So Phil, tell me how an Investment Banker with an MBA becomes a singer-songwriter?

First, let me say that I wasn't an Investment Banker per se, but I did work for an investment company for seven years, cause my friend helped me get the job. As for the MBA, well I got that for two reasons....

First, I was a bit ashamed to tell people I wanted to play music and write songs. I didn't have much experience in it and got C's in music classes in elementary school. I wanted to keep my ambitions quiet. And second, in case music didn't work out, it would help me down the line. At least I think it will!

So I was working the day job and hating it, slacking off, and doing music the rest of the time. It was like having two full-time jobs. Finally, I tossed the day job aside and am trying music full-time

So how did you learn to play, sing, and write songs?

Well I did take lessons and, in the case of singing, I still work with a vocal coach. But I basically learned by playing Hootie and the Blowfish and U2 songs. I appreciate how they could do so much and write some great songs using basic, easy chords. With those types of bands as my guide, I started to come up with my own ideas and had a feeling that I was kind of onto something.

I was also always into writing, whether it was journalism in college or creative writing in high school. I was an English major and people used to assume that I read a lot. But it was actually almost all writing. Any reading I did was Cliffs Notes…(laughing)

I never wanted to be Eric Johnson on guitar or to sing like Josh Groban. I have no idea why I just brought him up. What was he like four when I started to learn to sing? I personally get more satisfaction out of hearing a great three or four chord song with a sly, ironic lyric and a cool melody.

Do you feel the music in your soul, Phil? Because it sounds like you do.

I do, actually. Music is the only thing I've ever done where, no matter how bad I was at it, or how discouraged I got, or how much I thought I sucked at times, I just kept doing it. And kept going back the next day, not sure why, and not really consciously. I just kept doing it because, for some reason I couldn't explain, I had to. It was programmed in me. Kind of like how animals often do things on instinct. I was watching some PBS show about penguins in Antarctica last night. (laughs)