DJ Interviews: Phillip Foxley

Hello everyone Its DJ Dizzy here & I had the pleasure of sitting down with a singer named Phillip Foxley

How'd you get started in music?

Well I started way back in the 1970’s when I bought an old (even then) Gibson SG Junior guitar to play Black Sabbath riffs. As time went on I joined a few of the local club bands where I learned about chord structures and the importance of accurate timing, by playing the standards of the day. Strange thing is that I started thinking that, because the SG only had one P-90 pickup, it was somehow a ‘beginners’ or ‘student’ guitar so I sold it for a pittance and bought myself a Fender Strat’ simply because it had three pickups lol. Years later, I discovered that the SG was really rare and worth a small fortune. How I wish I had it now.

After gigging around for a few years, I was asked to play on various studio sessions for other bands which was really a great time for me.  I soon realised that I actually preferred song writing to actual playing gigs all over the place so I naturally gravitated towards the recording and production side. I still much prefer this even today.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

My inspirations and influences are many and varied from my early days playing Black Sabbath riffs through to Buzzcocks, The Clash, Mick Ronson (David Bowie), Zal Cleminson (Sensational Alex Harvey Band), David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler and Yngwie Malmsteen to name a few. Life experience is also a strong influencer.

What advice would offer aspiring performers?

I can spout on about the need to practice to perfect your craft etc. All of which is important, but for me the most important thing is to be original, which means writing about what you believe in and playing what you feel. There are many examples of brilliant artists out there that are very successful and instantly recognisable because they have their own style, yet they may not be the best musicians. They surround themselves with great musicians.   

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

I think the answer to this is mainly within my previous response. In my case, it’s tricky because my songs are multi-genre (I don’t know why) which means that I don’t have a specific fan base. I tend to get different fans on a track by track basis. This appears to make me very different from the norm. Something I’m now used to.  

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

No gigs or new albums planned. I released my debut album ‘I’ll Try ‘Till I Die’ in 2015 but the funny thing is that I don’t intend to release any more albums so I just keep adding tracks to this one. Right now there are 24 tracks from the first to my latest releases – it’s all on there. Not sure if that’s a great marketing strategy but it’s just how it worked out.

Special thanks to him for this interview & I wish him luck in his success & career so until then I'll catch you on the flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll