Canadian musician Shane Philip will be bringing an assortment of sounds and styles to the stage in Invermere on August 17, when he plays at Ray Ray’s Beach Pub.
This will be Philip’s second show at Ray Ray’s this year, having played there previously during the winter.
Philip is an accomplished musician with four albums, including his 2011 release Life.Love.Music., under his belt.
Through self-teaching and a great motivation and love for music, Philip has developed a unique blend of folk, reggae, blues and more. His multi-genre approach even incorporates more “tribal” sounds into his music using a blend of guitars, drums and didgeridoos (the latter of which Philip carved himself).
Philip has had a busy summer, touring Canada and appearing at music festivals across several provinces, ranging from Quebec to Ontario and more.
“It’s been a summer all over the map,” said Philip. “When you start music summers, with all the festivals and concerts, they’re quite big.”
However, despite his hard work and heavy travel, Philip still makes time for his family.
“I’m trying to balance shows, not spending more than two weeks away at a time, and coming home to be with my family,” said Philip.
Philip admits that when it comes to touring, he does place some preference on travelling on the road, if only to better accommodate the bulk of his instruments.
“I have a big van and a roadie who helps me lift instruments and set up, but I’ve decided not to take all of my stuff with me when flying now,” Philip explained.
“I had flown with my equipment once, and one of my drums got smashed. So now when I tour and fly to the location, I’ll bring only some of the instruments and will rent the rest that I need for the show.”
While Philip has played in Invermere before, he has not played directly in-town during the summer, and is looking forward to taking in the summer audience and atmosphere.
As for his set list, Philip said it’s simply what comes naturally.
“Every show I do is a little different,” he explained.
“I cater to that crowd at that time, see how people are responding. I’m surrounded by my six guitars, drums and other instruments, so if I feel like playing another song than I had planned I can reach and go for it.
“It’s a special work of art in that sense. It’s really funny, no matter what I think in terms of the sound and songs, a switch goes off in my head before a show and something takes over me and flows through me, and it channels the music and sounds through me.”