Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales has unveiled “When They Put Me In My Grave (ft. Archie Lee Hooker),” the powerful new single from his forthcoming LP Sinner-Songwriter, set for release on October 29th via Dixie Frog Records. “I think a lot about legacy, being black and how that all ties in for me,” Scales mentions. “My mother was the first black female to have her own practice in the state of Michigan, and my grandmother went to college in the 1940s despite not being able to stay or eat on campus. So, the question of how I want to live my life so that my future kids will be better off later is something I think of a lot. The label heard the song and suggested that their artist Archie Lee Hooker jump on the track,” he continued. “I thought it was cool to hear the voice of someone who’d lived much more life than me on the track.” “I come from sons and daughters of lambs who escaped the slaughter / My bloodline should have stopped with Bones and Chains in that blue water / What will they say when they put me in my grave? / Gammy told me “Son, you better keep our flame,” he sings in “When They Put Me in My Grave.”

Growing up, Phillip-Michael Scales had an uncle who played guitar for a living. He knew it was a big deal but didn’t understand the significance that his uncle’s name was B.B. King. Even though Scales played guitar, he shied away from soloing and most things blues-related. Instead, he fell in love with songwriting when an English teacher told him “A great writer can make their reader identify with anyone.” The trouble was he couldn’t find his story in the blues. Born with a fierce independent streak and a passion for performing, Scales fronted his own indie bands, wrote and recorded his own music, and worked to make a name for himself on his own terms. All the while, his uncle just smiled a knowing smile and encouraged him to “stay with it.” As he began to discover “the blues” in his private and personal life, their relationship grew closer. It wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of it into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he explains. “A lot has led me here—between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.” 

Throughout its 14 soulful tracks, Sinner-Songwriter, Scales explores, growth, mistakes, being black in America, searching for love, and finding your place in the world. He calls his sound “Dive Bar Soul,” blending indie rock storytelling with the passion of the blues. His single “O, Hallelujah” has broken 250K plays, he has been featured in Rolling Stone France and is in regular rotation on Nashville’s Radio Station Lightning 100. Scales’ music has taken him all the way to the Middle East, as well as festivals across Europe and North America. He has opened for Fantastic Negrito, Anderson East, Guster, David Cook, Bethany Joy Lenz, Matt Hires, Billy Raffoul, Crystal Bowersox, Tyler Hilton, Jon McLaughlin, and Cory Brannan.

Photo Courtesy: Bryan Iglesias