“Enough of You”
Released: October 3, 2023
“‘Enough of You’ is a full on pop ballad; a declaration of love for the one you see yourself spending the rest of your life with. It was written and recorded during the summer of 2023. I’ve always wanted to create music in a style like this. It’s exciting trying new things and pushing myself, artistically. No sense in playing it safe and not striving to see what your full potential is and can be, not just with music, but life in general.”
“Something Else, Vol. 2”
Released: February 10, 2023
“In 2014, I released an instrumental album, called ‘Something Else’. It largely consisted of ambient guitar sounds. ‘Something Else, Vol. 2’ was an album I didn’t intend to make from the get-go.
While I was recording my album, ‘It’s All Good’, back in 2020, during my downtime, I began toying with electronic beats and synth sounds for the sake of experimenting with new recording software, hardware and guitar plugins I acquired. After I completed the first three songs on the album, I realized there might be something more to this project because it was unlike anything I’ve made before. Truly something else. I would spend the next two years on-and-off recording SE2 while I was working on other projects.
When all was said and done, I ended up with 15 songs. Of those 15, 11 of those made the final cut. One of the songs from these sessions, ‘A Transcendental High’, I released as as a standalone single back in May of 2022. Like SE1, SE2 is also an instrumental record. Every riff, beat, drum pattern, synth and guitar part are original compositions.
It’s not a perfect album. It’s raw, abrasive at times, moody, euphoric, chill and focused. I hope the fun I had creating these songs shows when you listen to them!’
“Dancing in the Downpour (Electric Version)”
Released: November 18th, 2022
“‘Dancing in the Downpour (Electric Version)’ is the third iteration of this song I’ve released. While a full band version does exist, this one has electric guitars instead of acoustics. Inspired by a performance I did with some local world class musicians in the summer of 2022, I decided to record a studio version of it. The electric version captures what I truly felt when I originally wrote the song in 2019; the joy of love and the feeling of walking on air. This shows a new side to the song I didn’t know existed.”
“Structures”
Released: July 20, 2022
“While ‘Structures’ is the second full-length album by my band, The Honest Envy, it truly feels like our first (our debut record is currently unavailable online). Production on this album commenced immediately after completing our ‘Reflections’ EP in 2021 and concluded in early summer of the following year. The recording sessions yielded close to 30 songs. The 9 songs that appear on ‘Structures’ truly are the cream of the crop. We creatively pushed ourselves to heights we never knew we could reach. So many influences played a role, from pop punk to hip-hop, industrial and new wave to name a few. It’s hands down one of the most fulfilling musical projects of my entire career.’
“A Transcendental High”
Released: May 10th, 2022
"‘A Transcendental High’ is a song that means a lot to me. It was recorded in March 2022 during the recording sessions for my upcoming 13th full-length album. It was created in the span of two hours and is unlike anything I've made before. It's a song that lives up to its title. Although it won't be on the new album, it's the unofficial first single for it.”
“Reflections”
Released: August 25, 2021
“In addition to my solo music, I also have a band that I’m a part of, called The Honest Envy. Here’s a quick rundown: The Honest Envy was formed in 2011 by myself and my longtime friend, Cole Toftum. We released our debut album, ‘Right Here, Right Now’, in 2012. In the years that followed, we’d continue to rehearse and write music for the fun of it. In 2019, we began work on what would become this 6-song EP, ‘Reflections’. Getting to create music with one of my best friends is truly one of the greatest joys of my life. Cole inspires me to always bring my A-game and to take creative risks. This EP was a labor of love that made us grow as songwriters, musicians, producers and recording engineers as well as strengthened our bonds of friendship.”
