be given more freedom with his work. However, these requests were either denied or ignored. Phillips claims that this is a breach of their fiduciary duty to always have the best interests in mind for their clients.

In case many were not aware, the contracts that American Idol offers are basically a death-grip, where the artist is given no freedom whatsoever. They have control over every aspect of your career, which in turn, conflicts with someone who is so artistic as Phillips. Were the label frustrations obvious? For me, they were. Countless times. So many errors were taken into his sophomore era, Behind The Light, which is considered the most important for an American Idol winner:

  • Phillips stated himself that the lead single was supposed to be something else, but the label changed at the last second
  • He stated that he did not even know about the album title name until it was found out through media, a claim that most fans can all attest to as well
  • His album was much more “pop-driven” that he had liked.

This is not the first time that American Idol contestants have had trouble with 19 Entertainment. Both Kelly Clarkson and Fantasia Barrino have left 19 Entertainment and enlisted the help of another management company. Adam Lambert left 19 Entertainment. There are several instances where American Idol contestants want to get out of this contract immediately. It’s even been alleged (but not confirmed) that 19 Entertainment lengthened the contract after Kelly and Fantasia’s departure.

What does this mean for Phillips’ future? It’s not entirely clear, but one would assume that his career would have to be put on hold, unless they can come to some sort of agreement while fighting in court. This is because 19 Entertainment controls the touring that Phillips does, as well as his recordings. 19 Entertainment has already released a statement, where they indicated they intend to fight with force.

A spokesperson from 19 Entertainment denied Phillips’ allegations and stated, “We’re very proud of everything we’ve accomplished together with Phillip, working closely to help nurture his extraordinary talent and advance his career.” The spokesperson further told Deadline, “We have always acted in the best interest of Phillip. We will vigorously defend ourselves from any baseless claims to the contrary and from any attempt to interfere with our rights and relationships.”

If neither party backs down, this fight in court could go on for several years before a decision is made.

The latest artist to file a similar complaint is mega popstar, Ke$ha, who claimed that DAS, her management company, acted as an unlicensed talent agency. You can see that Ke$ha won her case, however only the parts of the contract that were illegal were voided. She was still obligated to work with the management company. You can view the full case and outcome here.

As I look at the comments section of every article, I see that people are saying that Phillips “should not bite the hand that fed him,” that “he was given the opportunity to perform for millions and was given a fast lane into stardom.” My favourite one is that “he signed the contract knowing what he was getting into.”

This is completely absurd. When a contract is visibly one-sided (unconscionable), the defendant has a right to sue. He was given little artistic control (being forced to use a producer that conflicted his interests, not knowing his album title name, etc.), forced to perform events with no compensation, and 19 Entertainment acted as a talent agency, by setting him up with live events.

This is illegal. They are unlicensed. Plus, we fans know that Phillip is being directed more towards a Top 40/Pop route to generate success, which is not his wheelhouse at all.

Though this is all speculation at this point, this is bad news to all of Phillips’ fans, as I do not think we will be getting anything major for a while. However, in this time, the most important thing we can do is support Phillips’ decision to fight for artistic integrity and control over his career. This is a very bold move for Phillips, as if he were to become victorious, it would become a precedent for future talent show winners and their contract negotiations.

#SupportPhillips.

**Note: If you see any errors in information, please let one of us know. The point of this article was for Phillips’ fans to know as much about the case as possible, and what we can expect. I urge you to look over Phillips’ complaint yourself listed in the article. Thank you.

@PhillipReq

Photo credit: ET Canada

Exclusive Interview with Guitarist Errol Cooney

One of the best things about being a music fan is making discoveries, the way listening to one band leads you to discover another one, and admiring one musician leads you to love another one. So is the case with Phillip Phillips fans, who in the last couple of years have been lucky to be introduced to Errol Cooney, a guitarist and music scene veteran who has quickly become synonymous with Phillips’ wildly diverse sound. From rock, to soul, to jazz and funk, Cooney has done it all, having played small and big stages with artists such as Lalah Hathaway, Christina Aguilera and music giant Stevie Wonder.

