Phil Garland
Phil Garland’s musical career makes for impressive reading, spanning some forty- five years of performing, field collecting, recording and composing. He started out singing rock’n’roll at school in the late 1950s, before joining ‘The Saints’ immediately after leaving school. Phil stayed with them for two years, leaving to form his own band “The Playboys” in 1962, who achieved instant popularity around Christchurch to become regular performers at the ‘Spencer Street Dances’ for the next 18 months. Phil moved to Auckland in 1963, after gaining a recording contract with Viking Records and his first session immediately produced a number one hit for “Little Band Of Gold” on the Des Britten Coca Cola Hit Parade. He gigged around Auckland for the next 12 months before returning to Christchurch, where he quickly discovered and fully embraced the emerging folk music revival.
Phil spent 12 months in Europe in 1965, performing throughout England, Scotland and France during his travels, before landing an entertaining residency aboard the “Northern Star” on its return voyage to New Zealand in 1966. On his return home, he opened the Folk Centre, which ran for some seven years and evolving into the
Christchurch Folk Club, still running successfully some 35 years on.
Phil has released around fifteen solo albums – twice winning “Folk Album of The Year” at the New Zealand Music Awards as well as being a runner up on three other occasions. During this time he has won numerous radio and music awards in Australia and Japan, gaining international respect as "New Zealand's foremost and finest heritage balladeer" and "A National Living Treasure." He has performed extensively around the world promoting the Kiwi musical heritage with a blended presentation of songs, ballads, stories and yarns that introduce audiences to the musical heart of New Zealand and its people. Phil's entertaining performance has prompted one American reviewer to say:- "his songs transport you to New Zealand so effectively, you may be inspired to take up residence there!"
Phil promotes himself as “A Singing Historian” and “Kiwiana Balladeer” touring widely and is constantly in demand, performing for wine & food festivals, folk clubs and music festivals, themed museums and historical societies throughout New Zealand and Australia. His musical style transcends many boundaries, as is demonstrated by the increasing number of local and international artists now interpreting his work. The ‘Southland Times’ has dubbed him “A Country Music Legend” while a recent reviewer in the ‘Christchurch Press’ has described his songs as “Crafted Colonial Storytelling."
Reviews and Testimonials...
“Living legends such as Phil Garland need little reaffirmation of their standing in the Hall of Fame….this type of music is timeless, delivered in the Garland style as reassuring as it was compelling. Naturally he won an encore and got audience participation just as easily as he won their hearts.” - Christchurch Press
“Swag O’Dreams is both entertaining and educational. Phil Garland has been celebrated at home for his contribution to New Zealand cultural promotion and now the rest of us can hear what the fuss is all about.” - Roots World Bulletin
“I had the pleasure of catching Phil Garland’s Brisbane concert on Saturday 22 September….He was fantastic! Thoroughly entertaining, with tall stories, beautiful songs and lovely guitar work – Phil plays a vintage Gibson 12 string guitar in a unique finger picking style, which is probably the best and cleanest style I have ever heard anyone play live on a 12 string guitar. His songs were like old friends waiting to be heard for the first time….beautiful descriptive songs which took you back to the time and place. - June Nichols 2001
“If the desire to hum one of the tunes of an album just heard is a mark of the collection’s quality, then Phil Garland’s new recording Swag O’Dreams hits the mark. Shortly after hearing the first few tracks I found myself humming the tunes as I moved about other work…they clearly had a catchy quality, which I found irresistible….Perhaps the tour de force of the disc is the Garland penned “Come In Spinner” the history of the game of Two-up. It captures the mood, especially the desperation of men trying to make their fortune. Like the history it covers, the album grows in attraction with each listening….” - Peter Oaks 2002