PHIL VINCENT

Phil Vincent has released several highly-rated melodic rock CDs since the late-1990s including "Life is a Game" (1997), "Calm Before the Storm" and "No Turning Back" (1999).

In August, 1999, Phil was signed by Song Haus Music, for a worldwide recording contract. They released the disc "Thunder in the East" in November throughout Germany, Japan, Sweden, Brazil, Belgium & the Netherlands.

In February 2001 came "Tragik" and then "Circular Logik".
 

What are you currently up to?

As you know my new band Circular Logik is set to release our debut CD "ONE" on March 28 through Music Buy Mail/Artist Service.

I have also completed a new solo CD called "WHITE NOISE" which is still being shopped around at the moment and a new TRAGIK CD has also been completed. We'll try to get label interest shortly but my main objective is to get Circular Logik on the map.

Brief summary of your musical work and output to date for fans new to your music...

Well let's see, there are 9 Phil Vincent Cds(http://www.philvincent.com), my band TRAGIK has one CD called "POETIC JUSTICE" out on Escape Music and my other band Circular Logik has just released it's first CD called "ONE". So 11 CDs in 11 years (and 2 as yet to be released!!)

Could you take us through your new album 'One' by Circular Logik

This band was created by from strong musical relationship between Steven Albanese and myself. He played some shredding guitar solos on my new solo CD "WHITE NOISE" and from there we started writing and recording songs which would become Circular Logik songs.

I asked if he had any ideas for tunes and he came up with the music for "Hard to Find" and "Right Here". Two very different but unbelievable songs.

"Hard to Find" has that Journey quality and "Right Here" wreaks of the Beatles!!! "Welcome Home" refers to the state of the world today.

It's crazy out there and Billy Roux's insane solo really captured the intensity and vibe of the tune. It's a real heavy tune. Tane DeAngel smashed the sh#t out of his drums and he does some great double bass work and Bill Arnold had blisters all over his fingers from the difficult bass riff in the song.

"Killing Me Inside" is another heavy riff. This song is about the frustration of being in a relationship where you seem to care more about the situation than the person you're caring about!!!??!!! Does that make any sense???

"Led Wait"'s title came after someone said the music sounded like Led Zeppelin. The song is about insanity and having no hope.Ahhhh......happy, happy, joy, joy!!!LOL

"You Make Me Weak" is self explanitory!!:-) "Since You've Been Gone" is about losing someone and dealing with life afterward. My friend Robby Kallio plays a very melodic solo in this one.

"What We're Looking For" is about greed and what lengths people will go to for wealth. Killer dueling guitar solos by the boys. "Time Killer"- every second that passes is one second less of our life!!! Depressing, isn't it?? Hey, someone has to write about this stuff!!! LOL .

On a more positive note, "See Me Through" is all about hope that there is a higher power guiding us through life."Won't Let You Go"/"Lost Without You" was originally 2 seperate songs that I thought sounded better side by side. "Won't Let You Go" is a song about someone trying to deal with death and not being able to let go.

Some people never do. "Lost Without You" is based on a heavy riff I came up with late one night while the snow fell heavily outside my window. I absolutely LOVE winter and all the snow and cold temperatures!! Everyone thinks I'm insane!! Actually, I AM insane!! LOL "It's All Over" is about someone taking their own life. Yes, another upbeat tune from the pen of Phil Morbid.....I mean ....Vincent!! :-)

How did you decide which musicians to use in your new band Circular Logik? Do you plan to do any live dates with the band?

The whole band is tight!! Very tight!!! We're close friends AND we're good musicians who play EVERYTHING with passion!!

But here's how it started: I knew Steve, Steve knew Billy Roux, Billy knew Tane, Tane knew Steve, I knew Bill Arnold and that's it. We all LOVE heavy music that's melodic and we think this CD is a great representation of our influences.

As far as live gigs, we are talking about that now but Roux does alot of session work, I'm doing a CD with David Zychek that will surprise alot of people, Bill Arnold went back to school last year to get his Masters Degree so he'll be tied up for at least a few months more. But things will come together soon.

The rather good Tragik album came out last year via Escape. How did you hook up with Escape and were you pleased with the reaction to the album from reviewers and fans?

