E.G. Phillips - A Bridge Too Far
San Francisco-based artist E.G. Phillips presents his new single 'A Bridge Too Far (MacArthur Station)' featuring Grace Renaud on vocals. This previews his forthcoming 'Outlaw The Dead' EP, mixed and produced by Chris McGrew and Billboard-charting producer Jaimeson Durr (Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Hope Sandoval).
Although the underlying backing track is a gentle bossa nova, there’s an undercurrent of tension and despair from the David Gilmour-esque riffs of an electric guitar and vocals that pierce through the darkness of the night as we are privy to a tormented inner dialogue.
The setting is a light rail station in the East Bay, where connections are made and missed and our protagonist is left stranded for an indeterminate nocturnal duration. With a refrain that directly quotes the title drop to a movie about WWII, a sense of conflict is unmistakable.
Last month, Phillips released the single 'It Ain't Good to Be in Love With You', a jazzy affair that showcases the Tom Waits meets Nick Cave-esque facets of his confessional songwriting.
This EP was recorded in Studio C of Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco (AKA Wally’s HydeOut) at the former Wally Heider Studios, the same space where such legendary artists as Herbie Hancock, Santana, Grateful Dead, Green Day and Dead Kennedys recorded some of their most legendary releases.
"The East Bay train station in which this song is set is one where I've been stuck many times -- at night when you are alone in the dark, it can be a time for quiet reflection, or in this case a tumultuous inner dialogue, one rooted in conflict, as implied by the allusions to the WWII movie of the same name," explains E.G. Phillips.
A tech refugee originally from the Midwest, Phillips ultimately found greener grass on the West coast. Originally from Chicago suburbs, but having also lived in East Central Illinois and Minnesota, his musical journeys have grown more adventurous since relocating to the Bay Area at the turn of the century, especially since venturing out on the open mic scene in San Francisco -- finding a musical home of sorts at Bazaar Cafe.
With the steadfast backing of his band Ducks With Pants, Phillips blends lyric-driven compositions with his own special blend of whimsy and cinematic imagery, offering a wry take in dealing with the longings of the heart and the madness of existence.
Grace Renaud is a vocal coach and minister of music. Currently music director at St. Paul's Lutheran Church and a pianist / cantor at Grace Cathedral, she also previously served as interim music director of the Queer Chorus of San Francisco, in addition to directing Soul Shine, a jazz combo accompanied by a choir of 25+ volunteers and professionals.
