Biography

A hotshot guitarist who plays a revved-up mixture of electric blues, hard rock, and tough psychedelia, Philip Sayce was born in Aberystwyth, Wales on June 3, 1976. When he was two years old, his family pulled up stakes and moved to Canada. Sayce grew up in Toronto, where his parents raised him on a diet of classic rock and blues, with a special fondness for Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Ry Cooder. Sayce developed a love for music early on, and began learning to play guitar on a Sears acoustic given to him by his folks. (Sayce also learned to play piano and trombone.) Sayce started his first band when he was just 15, and at 16 he began appearing regularly at Grossman's Tavern, a Toronto venue that featured open blues jams. It didn't take long for Sayce to develop a loyal following on the Toronto club scene, and he released his debut album, The Philip Sayce Group, in 1996. (It was reissued in 2005.) When Canadian blues guitarist Jeff Healey heard Sayce's work, he invited him to join his band. Sayce signed on with Healey's group in 1997, and he worked with Healey for over three years, appearing on the album Get Me Some. After the turn of the century, Sayce moved to California, and he landed a gig with Uncle Kracker, playing in his road band and on the 2002 album No Stranger to Shame. A casual meeting between Sayce and producer John Shanks led to his next job. Shanks was scouting a new guitarist for Melissa Etheridge, and after hearing Sayce at a blues jam, he recommended him for the job. Between 2004 and 2008, Sayce was part of Etheridge's band and appeared on three of her studio albums, as well as two live releases. In 2009, Sayce decided it was time to relaunch his solo career, and he released the album Peace Machine. Innerevolution followed in 2010, and Ruby Electric (2011) and Steamroller (2012) appeared in quick succession. Sayce toured diligently with his road band, sharing stages with the likes of ZZ Top and Deep Purple. And in 2013, Sayce performed at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in New York City. In 2015, Sayce struck a deal with Warner Bros. Canada, and that year he put out his first major-label solo effort, Influence. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi