Phillip first rose to prominence as the winner of American Idol season 11which set an Idol record when 132 million votes were gathered for the finale, and Phillip was declared the winner. His heartfelt songwriting, ruggedly-warm sensibilities, and his true musicianship wowed millions. Since then, Phillip has emerged a multi-platinum selling recording artist who has released three chart-topping albums, and, along the way, accumulated over 1.1 billion on-demand streams and over 1.2 billion Pandora streams. Phillip has taken his expansive brand of earthy, guitar-fueled rock to stages across the globe, and toured with John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, the Goo Goo Dolls, and has shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen.
 
When he was 21, American Idol was at the height of its popularity, and though Phillip wasn’t a regular viewer, he was well aware of the talent franchise. His family and friends were fans of the show, and they offered to pay his gas if he auditioned. After 8-10 hours of waiting with his sister and brother in law to see if he was cast, Phillip got the green light. His flight to LA to be on the show was the first time Phillip had been on a plane that actually landed—the only other time he flew was when he went skydiving.
 
Since then, Phillip never stopped grinding, consistently issuing well-received albums and tirelessly touring. He released his previous album in 2018, but he didn’t stop writing and collecting life experiences over the past five years. Drift Back poetically chronicles this poignant and transformative time, including watching his son being born, parenting a toddler, and keeping a marriage vibrant (his pro tip: never stop dating each other).
 
Up next, Phillip will be drifting back on tour and enjoying his 11th year as a professional musician. “Sometimes when I play shows, people tell me it’s their 14th or 15th time seeing me, and I feel really blessed,” he says. “I’m so grateful for my fans, and I can’t wait to share this album with them. I know people always say that their current album is their best, but I am the proudest of these songs as I’ve ever been of any, and I can’t wait to play them live.”