Biography
Phil Roy spent his childhood in Philadelphia amid the 1970s dominance of Philly soul on local radio. He began playing guitar at nine, with lessons from a musician in Gamble & Huff’s house band, and exposure to John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock prompted him to enroll at Berklee. There he concluded his technical skills fell short for a career as a jazz guitarist, yet a songwriting course revealed an alternate path forward.
Once he had composed several pieces, Roy relocated to Los Angeles and formed the band Carrera. Warner Bros. released one album before dropping the group; after a name change, EMI likewise issued and then withdrew support following a single record. Abandoning live performance, he took staff-writing positions with multiple publishers and placed material with Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Widespread Panic, and additional artists. Despite these placements he remained dissatisfied, acknowledging “that I was writing songs to get on commercial radio when I wasn’t even listening to commercial radio!” He therefore resolved to produce and record an album under his own name.
The resulting debut, Grouchyfriendly, appeared in 2000 and sold 8,000 copies independently, earning Roy the title of 2002 Independent Artist of the Year from Musician’s Atlas magazine. His next project, Issues + Options, was acquired by Or Music and reissued in May 2003. Following a brief studio absence, he issued Great Longing in May 2007.
Once he had composed several pieces, Roy relocated to Los Angeles and formed the band Carrera. Warner Bros. released one album before dropping the group; after a name change, EMI likewise issued and then withdrew support following a single record. Abandoning live performance, he took staff-writing positions with multiple publishers and placed material with Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Widespread Panic, and additional artists. Despite these placements he remained dissatisfied, acknowledging “that I was writing songs to get on commercial radio when I wasn’t even listening to commercial radio!” He therefore resolved to produce and record an album under his own name.
The resulting debut, Grouchyfriendly, appeared in 2000 and sold 8,000 copies independently, earning Roy the title of 2002 Independent Artist of the Year from Musician’s Atlas magazine. His next project, Issues + Options, was acquired by Or Music and reissued in May 2003. Following a brief studio absence, he issued Great Longing in May 2007.
Albums
