If you have been following Phillip Phillips’s career for a while, you know he is intensely private, humble, funny, and the embodiment of determination. But fans of his music know that underneath his jovial and relaxed demeanour lies an artist of a deep and quiet sensitivity who is not afraid to explore the more painful and confounding aspects of life, ambition, love and relationships.
Phillip Phillips’ new album Drift Back, is coming out in a mere 12 days on June 9. His first in 5 years, the album will also be the first since becoming a dad and going through the global trauma of the pandemic.
In preparation, Phillip has been ramping up in activities, releasing 4 songs from the album in 4 months, “Dancing With Your Shadows,” “Love Come Back to Me,” “Before I Loved You,” and “So Will I.” This is in addition to “Love Like That,” which he released in April 2022.
He has not yet shared the tracklist of Drift Back, but this could very well be close to half of the songs on a full-length album.
Overall, the themes of the songs have been about love, not the butterflies in the stomach kind, but the mature, complex relationships that test us and make us question ourselves and our love; the trials of relationships and the limitations of love. Moving and very personal, the songs naturally hint at the growth Phillip has experienced as a musician and a person in the last five years.
As part of his promotional activities, Phillip has also done a number of interviews to announce his upcoming album.
He talked to People Magazine in April in an exclusive, candid interview and appeared in the Songfacts Podcasts through a warm, long conversation. More recently, he appeared in a short, but great sit-down interview on ABC News.
On May 10, Phillip also announced a four-date mini-tour called “The Drift Back Sessions,” going from June 15 to June 23, plus his debut at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville and a few other one-off shows. Check out the stops and dates (announced so far) on his official site here.
Phillip has also been doing a great series of videos on his YouTube channel, sort of like an extension of his Tik Tok videos. Check them out here if you haven’t or if you still haven’t made your way to that app (like me).
Finally, Phillip will be performing at this year’s Memorial Day Concert in Washington, DC tomorrow, Sunday, May 28th. The concert will be live-streamed on PBS’ website. You can watch it here!
It’s a lot to catch up to and we’re sure much more it’s to come from Phillip. We can’t wait for June 9th and what will surely be the summer of Phillip Phillips! What a time to be a fan!
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Any way we look at it, 2020 has been a challenging, life-altering year. It would be difficult to imagine a family, a business, or a part of the economy that has not been deeply impacted or even changed forever because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Being very much a touring musician, Phillip Phillips was not spared from the catastrophic effect of the pandemic on the entertainment and the live music industry.
So missing his music very much and wanting to check on him, we asked Phillip if he would agree to sit down for a conversation about the year that’s been. Well, Phillip said yes, and below is the result!
Touching everything from the realization that the year would not go as planned, to embracing the freedom the lockdown gave him to be a full-time husband and dad, to some of his newest hobbies, we discuss it all.
So sit down, get a cup of hot chocolate or a glass of wine, and enjoy this early Christmas gift from Phillip!
As always, Pam and I want to thank Phillip for agreeing to talk to us and being so generous with his time and his stories.
For the best part of the last six years, Phillip Phillips has been on the road. And for the best part of those years, Phillip has toured with his wife Hannah Blackwell by his side. This year, his small touring family was expanded, when Phillip and Hannah decided to bring their beautiful boxer Izzy to join them on the 43-stop Magnetic Tour.
Grand Canyon University student Ashley Romantic sat down with Phillip Phillips before his concert at GCU Arena Saturday night to talk about his music, faith, advice for college students and, of course, how to get your Lopes Up.
Q: Tell us about your album “Behind the Light.”
A: I think it’s got a little bit of everything to it. It’s got some funk, a little bit of soul, rock, a little jazz and pop. I think it’s good. It’s honest. I only have two albums out so it’s definitely my best work so far. I am starting to work on my third one right now and am really excited. It has some cool, kind of weird stuff happening, but I like it like that.
Q: I am sure everyone out there will think it’s really good.
A: Not everyone, there’s always somebody who thinks it’s not good, but that’s just people you know. As long as my mom and fiancé like it, that’s what counts.
Q: I understand it’s geared more toward a concert setting. Is this the most fun you’ve ever had on tour?
