SINNER-SONGWRITER LP OUT ON OCTOBER 29TH
VIA DIXIE FROG RECORDS
Photo by Bryan Iglesias
LISTEN // WATCH: “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE
Today, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales has unleashed “Your Love’s Working Me To The Bone,” the smoldering new single from his forthcoming LP Sinner-Songwriter, set for release on October 29th via Dixie Frog Records.
What began as a beat in a bedroom was finished with Tres Sasser (Will Hoge) and Joe Costa (Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer). It’s about a draining relationship where narrator laments having to do all of the emotional labor in the relationship—one they don’t want to leave, but know it’s probably for the best.
“Your Love’s Working Me To the Bone” follows “When They Put Me in My Grave (ft. Archie Lee Hooker),” which PopMatters said features “electrifying licks that can’t help but call back to [B.B.] King’s iconic style…Its opening moments tease something bigger, starting with an acoustic rhythm, subtle tinges of electric lead, and Scales’ passionate vocals. Shy of 40 seconds in, the track explodes into full-throttle blues. Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself.”
Of album single “Another Man’s Sin,” Pancakes & Whiskey said, “‘Dive Bar Soul’ is how Scales describes his music and this track perfectly embodies that statement; rocking music that has heart and soul, but feels very accessible for any music fan to appreciate,” and follows an earlier release of bluesy anthem “O, Hallelujah.”
LISTEN: “WHEN THEY PUT ME IN MY GRAVE (ft. ARCHIE LEE HOOKER)”
LISTEN: “ANOTHER MAN'S SIN”
LISTEN: “O, HALLELUJAH”
Growing up, Phillip-Michael Scales had an uncle who played guitar for a living. He knew it was a big deal but didn’t understand the significance that his uncle’s name was B.B. King. Even though Scales played guitar, he shied away from soloing and most things blues-related. Instead, he fell in love with songwriting when an English teacher told him “A great writer can make their reader identify with anyone.” The trouble was he couldn’t find his story in the blues.
Born with a fierce independent streak and a passion for performing, Scales fronted his own indie bands, wrote and recorded his own music, and worked to make a name for himself on his own terms. All the while, his uncle just smiled a knowing smile and encouraged him to “stay with it.” As he began to discover “the blues” in his private and personal life, their relationship grew closer.
It wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of it into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he explains. “A lot has led me here—between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.”
Throughout its 14 soulful tracks, Sinner-Songwriter, Scales explores, growth, mistakes, being black in America, searching for love, and finding your place in the world. He calls his sound “Dive Bar Soul,” blending indie rock storytelling with the passion of the blues. His single “O, Hallelujah” has broken 200K plays, he has been featured in Rolling Stone France, and is in regular rotation on Nashville’s Radio Station Lightning 100. Scales’ music has taken him all the way to the Middle East, as well as festivals across Europe and North America. He has opened for Fantastic Negrito, Anderson East, Guster, David Cook, Bethany Joy Lenz, Matt Hires, Billy Raffoul, Crystal Bowersox, Tyler Hilton, Jon McLaughlin, and Cory Brannan.
TOUR DATES
10/8 - McMENAMINS WHITE EAGLE SALOON - PORTLAND, OR
10/27 - GOLDEN DAGGER - CHICAGO, IL (Record Release Show)
10/29 - 20 FRONT STREET - LAKE ORION, MI (Record Release Show)
11/5 - THE BASEMENT - NASHVILLE, TN (Record Release Show)
11/7 - 11/12 - THE ROCK BOAT XX1 - MIAMI, FL
11/18 - ANODYNE - MILWAUKEE, WI (Record Release Show)
11/19 - THELMA SADOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS - FOND DU LAC, WI