The guitar isn't dead, Philip Pledger is sure of it. Despite a popular music climate in which meaningful guitar work seems to have taken a back seat to synthetic substitutes and electronic grandeur, Philip's music is a testament to the power of musicianship and the enigmatic craft of the guitar, an art form found only in the dark and smoky rooms of a few forgotten venues in the south.
As a teenager, Philip became entranced by the burning groans and growls of blues music and promptly began a journey to explore its roots. Just as in decades past guitarists would retreat to the 'woodshed' to work on their chops, Philip began learning the licks of Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King and Eric Clapton daily in the proverbial woodshed of his bedroom.
Never one to shy away from musical diversity, Philip spent four years informing his sound and immersing himself in the indie rock sanctuary of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC, playing regularly at venues like Local 506 and The Cave between shows at coffeehouses. In summer 2008, Philip played The Garage and The Wherehouse in his hometown, and as a senior at UNC he and his band headlined the main stage of the school's annual Fall Fest celebration.
Philip is currently in the studio completing his self-produced, full-band debut. Entitled Big Ideas EP, the record is the culmination of his own brand of blues-infused indie pop, filled to the brim with melodic vocal hooks and distinctive guitar parts. The EP begins with 'Foreword,' a short, earthy track coming in at just over two minutes. Pledger ruminates on themes of uncertainty and the fragility of human plans over the sounds of organic, fingerpicked guitar and light glockenspiel chimes. The record's third track, 'Truth,' starts in a cloudy haze emitted by a delay-laden guitar hook and tight drum beat. The song's funky bass line carries it to the bridge, where Philip's guitar solo finds itself played backwards a la Axis-era Jimi Hendrix.
In contrast to 'Truth's shaded atmospheric groove, 'On The Mend' is a pensive, soulful ballad whose colorful lyrical imagery is a refreshing take on the age-old theme of love, loss and attempted rebirth. The introduction's reverent organs paint a contemplative backdrop on which the song's vocal and instrumental melodies are interwoven, oscillating between major and minor tones and climaxing in a fervent guitar solo that moves from mournful to burningly passionate.
But it's on the stage that Philip hits his musical stride; it doesn't take long at one of his shows to see that his music was meant to be played in a live setting. Armed with a stratocaster and quiet confidence, Pledger exudes a light-hearted, endearing stage presence that both eases his audience yet demands their attention. His band consists of the explosive Ian Meeks on drums, Travis Phillips ..board and guitar, and Brian Johnson on bass, forming the stage group Philip Pledger & The Pentatonics. When put together, the four achieve a disarming sound that harkens to the music of decades past yet casts a hopeful vision for the future of pop; a music clothed in modernity but as old as the earth. It's not uncommon for audiences to hear soupy synth pads lead into tight rhythmic grooves, followed by guitar solos unleashed with a Hendrixian fury, all within the course of one song. Ultimately Pledger's music is an attempt to repaint the blues form in a new light, joining the ranks of a new generation of bluesmen like Jack White and Dan Auerbach.
While occasional Cream numbers feel like natural cover choices, more ambitious covers are also meticulously implanted into his live sets. An endearing version of Radiohead's 'Let Down' as well as a bold, robust revisioning Daft Punk's 'Something About Us' have recently made themselves at home alongside Philip's originals.
Big Ideas EP will be released June 19 at Philip's show at The Wherehouse in Winston-Salem, where he will be joined by a number of friends and special guests for a special night of music. For booking and other inquiries, please email [email protected].