As Phillips’ lead guitarist and acoustic guitar duo partner, Cooney brings an incredible range of influences that help him create soulful melodic landscapes around Phillips’ intricate playing and writing. Phillips and Cooney’s collaboration was captured last year in the iTunes Session (a beautiful and raw acoustic album) and more recently on Phillips’ second album, Behind The Light.

Errol Cooney took a few minutes out of his busy touring schedule recently to answer some questions exclusively for PhillPhillcom. Read on to learn about his wide-ranging musical influences, his collaboration with Phillips on Behind The Light, and the one word that may help explain his very cool and chill vibe.

PhillPhillcom: How old were you when you started playing?

Errol Cooney: 12.

PhillPhillcom: Did you always know you wanted to play the guitar? Were your parents supportive of your musical ambitions?

EC: I got interested when I was around 8 or 9 when I saw both of my older brothers, Michael and Brian playing and singing. My parents were very supportive. They are both very creative in their careers; my father is an actor and singer, my mother an actress, singer, pianist and writer.

PhillPhillcom: Who were you major influences or inspiration when you were starting out?

EC: At first classic rock; The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, James Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Eagles and Jimi Hendrix. I’ve gotten into all sorts of things since-heavier stuff like Ministry and Sepultura, then Parliament-Funkadelic, Steely Dan, James Brown, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and a million others as I got older. This list could go on forever!

PhillPhillcom: You have performed with some big names in music, including the legendary Stevie Wonder. What was your first big, “I made it” show and was it what you expected it to be?

EC: I don’t think you ever necessarily “make it” but getting to do the Stevie Wonder gig has been pretty special to me. I’ve idolized him since I was very young. The first major tour I did was opening for R. Kelly with a singer named Sunshine Anderson. That was a lot of fun. I don’t believe you can ever stop growing as a musician and become complacent. If you do, it’s time to do something else.

PhillPhillcom: You have also recorded with many other musicians in the studio. Do you consider yourself to be more of a live guitar player or a studio musician? Do you prefer one more than the other?

EC: I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of both and I love doing both. They are amazingly different, especially as recording technology has changed so much over the years. There’s nothing like the rush and energy of playing live with a group of musicians for people that are there sharing that energy with you. And there’s nothing like creating music in the studio with artists, producers and musicians that you hope will stand the test of time. You get to dig through it with a fine-toothed comb and be spontaneous at the same time.

PhillPhillcom: In the last couple of years you have become well known to Phillip Phillips fans as his guitar duo partner and lead guitar player on his band. How did you come to work with Phillip?

EC: I have worked with American Idol as a hired musician for many years. Particularly in the house band for the tour Phillip was on. We started doing radio shows together as a duo at the time and hit it off. We have a good time playing along with the rest of the group. He’s a special talent.

PhillPhillcom: How is it going from a very large band setting (such as when you perform with Stevie Wonder), to essentially a rock band setting as you have in Phillip’s band?

EC: It’s a lot of fun. I love the rawness of Phillip’s project.

PhillPhillcom: The iTunes Session, which you recorded with Phillip last year, is a fans’ favourite; it captures your collaboration with Phillip really well. How was it recording that?

EC: A lot of fun. Very spontaneous. We went in there for a very short amount of time and came out with something I think we are both proud of.

PhillPhillcom: You also got to play on Phillip’s new album Behind The Light. There are so many beautiful guitar moments on this album. Do you have any particular songs from Behind The Light that you loved working on?

EC: “Face” was really cool. I love the writing he did and it’s very minimal live arrangement. There were lots of others I enjoyed a lot- “Fly,” “Trigger,” “Raging Fire” to name a few.

PhillPhillcom: You are setting up to go on tour with Phillip very soon. What are some of your favourite cities or venues to play in?

EC: Vancouver tonight! Austin, Rio, Quebec City, Red Rocks in Colorado, Bay Area, Paris, Amsterdam, I love everywhere I go!!

PhillPhillcom: You have played hundreds of shows through your career, both with Phillip and many other musicians. Do you have any really memorable or favourite performance from past tours?

