GLEN PHILLIPS REVISITS HIS 20+ YEAR CATALOG OF
BAND/SOLO MATERIAL FOR HIS 2012 TOUR
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. – It’s been three years since the accident that severed nerves in singer/songwriter Glen Phillips left arm could have also severed his 20-year career. Relearning his instrument was the key to recovery: “The doctors told me that playing guitar was better than any therapy they could prescribe, so I dug in as soon as I was able. Any healing in my hand has come back through playing the guitar.”
Glen Phillips brings his "...heart, melody and pleasing lack of rock-star attitude" (- Minneapolis Star Tribune) on tour beginning February 12th.
“It was October of 2008 at Sean Watkins’ house,” recalls Glen, “I was sitting on a vintage glass-topped coffee table, just like they tell you not to do. I had thought the metal frame was holding my weight, but after ten minutes I heard a crack and fell back into the shards.” His arm immediately went numb as the glass sliced through 70% of his ulnar nerve, and within the week he underwent surgery to try and repair the damage.
Glen had to cancel a tour that was to start only days after the accident, but was back on the road within two months. “Sean Watkins came out and accompanied me on those dates. It was pretty rough at first, but he and the audiences gave me a lot of support.”
It was also around this time that Glen was touring heavily with Toad The Wet Sprocket and launching his supergroup WPA (Works Progress Administration) with his Nickel Creek cohorts Sean Watkins (guitar) and Sara Watkins (fiddle), pianist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), fiddler Luke Bulla, multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz, drummer Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello & The Attractions), and bassist Davey Faragher (Imposters, Cracker).
“Toad and WPA were both very patient with my recovery. Todd (Nichols, Toad) and Sean picked up the slack in places where I wasn't able to cover what I could before, and have both been great about making room for me as I got my confidence back.”
It was also during this time that Glen quietly released Plover, a collaboration with Garrison Starr and Neilson Hubbard, RemoteTreeChildren with John Askew, and the private-space-travel themed solo EP Secrets of the New Explorers.
These projects are all available for listening or purchase at glenphillips.bandcamp.com.
Glen plans to touch on all of his 20+ year catalogue for this upcoming tour, “a few new and rare songs, solo material as well as Toad, WPA, and RemoteTreeChildren. I had a pretty huge creative output just before the accident, and aside from WPA, none of the other projects were widely released, so they were pretty easy to miss. There was a fallow few years, but I'm happy to have some confidence back in my playing and be writing for Toad, solo and other projects again.” -more
“I’ve slowly regained strength and flexibility to compensate for the muscles that aren't plugged in any more, and am very grateful to have friends who could help me out live until I could play well enough to get through a show myself.”
That includes Jonathan Kingham who will accompany Glen on these dates, opening as well as backing on a few songs. “Jonathan’s been a great friend and touring companion with me solo on and off for the last 6 years, and even joined Toad on tour starting in 2011. I can't think of a better person to be on the road with.“
For more information, contact THINK PRESS