Songwriters Circle – Tom Phillips, Emily Triggs and Steve Pineo

Survivor and singer of cautionary tales. You want it, you got it from Tom Phillips, whose career’s turned itself inside out so often that at times he appears to be a shape shifter. During the past few years, Phillips’ transformation was also physical as he swapped alcohol for coffee and his trademark cowboy boots and shirts for polished shoes and tailored suits. But appearances distract, and Phillips is no shape shifter: if you took a musical x-ray during every incarnation, you’d find song writing as the bedrock under the suits, boots, cowboy hats and skin. Which explains why revered blues artist Eric Bibb covered Phillips’ touchstone tune, Ribbons and Bows, on one of his albums. An esteemed statesperson of the Calgary music scene, Phillips earned his laurels over decades.

Following Emily’s widely accepted release ‘When Guinevere Went Under’, Emily Triggs is busting down walls that confine an artist to expectations and genres with her sophomore album, ‘Middletown’. Middletown captures the undeniably authentic style of songwriting and arrangement that reflects the world of music Emily grew up in. A prolific songwriter with a passion for storytelling, her songs showcase her honest, pure vocals. While sometimes likened to Patty Griffin and Michelle Shocked, Emily has her own brand of folk/roots filled with a lifetime of music and influences.