EC: River Plate stadium in Buenos Aires, Paris with Stevie Wonder, Glastonbury Festival, Bonnaroo, Red Rocks with Phillip, the White House, A Capitol Fourth.

PhillPhillcom: What band or musicians are you into right now that you can’t stop listening to on your iPod?

EC: Radiohead right now as I write this.

PhillPhillcom: The world is ending, you have to save three albums that, if you survive, you will have to live with for the rest of your life. Which ones do you take with you?

EC: Axis: Bold as Love-Jimi Hendrix, Songs in the Key of Life-Stevie Wonder, Abbey Road-The Beatles.

PhillPhillcom: Finally, Errol Cooney in one word:

EC: Sleepy.

Phillip Phillips’ Perfect Summer Night In Vancouver

There is a reason why Phillip Phillips fans are travelling far and wide to see his shows: they just keep getting better and one is never enough. But this time Vancouver fans didn’t have to go very far as Phillip came back for the second time in just a few months to play the opening show of the PNE’s Summer Night Concerts series.

Casual fair goers and fans started to gather at the PNE’s West Jet Amphitheatre early in the evening to wait for Phillip, who made his way to the stage just after 8:00 pm. There was no opening band, so the fans quickly got what they came to hear, a full 1 hour 40 minutes set that included songs from both his albums and some of his most famous covers.

“Let’s dance and have a good time!” Phillip told the crowd as he unassumingly took the stage, the sun still shining behind him. He then launched into “Searchlight,” the opening track from his new album Behind The Light and then into the energetic “Get Up Get Down,” two of his most upbeats songs. But as the evening turned into night, Phillip took us to a few darker and deeper places as well, and we were just as happy to follow him there too.

It’s a well known fact by now that Phillip has assembled an insanely talented band, and that his shows are as much about beautiful storytelling as they are about pure and simple jamming. That was on full display at the PNE show. To single out any instrument would be almost unfair, but last night both Bobby Sparks on keys and organ and Errol Cooney on guitar really elevated songs to special new places. Particular mention goes to “Trigger,” which was incredibly moving with delicate touches from Cooney and lush dramatic effects from Sparks. The best part was perhaps a new cool and intense jam at the end of the song; this is after all what some fans are coming back for, show after show. The incredible Jason Thomas on drums, JJ Smith on bass and Joel Behrman on trumpet and trombone completed the band, each shining at many different times during the show. Through it all was Phillip with his boundless energy and electricity, which never detracts from his impeccable delivery and authentic emotion. He is a true captivating and magical performer.

Phillip played the hits (“Raging Fire,” “Gone Gone Gone”) as well as his new “official” single “Unpack Your Heart” (“whatever that means” he told us with a laugh), the incendiary “Fly,” and my all-time favourite “Man On The Moon.” In between songs, new quiet and atmospheric intros or outros kept us guessing and falling deeper into the night’s spell. And in a repeat of last time’s most magical moment, the Vancouver crowd once again lit up with hundreds of lights to accompany the beautiful lyrics of “Tell Me A Story,” which Phillip made even more special by adding some lines from “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”

As if all of this wasn’t enough, Phillip closed his set with his “Lollipop” mash up, a virtuoso blending of covers by Lil’ Wayne, Led Zeppelin, Eminem and DJ Khaled that drove fans into a true frenzy of pure musical bliss. By the time he came back for his encore with the haunting “A Fool’s Dance,” there is no doubt that Phillip had the crowd on the palm of his hand. Of course, he closed the show with “Home” and led us to sing along with him for one last time. We wished we could have kept singing all night long.

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Check out some photos and videos from the show, as well as some pics of Phillip’s cool Meet & Greet earlier that day.

Set List
Searchlight
Get Up Get Down
Lead On
Raging Fire
Fly
Man On The Moon
Gone Gone Gone
Unpack Your Heart
Tell Me A Story
Trigger>>>
Where We Came From
Lollipop

A Fool’s Dance
Home





PP Meet & Greet Vancouver 4 PP Meet & Greet Vancouver 5

Thank you Claudia, Janet, Melissa and Linda.
Featured photo by Joanne.