Phillip-Michael Scales' retro soul track "Find A Way" is intoxicating in it's yesterday and today

"I can't lose sleep on what I can't change"

From the very onset, the retro soul track Find A Way by Nashville's "dive bar" soul artist Phillip-Michael Scales, feels supremely funky and ultimately cuts a deep, deep grove that cuts a wide cultural and cross genre'd swath. It has a bit of Soul Train, a bit of Italian Spaghetti Western vibes, a bit of 70's Blaxploitation / Black Empowerment Cinema tones (in the best possible way) and, at the very least, it needs, needs to be in a Quentin Tarantino period piece (that is if he is coaxed to keep making movies). Besides the lush retro vibe enhanced by that extremely catchy synth or Mellotron melody, sultry tight bass lines and low open string guitars notes, the song ultimately hinges on Scales' amazingly rich, muscular vocal aesthetic. 

"I chase the lightning, I got soaked in the rain, dance with my demons 'till I couldn't see straight, try to twist me but I still don't break... I don't mind... I'll find a way."

So cool.

Find A Way is the latest of four singles from Nashville’s Dive Bar Soul Artist, Phillip-Michael Scales. The song was produced and co-written by Tony Esterly whose credits include SIA, Andra Day, BTS, Haley Reinhart, and Raekwon.


-Robb Donker Curtius


THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:

phillip-michael.net/epk
soundcloud.com/phillipmichaelscales (452)

Growing up, Phillip-Michael Scales had an uncle who played guitar for a living. He knew it was a big deal but didn’t understand the significance that his Uncle’s name was B.B. King. Even though Phillip-Michael played guitar, he shied away from soloing and most things blues. Instead, he fell in love with songwriting when an English teacher told him “A great writer can make their reader identify with anyone.” The trouble was he couldn’t find his story in the blues.

Born with a fierce independent streak and a passion for performing, Scales fronted his own indie bands, wrote and recorded his own music, and worked to make a name for himself on his own terms. All the while, his uncle just smiled a knowing smile and encouraged him to “stay with it.” As Phillip-Michael began to discover “the blues” in his private and personal life, their relationship grew closer.

It wasn’t until his Uncle passed away, that Scales began incorporating more of the blues into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues. A lot has led me here between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.” The result is a sound he calls “Dive Bar Soul” which takes a bit of indie rock story telling and couples it with the passion of the blues.

His most recent single, “O, Hallelujah” broke 40k plays and he has been featured in Rolling Stone France. His music has taken him all the way to the Middle East, as well as festivals across Europe and North America.He has opened for Fantastic Negrito, Anderson East, Guster, David Cook, Bethany Joy Lenz, Matt Hires, Billy Raffoul, Crystal Bowersox, Tyler Hilton, Jon McLaughlin, and Cory Brannan.