Ahead of their show in Newcastle tomorrow (November 21), Adam Kennedy sits down with US-based blues guitarist Philip Sayce.

Celebrated guitarist Philip Sayce will return to the UK with six exclusive dates in November 2023. A special guest on all shows is slide guitarist Troy Redfern.

The rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter released his new single, "Lady Love Divine," earlier this month. This track is the second single off his highly anticipated new album, The Wolves are Coming (Atomic Gemini / Forty Below Records), set for release on Friday, February 23rd, 2024.

Speaking about the year so far, the artist said: “2023 has been a pretty active year so far after a couple of quiet years that so many of us lived through. It's been quite busy, from putting the finishing touches on the new album to playing a lot of live dates, and it feels good. I feel thankful, and I feel extremely grateful for the opportunity.”

Like all musicians, the pandemic brought a lot of downtime and life away from the road. To be touring once again and making music has been rewarding for the artist. "I’ve been really approaching each moment in each opportunity with the deepest amount of gratitude and really trying to live in the moment and really soak it up for everything that it's worth,” said Philip. “I think every time I have an opportunity to get on stage and sing and play my guitar, I'm going to give it everything that I have.”

The US-based guitarist ventured overseas earlier in the year. “We had a great time in Europe. We were there for a month; we played a whole bunch of shows and we went through a lot of different countries. We were in Spain, Austria, Romania and we went to Bosnia Herzegovina for the first time. We played a lot of shows and a lot of travel, but there were some meaningful experiences. When we played in Holland, I wasn't sure what it was going to look like; I hadn't been there for a number of years, and the turnout was spellbinding. It was overwhelming. The people were so amazing,” explains Philip. “Sometimes I pinch myself that I get to go to these places and play guitar and sing and make a whole bunch of noise.”

Even though Philip Sayce resides in the US, his roots are closer to home. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Sayce is the protege of guitar legend Jeff Healey and GRAMMY and Academy Award-winning superstar Melissa Etheridge. Born in Wales, and raised in Toronto, Canada, Philip is now an American citizen. However, his love for his homeland has never gone away. “We had some great times performing in the UK, and I think my family being from the UK and our heritage, I feel a certain connection to having the opportunity to perform there. And yeah, I've really missed playing there,” confirms Sayce.

It's been a while since Philip Sayce performed on our UK shores. The artist has a lot of ground to cover. “We'll be playing some of the new stuff, and I think, ultimately, it'll be sort of a collection of the songs that we really enjoy playing in a live setting,” said Philip. “We might update on a nightly basis, depending on the vibe of the audience.”

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With a new album on the horizon, next year is going to be a busy one for Philip Sayce. “It's pretty full on. A lot is going on. I’m just taking it one day at a time because I think that's all we can do at this point is take it one day at a time and or week to week. And if it all lines up, that's awesome. I'm super grateful.”

Philip Sayce will perform at The Cluny in Newcastle on Tuesday, 21st November with special guest Troy Redfern. For ticket information and further details, please visit www.philipsayce.com.