From the Texas hill country to the bustling streets of New York City to the picturesque mountains of Colorado, singer-songwriter Tyler Phillips’ compass has always been pointed toward authenticity.
“When I was a teenager and young artist, I was surrounded by an extremely talented music community, and I was a sponge,” said Phillips. “There was a race to discover authenticity in songwriting, and in high school I got hungry to chase it, and for me that has never stopped.”
Phillips grew up in a family that encouraged his musical passion. He got a guitar for Christmas when he was 8 years old, and it was his main source of entertainment. He listened to an eclectic mix of folk music, inspired by his favorite songwriter, Joni Mitchell, heavy metal tunes preferred by his brother, and jazz artists like John Coltrane, introduced to him by his father. Other musicians who’ve influenced Phillips and his songwriting have been Lyle Lovett, Jerry Jeff Walker, Bob Dylan and Steve Earle.
“When I went to high school, it was an arts school and I learned a lot about classical music,” Phillips said. “I took home a different instrument every week and had played 30 different instruments by the time I graduated.”
Phillips studied music composition for a brief time at a University in northeast Ohio before realizing that his true desire was to be ‘100 percent immersed in the music scene.’ When a Spring Break snowstorm prevented him from flying home to Texas, he caught a flight to New York City and his life changed. While visiting the Big Apple, he applied for numerous jobs with the goal of getting a foothold from which he could pursue his musical ambition. That anchor was a job at the Rogers & Hammerstein music publishing and licensing company. When he landed that full-time opportunity, Phillips packed his suitcase, grabbed his sleeping bag and found a shared living space in Queens before he could afford to move to Brooklyn. Each morning, he reported to his desk where he worked in amateur musical theater licensing. “When community theaters across the country wanted to present a Rogers & Hammerstein show to which our company had the rights, I handled the contracting arrangements,” he explains.
While the job itself was fairly straightforward, Phillips says being in an atmosphere to learn about the music industry was ‘priceless.’ “The leadership at R&H built a magnet for folks in the theater industry,” says Phillips. “While at my desk in the bullpen, I’d look across the room to see Lin-Manuel Miranda (before Hamilton), or Irving Berlin’s daughter arriving for a meeting. It was magical.”
Phillips’ colleagues were incredibly supportive as well, coming out to hear him perform at small coffeehouses and in cabaret settings. While his New York career gave him experience and stability, the singer-songwriter knew in his heart that he needed to devote himself solely to his craft. “There came a time when I had to take my focus completely to what I wanted to do—working as a songwriter,” he explains. “I started playing with a lot of bands as a studio musician or hopping onto band tours. By the age of 26, I had played in 40 states. I also was finding gigs through Craigslist postings and began to establish my network.”
Life changed when Phillips and his partner learned that they were expecting a child. Shortly after receiving the news, they knew it was time to leave New York and find a home for their family. “About two weeks after we knew my son was coming, we were in a U-Haul, driving cross country Super Bowl Weekend through snowstorms in Missouri and Kansas,” he recalls. “My son’s mom had family in Colorado, so it was an easy choice to settle in Littleton.”
Another obvious choice for Phillips was to shift his perspective about his music career. “I knew that whatever I did with music had to be grounded in reality and making money because I was going to be a dad,” he said. “I want to be financially responsible for my kiddo and give him the best life I can.”
Now, nine years later, Phillips’ son, Theodore, has become the impetus for him to reenergize his songwriting and performance. “I got out for the same reason I’m getting back in—my kid,” he reflects. “He just turned nine and he loves music. He started on bass, then guitar and piano, and he loves the harmonica. He gets out his harmonica and joins me on my gigs.”
Phillips plays his original songs and a few cover tunes when he performs at his favorite spots that include The Well, Snowpack Taproom, and other spots not far from his beloved mountain community of Conifer. “I have no interest in being ‘big,’” he says. “I want to connect my music to my community, and always keep my focus on songwriting.” Phillips’ exposure is expanding a bit, however, with his first album in 10 years in process, and with gigs in Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico on his docket for the summer of 2025.
In this day and age when performers take the stage with their eyes glued to lyrics displayed on their tablets, Phillips takes a different approach. “Our music culture now is so much about TikTok and Insta and going to a gig with your eyes glued to an iPad and playing requests,” says Phillips. “I’ve got to stick to writing songs that mean something to me. If it doesn’t hit me, then it’s not authentic and won’t connect with the audience when I make eye contact with them. We don’t know how long our time is set for. Why not fill up the moments with richness that develops who we are—that feeds us?” To experience Phillips’ music, go to tylerphillipsshow.com.