Grant-Lee Phillips

This year, Grant-Lee Phillips will release his 12th solo album, the self-produced In the Hour of Dust. It’s a work that doesn’t shy away from the big themes of contemporary life.

“The mood on this album is contemplative,” says Phillips, “trying to find meaning in an age of confusion, feeling your way through the blinding dust of unreality.” In the Hour of Dust is also a highly intimate affair; both in its musical presentation and the highly personal – often autobiographical – lyrics in the songs, all set, the songwriter admits, “against this larger discordant backdrop.”

Audiences first discovered Phillips' thoughtful, literate songwriting in context of the rock band Grant Lee Buffalo, a trio which found success with the 1993 debut Fuzzy. The title track catapulted the group to international recognition. Grant Lee Buffalo followed up Fuzzy with 1994's Mighty Joe Moon (an album featuring the modern rock hit "Mockingbirds") etching a distinct mark, while transcending the era. Beginning with his 2000 solo debut Ladies' Love Oracle, Phillips opened another chapter in his career, as a folk- and Americana-focused artist crafting songs and stories rich with details and humanity.

At this precise moment, Phillips was invited to join the cast of a burgeoning television series. The Gilmore Girls would enjoy lasting syndication and multi-generational embrace, introducing Phillips, “the Town Troubadour”, to a new audience.

Presented by Hey! Manchester.

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