“Sitka Spruce”
Released: August 13th, 2021
"‘Sitka Spruce’ is a 4-song EP I recorded in June of 2021. It contains acoustic versions of "My Heart, My Everything" and "Incapable" from my 2020 album, "It's All Good". There's also an acoustic version of my single "Counting the Days" as well as a brand new song, called "Worthy of Love". "Sitka Spruce" was an opportunity for me to revisit my acoustic roots while also incorporating elements I've always wanted to implement in my music, like drum beats and other various forms of percussion. This EP was a labor of love and I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
“Terrible Lie” - Single
Released: June 11th, 2021
“I’m a big Nine Inch Nails fan. My cover of their 1989 song, “Terrible Lie”, happened spontaneously one day while I was rehearsing for a show in May 2021. I spent weeks adding layers of vocals and harmonies which is something I’ve always wanted to implement in my own music. My cover of “Terrible Lie” is diametricallly different from the original. The challenge all musicians face when covering another musician’s work is to keep the core of the song intact while offering their own unique spin on it. I like to think I did my best in that regard.”
“Counting the Days”
Released: January 15th, 2021
“I wrote "Counting the Days" during the summer of 2020. When I began recording it in late November, I had a clear vision in mind of what I wanted it to sound like, but the song ended up sounding completely different in the best way possible. It has an 80's pop vibe to it and is unlike anything I've made before. I'm really, really happy with how this song turned out. Hope you like it!”
Click here to listen to “Counting the Days”
“It’s All Good”
Released: October 2nd, 2020
““It’s all good”. I’ve said that a lot in my life. I say “it’s all good” when someone disappoints me, lets me down or doesn’t show up when plans are made. I say that even though I feel the exact opposite so I don’t make them feel bad. I knowingly say it at my expense. I also say “it’s all good” when things are genuinely going well in my life. It just made sense to name my new album that because it truly covers both ends of that spectrum.
This is my 12th(!) album, but it honestly feels like it’s my first. I’ve always envisioned my music to have the sound of a full band, but for most of my musical career, I wasn’t able to make that happen until now. Drums, electric guitars, harmonies, etc. I performed every instrument myself. I mixed and mastered everything as well. Throughout the month long recording process, there were a few instances where I felt like I was onto something great that had the potential to make waves. From the hopeful optimism of “A New Year” to the polished grit of “Incapable”, the country-esque vibes of “The Same Old Ghosts”, the unbridled joy of “Dancing in the Downpour”, the power pop energy of “Sweet Serenity” and “My Heart, My Everything”, the intensity of “The Storm”, the rise and fall of “Summer (Instrumental)” and the Jimmy Eat World-like album closer “Dissociate”, this album has something for everyone. I put my everything into these 9 songs.
I aimed for the stars with this record, and can only hope you’ll see and feel that when you listen to it.”
Click here to listen to “It’s All Good”
“Dancing in the Downpour (Acoustic Version)”
Released: May 13th, 2020
“For the past year, I've been hard at work writing my upcoming 12th full length album. Before the pandemic happened, I planned on starting the recording process around this time right now. Sadly, those plans are put on hold, but I felt the compelling need to release something, so I decided to record an acoustic version of one of the songs from the album on my phone. I'm happy to be able to share this glimpse of the next chapter of my musical career with all of you.”
Click here to listen to “Dancing in the Downpour (Acoustic Version)
“Gold and Humble”
Released: November 23rd, 2018
“I recently rediscovered this song I wrote approximately 8 years ago at a time in my life when everything seemed to be going in a downward spiral. It's a song I wrote to remind myself that despite everything going wrong, that everything will be okay. The song was meant to be a part of my third full-length album "Battle Scars" in 2013, but for some reason I never got around to putting music to it, until the evening of November 22nd, 2018. I picked up the guitar and the music and melody were immediately there on the first run through. I'm proud of how effortless it was to record and how it turned out as a whole.”
Click here to listen to “Gold and Humble”
“Survive (Too Poor to Live)
Released: November 12th, 2018
Click here to listen to “Survive (Too Poor to Live)”
“Serotonin” - EP
Released: July 20th, 2018
“These four songs are about the complexities of mental health. My mental health, to be exact.”
