Interview: Band Of The Week - Phil Ayoub

This week’s Band of the Week is deep-thinking, deep-feeling, Springsteen fan Phil Ayoub (pronounced A-yoob). This quintessential all American boy from Boston has taken the long way round to his music career. Phil did what all of us know we should after high school; he went to college. Boston College to be exact, and he earned his MBA. After college he joined a large investment firm but his secret passion for music wouldn’t die.

Slowly he made a name for himself, in the Boston area, as frontman for the indie band Riverside Train. Riverside Train’s popularity grew giving Ayoub plenty of experience performing live, writing songs, and recording. When they eventually broke up, Ayoub decided to go solo. A prolific songwriter, he had over 40 of his own acoustic demos ready for an album. That’s when he saw an ad on a local trade website from a musician/producer, Tim Bradshaw.

Bradshaw, long time keyboard and guitar player for David Gray — including the breakthrough album White Ladder and international top ten hit “Babylon” — had recently moved to New England and was now looking for new talent to work with. Ayoub took a chance and sent Bradshaw his demos and Bradshaw signed on to produce Ayoub's debut solo album.

Schoolbus Window Paper Heart is a warm, apple pie and cold beer album with the strong American music influences of Ayoub and the Brit Rock influences of Bradshaw. This accidental partnership has created a beautiful, deep, sometimes funny, soothing album filled with acoustic guitar, jangly synth and emotive, insightful lyrics.

Ayoub’s extraordinary ability to paint a clear, poignant picture in song and his love of pure natural music combine to lead the listener through his personal, frequently humorous thoughts and experiences. Schoolbus Window Paper Heart will leave you filled with honest, warm, happy feelings.

Ayoub recently agreed to let me interview him. A funny, charismatic and urbane man, he was relaxed and friendly, as if he had always known me. We seemed like good friends from the moment we met. After discussing apple crumble, his dog Bailey, Surreal Life and ancient pornography our interview started like this…

Article Author: A.L. Harper

I'm a writer and music journalist originally from Salt Lake City, but now living in Scotland. I was a Punk/Goth in the '80s and these artistic influences have stayed with me; although a love of Chopin, chamber music, and Spanish guitar would seem to belie this. …

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