Hey Dustin Lynch; there’s another “small town boy” invading Music City!
Born and raised in Lee County, North Carolina, Josh Phillips grew up in a town where brick manufacturing, cotton and tobacco reign supreme. That all changed when he rolled the dice and moved to Nashville a few years ago, and boy are we happy he made the move!
Phillips’ talent is a true gift. With real and relatable lyrics and nostalgia of small town life, Josh’s music takes you back to the roots of what country music is all about. It’s definitely worthy of adding to your classic country playlist, and it looks like some of the genre’s top acts seem to agree with our opinion, too.
Since signing with Big Machine Records, Josh has performed alongside Sam Hunt, Cole Swindell, Chris Janson, Luke Combs, and Tyler Farr. His latest gig — Brantley Gilbert‘s The Ones That Like Me Tour — puts him in some of the biggest venues across the nation to share his music with country music fans from all over.
CS Country caught up with Josh during the 2018 CMA Music Festival in Nashville earlier this month to talk about his whole CMA Fest experience, the reactions he’s been getting from his Lee County EP, and what he’s learned from touring with someone like Brantley Gilbert. He also teased his upcoming full-length, which is supposed to drop later this year.
Take a read at the full Q&A below and keep up with Josh by giving him a follow on Instagram at @imjoshphilips.
You just played the Chevy Breakout Stage [at CMA Fest] this morning! How was the whole experience?
Josh Phillips: “It was really really cool! We just got back from Carolina Country Music Fest, we just played that last night, so it was like a ten-hour drive back… we got back at like 9:30 this morning. So really tired, but it was really really great! It was so rewarding to be included on a CMA stage!”
What are you most excited for this CMA Fest now that you finished up your performance?
Josh Phillips: “Seeing buddies play! We’re all on the road so much, we don’t get to hang out and watch each other’s shows. Seeing Luke Combs play.”
What shows are you playing this summer that you are most excited for?
Josh Phillips: “Carolina Country Music Fest was a big one! We’ve got Country Fest in Ohio coming up, we’ve got a show in Pensacola, Florida coming up which will be a lot of fun… spend some time on the beach.”
How has your Lee County EP been treating you?
Josh Phillips: “It’s been really good! That whole EP was just a really cool idea to just come out and kind of show the songwriter, it was unorthodox. People reacted to it better than we expected. My favorite track off of it is “Long Way Home.” I lost my best friend a little over two years ago and that was about him.”
What was the biggest thing you learned from touring with Brantley Gilbert?
Josh Phillips: “I think it was just watching him and how he works a crowd. Some days you’re not going to have the best day, we all have bad days, but you still got to come out and give those people 100%. He’s so good at what he does so just watching him and learning that.”
Who are your favorite people to co-write with?
Josh Phillips: “Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton, Brian Davis, Brantley Gilbert. They’re great writers, but they’re also my best buddies and a voice of reason for the music industry.”
What can we expect to see from you the rest of 2018?
Josh Phillips: “We’re writing really hard right now for this record… working on picking a single. Hopefully you’ll have a single coming out on the radio soon!”
We are Celeb Secrets Country, what is a secret about yourself?
Josh Phillips: “I try to be pretty transparent! I was a mean little brother, I used to throw my sister’s Polly Pockets down the vents at our house. She would get really mad. I would hide her Barbies and stuff.”
