(Québec) Even if you think you don’t know Phillip Phillips, his song Home has certainly made its way into your ears during the past year. The winner of American Idol 2012 brings his luminous and soaring folk into the Louis-Fréchette hall on Monday and, except for one lonely floor ticket, it’s a sold out show.
“I didn’t know … That’s it, I’m really nervous now,” he says with a smile in his voice when Le Soleil tells him about it. This voice is also sounding even deeper than usual due to a cold. The 23 year-old singer is unpretentious and has everything going to win us over. And it’s with this same ease that he answered our questions.
Phillips, who will be touring Canada almost exclusively until April, is riding the wave, entirely devoted to the pleasure of playing the songs from his debut album, The World From The Side Of The Moon, some covers randomly chosen at each stop and a few tracks from his second album to be released some time in May.
Is there a title? Not yet. But like the title of his first album, the singer and guitar player will not limit himself to the songs’ titles for his inspiration; he will find a new formula.
[quote style=”1″]”People will see another side of me. I think it is more mature as an album, both in terms of the music and the lyrics. Anyway, I hope this is the impression that people have while listening to it. It’s going to be darker.”[/quote]
This statement, coming from an artist who has had such an impressive year, is surprising. “Let’s say that what is happening in my professional life and what happens to me personally is not always connected,” Phillips explains without elaborating. We will have to read between the lines of his upcoming album’s lyrics …For instance, take “Raging Fire,” the single he released last Monday, which he describes as “a love song, but with a heavier side.” It also has heavier drums that featured in previous tracks. But fans can rest assured that, even if the young Georgia singer says the album will be darker, you will still hear a little Mumford & Sons, his unique tone and a voice that gives you the feeling of driving towards the sunset of an empty country road.
The recording of the first album was done in just three weeks. “But all the songs were already written, we pretty much knew what arrangements we would do. This time, we are taking our time. We are trying things, letting ideas grow,” says Phillips.
After a short session at Quad Studios in Manhattan to record his new single, Phillip Phillips returned to Los Angeles on Thursday to perform on the set of the show that made him a star.
“I look forward to seeing the team, the technicians, everybody. I know it will be fine, even if I don’t like performing on live TV that much,” says Phillips. A little strange for an artist who actually made his name on TV. “You never get used to it, it’s always like the first time, because it’s always different,” he explains.
Pure Happiness
When he is on stage, however, it’s when he feels most happy-once he’s played the first songs. And also when he meets his audience. The displays of affection abound, but nothing touches him more than when fans send him messages about his songs. “To know a song has touched them, that it means something for two lovers or that the baby of the family likes a song that I wrote, it’s wonderful. It’s a beautiful proof that a piece of music is universal when it manages to have such a deep meaning in our lives.”
Phillip Phillips will be performing on Monday at 8:00 pm at the Grand Théâtre de Québec but the show is sold out. He will also be performing at the Place des Arts in Montreal on Tuesday, and at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Source: Le Soleil
Translation by Andreina Romero