Phil Henry
Rutland, Vermont, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"Rutland's Phil Henry is, first and foremost, a storyteller... Vivid, lyrical imagery that captures the imagination." - Seven Days, Burlington, VT
This week's "Local Song In My Head" is "WQRZ" by Phil Henry. Kind of timely, but not really on purpose - it's just been stuck there for a while. I don't know how it happened, but I think somehow I've turned into a "Phil-Head."
- George Nostrand
“Thanks to years of formal training, his arrangements and melodies are works of real craftsmanship. Combine that with his playful and compassionate nature, and it's no surprise that Phil is finding his way onto the best folk stages." - Sarah Craig, Director
"...Like John Mayer in funny shorts!" - Vance Gilbert
"Henry has a clear, tenor voice which brings to mind a cross between a young Billy Joel and contemporary singer-songwriter Vance Gilbert. ...carries the vibe of a talented young songwriter who loves to perform." - Robert Resnick, Vermont Public Radio
"Phil Henry and his band turned up the heat... Saranac Lake's subzero weather was no match for the range and power of his music. Henry's humor and song engaged all, and six through sixty laughed, sang and then shouted for more..." - Carol Marie Vossler, Saranac Lake, NY
"Henry's music has the vocal warmth of James Taylor, the thoughtful, seamlessly crafted lyrics of Paul Simon, and the infectious melody of no one but Phil." - Wendy Ramsay, Syracuse, NY
Track of the Day on 14Nov2004 in Folk Rock
Track Of The Week on 29Nov2004 in Folk Rock
#5 Best Drums in Folk Rock, all-time
#25 Best Programming in Folk Rock, all-time
#16 Best Beat in Folk Rock, all-time
#2 Grooviest Rhythm in Folk Rock, all-time
Best Male Vocals in Folk Rock, week of 13Dec2004
Best Drums in Folk Rock, week of 13Dec2004
Best Bass in Folk Rock, week of 13Dec2004
Best Melody in Folk Rock, week of 20Dec2004
Best Beat in Folk Rock, week of 13Dec2004
Grooviest Rhythm in Pop/Rock, week of 11Oct2004
Chill-Out Track in Pop/Rock, week of 18Oct2004
Active contest: #3 of 143 in Folk Rock
All-time: #25 of 1,137 in Folk Rock
Best #3 of 151 on 23Dec2004 - For "Concrete and Tile"
Track of the Day on 2Dec2004 in Folk Rock
Best Male Vocals in Folk Rock, week of 22Nov2004
Best Lyrics in Folk Rock, week of 22Nov2004
Best Love Song in Folk Rock, week of 22Nov2004
Active contest: #32 of 143 in Folk Rock
All-time: #217 of 1,099 in Folk Rock
- For "Broken"
Discography
Robots and Romance (2010)
Folk 2.0 (EP, 2007)
Detour (with Gary Moon and Kate Blain, 2006)
No Place Like Here (2005)
Board By Board (2000)
Photos
Bio
Phil Henry is that rare contemporary folk artist who will impress you from every direction. Theres his sweet and strong voice, that intricate and flawless guitar work, and songs so rich and sweeping youll wish you wrote them yourself.
But hes also got an authenticity that cant be taught or bought. Hes an old-school storyteller who builds songs from a place of honesty, without crossing over into the T.M.I. of confessional songwriting.
Hes been honored by the top tastemakers in contemporary folk. Hes played the big stages - Kerrville, Falcon Ridge - and won top prize at SolarFest and the Susquehanna Arts and Music Festival.
Thanks to years of formal training, his arrangements and melodies are works of real craftsmanship, said Sarah Craig, director at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., one of the top folk clubs in the nation. Combine that with his playful and compassionate nature, and it's no surprise that Phil is finding his way onto the best folk stages."
Henry builds a connection, gently shaking an audience out of their own heads and into the vivid world he creates. Hes that rare breed of egoless musician who truly believes in the communal experience between performer and audience.
He crafts characters with real motives, puts them in situations and makes you care enough about them to want to hear how their story ends. Listen to his gem WQRZ off of his critically honored 2010 release, Robots and Romance, and youll understand. You can hear the storm blowing, you can smell the dank studio and the rain outside. And you can feel the tension as the deejay keeps his post despite the storm closing in.
Henry is a builder, in every sense of the word. He doesnt just make songs; he builds stringed instruments by hand. He builds albums, too, as a producer with a keen sense for what makes great ear candy. And he doesnt just make music; he teaches it, conducting a high-school chorus in the snow-covered mountains of central Vermont.
A product of Saranac Lake, N.Y., and graduate of SUNY Potsdam, Henry says he was inspired to perform after seeing a Martin Sexton show in the late 1990s. That was it, Henry says. I started writing, and started working on making my voice and guitar sound like THAT.
Of course, during his own journey, Henry built his own unique voice, borrowing from the traditions of Richard Shindell, Peter Mulvey and Paul Simon, even finding inspiration in the books of Kurt Vonnegut and the movies of the Coen Brothers.
But theres no one quite like this quiet Vermonter whose powerful voice speaks for itself.
- Aaron Nathans
2011 Kerrville New Folk Finalist
2011 New Jersey Folk Festival Winner
2009 Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival Songwriter Contest First Place Winner
2008 Kerrville New Folk Finalist
2005 SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Contest Grand Prize Winner
2005 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist
Band Members
Links
