Philip Sayce Interview & Masterclass

He’s one of the most formidably energetic blues guitarists out there – but he’s also a master of tone-tweaking. David Mead joined Philip to talk about getting the best from Strats, Fuzz Faces and amps of all sizes

- David Mead

When we meet Philip Sayce, he’s clearly a man who’s taken a long, honest look at his life and music – and emerged stronger for the process. He’s playing up a storm on the Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea cruise and he has a new album in the can that’s as raw and direct as any he’s made.

“It’s been a really intense year for me, personally, so a lot of that has gone into the music and I got to produce the record myself this time,” Sayce reflects. “My dad passed away and I took some time after that happened. He passed away just under a year ago and I went into the studio about four or five months after… I’m grateful to have this as an outlet and it really is an opportunity to express where I am now, where I’ve been over the last 18 months. I really think it’s about finding that balance where the music is authentic and it’s blues-rooted, which is where I come from. I’ve tried to do other things, when someone [from a record label] says, ‘We want to hear a more ‘poppy’ song’, so you try it as an exercise to see what that would feel like and it just feels like I’m wearing somebody else’s clothes. It doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t fit. So this is a snapshot of who I am and where I am right now.”

As well as being a purveyor of some of the most committed, fluent playing you’ll hear anywhere, Sayce is justly known as a tone hound and, during our half hour with him, he gave us a masterclass in road-proven tone tips for electric blues. Plus he showed us some of the licks and techniques that make him such a dynamic, expressive player. But first, it’s time to put a smile on your ’Face…