Album Notes

www.mattphillipsmusic.net

The concourse at Liverpool Street railway station is a hive of activity as London’s mid-summer heatwave takes it toll on the thousands of commuters heading home to South East suburbia.

It’s a scene that UK songwriter, Matt Phillips, knows well – The routine of commuter life and the need to escape to something more meaningful paints a broad stroke across his debut solo album Red, White and The Blues.

Small town frustration has always made for great British music and Red, White and The Blues fuels that tradition – The album also draws lyrical inspiration from The Kinks and Pink Floyd and their concept LPs from the Sixties with all ten tracks themed around escaping the rat race and day-to-day drudgery of mind numbing routine.

“It’s about stepping away from the commuter chaos, pressing the pause button on life and taking a look at the world around you,” confirms Phillips from a station coffee shop, his voice almost drowned out by the never-ending barrage of automated PA train announcements.

“No-one wants to spend their day doing something mediocre because being stuck in a job you hate can feel like the end of the world. We've all been there and If I’ve felt that then I'm sure others have as well. So this album is all about leading to something more positive and discovering who you are. Once you believe in yourself then you can start making big decisions about your future and that’s when things start happening.”

Highlights include Small Talk which aims to kick down the office walls and escape nine-to-five mediocrity while the barnstorming Shine a Light on Me urges to break free from the shackles of loneliness in the big city.

And these three minute anthems are all wrapped up in a wall of eclectic sound with epic guitars, beats and melodies that give the album a modern edge.

Red, White and The Blues is set to be the ultimate indie album as well, recorded by Phillips and up-and-coming producer and long-term musical colleague, Joe Darrington, and released via their own label, CM2 Records: “There’s a DIY ethic running through this album, from recording and producing it to finalising a release date. We’re working outside the confines of the major record companies because it’s a closed door industry. We’re not interested in American Idol, talent shows or anything like that. So, we’re left on the outside and that’s fine with me. We’ve literally had to beg, steal and borrow to get this far but it's going to be a record to trust and believe in.”

And with that, Phillips says goodbye before descending down the stairs and into the busy mass of people heading for trains to take them out of the city. For Matt Phillips, the journey begins here.