When you’ve pretty well covered the bases musically, which is certainly the case with Shane Philip’s one-man band approach, what else can one do in the realm of the medium?
Philip, a former teacher and kayak instructor turned full-time musician and Bow Valley favourite, already has a lengthy checklist of musical disciplines mastered – guitar; check, didgeridoo; check, drums; check.
Philip plays Nourish Bistro in Banff, Sunday (June 11) and Communitea Cafe in Canmore, Monday (June 12).
With his last album, life.love.music out in 2010, Philip is working on new material and branching into as yet another medium that can be combined with his music. His video work can be found at YouTube.ca/user/shanephilipmusic.
With GoPro video, Philip is able to combine his music with other important aspects of his life; family, friends, cycling, travel, kayaking, feeding goats, coffee shops, his fellow Vancouver Islanders, etc.
“I gotta do a new album,” he said, “but it can be hard to set aside time for the recording studio. In the meantime, I’m doing small tours and working on music videos; I’m focusing a lot on that. I’ve probably got 250 of them up.”
It’s not that Philip is stepping away from music; in fact, he’s got a cross-Canada tour to Montreal lined up for summer.
“This will be the first time I’ve driven across the country in nine years,” he said, “and this time, I’m doing it alone. Usually I have someone doing sound with me, but this time I’ll be alone.
“The good thing about it is you have privacy, I can do whatever I want, when I want. The bad thing is, there’s nobody to share driving with. I’ve learned to pull over and sleep like a truck driver.
“But I’m looking forward to it. I’ve played some of the sleaziest bars I’ve ever seen, but I’ve also played house concerts in some beautiful homes. I really like house concerts because you connect with people who thinks it’s great for you to be in their house.
“And when you have 40 to 50 people, it’s not a big crowd, but in a house it feels like it’s big. You get to stay with some great people and it’s kind of the opposite to playing a bar. The hardest part for me in playing in a bar is starting at 11 p.m. Then you play to 2 a.m., then pack up and head out to the next gig.
“Those are the hardest for me, but I try to eat well, exercise and I dedicate an hour a day to fitness. It’ll be a long month and a half, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Once a Quadra Islander, in the Inside Passage on the west coast, Philip made a move to Courtenay, on Vancouver Island. Being on the Island reduces ferry trips and has allowed Philip to rely less on a vehicle and more on his bike.
On his solo cross-country tour, Philip will have his trusty ukulele along, the instrument he often uses while penning new songs. “I don’t listen to any music on tour, but I usually do a lot of songwriting. This trip, though, not likely as much, I’ll have too much driving to keep me busy.”
As well, Philip has chosen to axe coffee from his diet, which my make long-distance driving a challenge. At the time of this interview, he’d gone 36 hours without the brew, “and I’ve been driving with a headache and sleepy,” he said.
“I think it’s withdrawal, but I’ve had to depend on coffee to get up for driving and it gave me some digestion issues. I find without it, I have more constant energy, not up and down, and I think it will be better in the end, although they do have good coffee at Communitea. I’ll save a few dollars a day not buying coffee.”
For those unfamiliar with a Philip show, they can be at times manic, rocking and thumping with didgeridoo and drums, and at others, quieter, with a gentle folky feel.
“Usually, the first half of a show is singer/songwriter stuff, then the crazies in the second half.
“I’m looking forward to the shows in Banff and Canmore. I love Canmore and I’ve been there often. I think there’s a solid core of music lovers there, and of all ages.