Khalil, Barrie and all at Escape are really great people who I consider friends. They are honest and hard working music fans who care about their product. I sent Khalil a master of the first Tragik CD and he wanted to hear some more songs so I sent him 33!!! He picked the best 15.

I think they did a great job with the CD,artwork & promotion. The reviews were great and the CD sold well. They are true professionals and it's the hard work from people like Khalil and Barrie at Escape & Oliver & Sebastian at ArtistService & Music Buy Mail, that keep this genre of music alive!! We are very thankful there are such dedicated people out there believing in melodic rock music .

Will there be another Tragik album and will it be released via Escape again?

The CD is finished. It's called "NEXT" I will send them the new Tragik CD and see if they want to release it. It's an awesome collection of tunes. More intricate arrangements and in your face hard rock than the last CD. You can go to http://www.myspace.com/tragikrox to hear a few of the new tunes. Damian D'Ercole will raise a few eyebrows with his performance and Dirk Phillips again proves he's the best unknown drummer in rock!! :-)

How do you view the internet and downloads? How has the internet helped get your music out there?

It has helped get the music out there but it's also cut into the profit for everyone involved. So it's good and bad. The labels make less because everyone's sharing the music and not buying the original product which means the artist makes less as well. I've found my sales on I-Tunes, Rhapsody and other digital download houses have eclipsed actual CD sales!!!

That's a good thing because people are starting to realize that is the ONLY way to make sure the music stays around!! But digital downloading is the future of music, like it or not. And we have to accept it and adapt to it. If we don't change with it then we'll be lost and go by the way of the vinyl album!!! Remember them???

How did you get your first break into the music business? What piece of advice would you pass onto budding musicians?

Matt Honey from Hard Roxx magazine got a copy of my 3rd CD "Calm Before the Storm" from a gentleman who lived in Germany named Helmutt Schnakenburger. I am totally serious !! He ordered it from me directly and we became long distance friends.I haven't heard from him in years and I've written him several times but have gotten no response.

I think it's safe to say he has passed on!! RIP anyway, he sent it to Hard Roxx and they did an awesome review of it. Then Nicky Baldrian contacted me and asked me to send him my other Cds and he did some interviews with me and the exposure became greater and greater and look at me now Jason!!! I'm here talking to you!! LOL!!

But if I was to give one piece of advice to someone who wants their music to be heard, it's BE PERSISTENT!!! Don't get down when someone says they don't like your music or they write a bad review. KEEP PUSHING YOUR SONGS!!! You have to believe in every note you play, every word you sing and every song you write because people will see and feel the passion in your work. Listen, I've been doing this since 1997!!

Each year my fan base grew. It was small but it kept growing. With each CD came more fans. Now I'm 11 CDs into this (if you count Tragik & Circular Logik) and the fan base is still growing!! That's success!!! I live in the SMALLEST state in the United States and to be able to sit here and talk to you so many miles away about my music is really special. I never take that for granted. You have to stay humble.

So I'm a great example of persistence!!!:-) I am very humble and speaking of humble....

I remember 4 years ago when I got to meet Brad Delp(RIP) back stage after a Boston concert in Connecticut and he was so humble!! No atitude, no "I'm better than you" posing, he listened to every word I said and we spoke for an hour about music, sports, TV,.... it was and still is the highlight of musical life.That's what success is all about. Getting to meet your heroes and finding out they're just like you!!! That's an awesome feeling!!

What do you like doing with your spare time outside of music?

I love hockey, weightlifting, baseball and hanging out with family and friends, going to concerts, I'm an only child so my friends become family to me eventually.

Message for your fans...

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope you like listening to the music as much as we did making it. If you listen.....we will play!!!:-))

Thank YOU Jason for enduring my unbelievably long and wordy answers. I assume you'll edit the sh%t out of them!! LOL

And also Jason, thank you for taking the time to promote our music. It is deeply appreciated. :-)

And don't forget rock fans all around the world ...please BUY the music you listen to and remember where it's coming from........Thank you....Phil V.

NOW LET'S GET READY TO ROCK PEOPLE!!!!