Distinguished musician Phil King is to perform at Café Rene in Gloucester this evening.

Still riding the crest of a wave following the success of his third album, Phil will be playing songs from his three studio albums as well as some cover tracks from his favourite artists. He said: “I’ll be playing an acoustic guitar, a harmonica, a shruti box, and three albums worth of songs plus a bunch of my favourite covers to pick from. My music is acoustic, folk, roots with bits of blues, soul and some good old rock and roll. As a musician, every chance to get on stage and perform is exciting, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Music has been Phil’s major passion since early childhood. It was during his first year of secondary school that he discovered a love for the guitar. He continued: “I’ve been singing since I could speak, and I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12. I played in bands throughout school and college, but only decided to take things more seriously when I was about 25.”

Being a musician isn’t just about getting on stage and strumming a guitar though, when Phil isn’t performing he can often be found penning lyrics for new songs into his trusty notebook. Continued Phil: “I have a notebook I carry around with me and fill it with quotes from whatever I’m reading. If something I’m reading resonated with whatever is going on in my life, then it usually finds its way into my lyrics somehow. There are many songwriters who I love – AA Bondy, Conor Oberst, Laura Marling, Gillian Welch, Sharon Van Etten, Fionn Regan, to name a few.”

It’s a busy time for Phil, who will spend the next few weeks playing at venues across the country. Performing for a live audience is the pinnacle for any musician and, as Phil explains, it’s the part of his job that gives him the most satisfaction. “I get nervous before every performance – I think there would be something wrong if I didn’t – but it’s a feeling I am used to. Fortunately, I have the experience and confidence to know it’s OK to feel like that. Performing in front of an audience is great, you can never tell what it will be like, which is thrilling. Sometimes it’s raucous, sometimes it’s dead silent, sometimes people are hanging on every word, and sometimes you’re fighting to be heard, the energy of an audience will have a big effect on what and how I play, which helps make every show a new experience,” he said.

Phil has high hopes for the future, his love of music and passion for performing keeps him motivated to achieve even greater success. He said: “My aim is to keep playing, keep writing and keep letting my music take me to beautiful places around the world. I’ve been so fortunate over the years to have played at some incredible venues. It’s the unexpectedly beautiful gigs that stay in the mind. Playing in a treehouse in Birmingham, on a farm under a beautiful big oak tree in Germany, the Rockwood Music Hall in New York, in a hay loft in West Wales, those are the gigs I look back on with particular fondness.”