Click here to listen to the “Serotonin” EP
“The Art of an Actor”
Released: July 5th, 2018
“Ahead of the release of my upcoming EP 'Serotonin', 'The Art of an Actor' is a standalone single I wrote on June 30th and recorded on July 1st. This song is about my mental health and maintaining a false facade that everything is okay.”
Click here to listen to “The Art of an Actor”
“Justin Phillips
Released: January 24th, 2017
“Recorded in the time span of 24 hours, "Justin Phillips" is my 11th studio album. The lyrics were written over the span of 3 years. 2017 marks the 10 year anniversary of my music career and couldn't think of anything better to celebrate that than with a new, self-titled album of original material.”
Click here to listen to “Justin Phillips”
“Bare Bones” - EP
Released: June 2nd, 2016
“Recorded in one night, Bare Bones EP consists of 4 songs I wrote in early 2016. It wasn't until the night of June 2nd I decided to record these songs. The title of the EP is self explanatory. Simple, raw and to the point.”
Click here to listen to the “Bare Bones” EP
“It’s Time to Fall for Christmas Again”
Released: November 27th, 2015
“Written and recorded in the period of a few hours, this is my first Christmas song I've ever made. The song speaks for itself and I couldn't be more proud of it.”
Click here to listen to “It’s Time to Fall for Christmas Again”
“Ten”
Released: October 2nd, 2015
“"Ten" is my tenth full-length album and my third album released in 2015. Recorded over the period of a month, some of the songs date back to last year but most of them were written over the past few months. I see "Ten" as the closing of an important chapter of my life before I begin the next chapter of my musical journey. I couldn't be more proud of the end result of this compilation of tracks that mean a great deal to me that I poured my heart and soul into and I hope you enjoy them as well!”
Click here to listen to “Ten”
“To and From: Songs from a Paper Heart”
Released: September 2nd, 2015
“"To and From: Songs from a Paper Heart" is my 9th full length album. comprised of instrumentals, songs i wrote for those special in my life as well as other original songs i recorded this year. i couldn't be more proud of the end result.”
Click here to listen to “To and From” Songs from a Paper Heart”
“Ameliorate”
Released: January 30th, 2015
“This is my 8th studio album and one I'm very proud of! Writing and recording took place over a 2 month period. Approached this album with a different mindset and not have the songs all be about my life and to experiment with different song structures, genres, and an overall change in how i usually make music.
I intended for this album to be raw, vocally. Nothing in life is perfect, but that's the beauty of it.”
Click here to listen to “Ameliorate”
“Something Else”
Released: December 12th, 2014
“This, my 7th full length album, was recorded over a year and a half period. This album is simply me experimenting with delay, reverb and ambient sounds.”
Click here to listen to “Something Else”
“From Genesis to Terminus”
Released: September 5th, 2014
“This is my 6th full length album, and a very personal one about the beginning and end of a relationship.”
Click here to listen to “From Genesis to Terminus”
“Beauty In Broken / Stories In Scars”
Released: June 1st, 2014
Click here to listen to “Beauty In Broken / Stories In Scars
“For You, Love”
Released: August 14th, 2013
“This is my 4th full length album. 10 songs, mostly about love.”
Click here to listen to “For You, Love”
“Battle Scars”
Released: January 1st, 2013
“My third studio album. A different approach to how i've written music as well as recorded in the past.”
Click here to listen to “Battle Scars”
“The Space Between Spaces”
Released: January 1st, 2009
Click here to listen to “The Space Between Spaces”
“As Young As Yesterday”
Released: December 31st, 2008
“This is my debut studio album. It was recorded in 2 sessions during the summer of 2008 and January 2009. These 10 songs are among the first songs I've ever written. This was a very fun record to make. It's not perfect by any means, but that's the point.”
Click here to listen to “As Young As Yesterday”