A: Yes. I was touring last year. This year I am writing a lot more, doing shows here and there kind of like this one, more like one-off shows. But every time I get to play the songs, especially when I was debuting and doing the tour, it was a lot of fun. It’s easy to get them live. As my band played on, we just changed up stuff, added some jam in and other musical parts. It’s always fun and it’s always evolving. I definitely wanted to represent that live setting, live show and that is what I am working toward on the third one. You always want to keep them different, and when making a song for the album you want to make a song and not just a jam. And when you play it live, that’s when you have fun and get crazy.
Q: Do you play university settings often? What are your impressions of GCU and GCU Arena?
A: It’s very beautiful. It’s definitely one of the cleaner arenas I have ever seen. This campus is great. My first headlining tour, all I did was college dates and it was a lot of fun. You build those fans with people similar to your age.
Q: You get the crazy college kids.A: Yeah, are they crazy here?
Q: Well, we go to Chapel so we are mellow, but we do get crazy.
A: We’ll go to church tonight, then!
Q: So what was your school experience like? Were you more the excited and anxious type or were you dreading it?
A: Ah no, I always hated school since I was kid. When I was going to college, too… What I was studying, it was something I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life, so that made it miserable. If you are going for something you enjoy, I am sure it is a lot more fun. It’s still hard work.
Q: What role does faith play in your life?
A: It plays a big part. I grew up in church. Ever since I was a kid, my mom played the piano and sang. My Poppa, my grandfather, he led worship when I was a kid. He has a deep voice, and now he sings a little quieter. My dad would sing sometimes, and both my sisters sang in church at a young age. I didn’t get into music until I was about 14. I was into my music, but I didn’t pick up the guitar until I was 14. I grew up on the hymns. I was writing this week with my band — a few of those guys play in church sometimes when they are home — and I started signing some hymns, and they were like, “Oh yeah, Phil, we didn’t know you knew that.” And I was like, “Oh yeah, I grew up learning all those.” All my friends went to a more contemporary churches, singing more David Crowder type of stuff. I love David Crowder, it’s an incredible band. I was singing “Old Rugged Cross” or “Victory in Jesus” type stuff. Faith plays a role every day. Anyone who grew up religious, even if you get away from it, it always comes back to you in some way or form. I try to keep living right every day. Sometimes you don’t do it right, but that is what learning and life is all about.
Q: The audience tonight is filled with young people chasing their dreams. What words of advice can you give them?
A: Don’t mess up (laughing).
Q: That’s good advice.
A: Aim to do something you love and enjoy – that’s really the biggest thing that counts. Money doesn’t buy happiness. It can buy you fun things sometimes, but in the end, if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing… I’ve met a lot of miserable people that don’t like doing what they are doing and that is not a fun place to be. Like I said, I was going to college for something I didn’t want to do and I was miserable. Do something you love. If it’s music, if it’s technology, if it’s being a teacher, whatever it is, do it to the best of your capability. That is how I was brought up.
Q: Now, “Lopes Up” is a thing we do here at GCU.
A: Is this like a hand signal thing? I saw a billboard about it. I didn’t know if it was a dog or what.
Q: It’s an antelope. If you do this (showing Lopes Up), you’ll connect with the audience right away. That’s my best piece of advice.
A: OK, I get nervous doing interviews — I am nervous right now — but I will try and remember it. My mind starts racing once I get up on stage. I’ll either do it right when I go out, or sometime during the show, when I’m like – “I need to do that.”
Q: I am sure you will see lots of people who will join in. If there are 7,000 people out there, and you do Lopes Up, you’ll get 14,000 hands up in the air. It’s what they teach you Day 1.
A: Sweet… If they are not into the show, I’ll do this (Lopes Up) after every song.
Source/Thanks: GCU Today
Fox News talked to Phillip Phillips before his performance last Sunday at the Super Bowl. In the interview, Phillip talks about his pre-performance nerves and reveals more details about his new album.
Before his big show at the Super Bowl, Phillip was in New York for a few weeks working on his much anticipated second album. He has shared few details, but we know through recent interviews that it will likely be out in May and that it will have a “heavier, darker” sound. It’s not much, but we certainly like the sound of that!
Check out Phillip’s interview with Fox below!