What would you expect from a man whose friends would describe him as being “absolutely consumed by music”? You’d probably assume he’s either a singer, a songwriter, a musician or a producer.
In the case of Phil Saatchi, he’s all four.
There’s no need to take this vast résumé at face value. Instead, Phil’s got more than enough credentials to back it up. The latest of which is his new album, called Sun Come Up.
Boasting a crisp sound and with a distinctively professional feel, more mainstream music fans might be surprised to learn that the record was actually played mostly by him and made in his Brighton front room.
Phil explained: “Being able to make a good sounding record is now accessible. You just need a laptop, some good speakers, an interface some software and some imagination.
“People are making great music on home studios that sound like records – the sound quality is great. I think it’s a fantastic development.”
Phil’s preference for recording in a home studio stems from his experience with the label A&M Records in the 80s. It led to his firm belief that the big studios can be a “waste of time and money”.
“I was very overruled by the whole studio process,” he said.
“What I took away from the experience was that I wanted to teach myself how to record my songs myself, not to rely on session musicians and a producer.”
It was a bold decision by Phil, who has worked with notable names such as Sam Brown and Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music. But now, his fully kitted-out home studio – not to mention the ability to produce – has actually made Saatchi indispensable to others in the music industry.
This can be seen by the number of artists he has welcomed into his home studio to produce their work. A way of utilising his diverse resources and skillset, it’s also another outlet for Phil to explore his passion.
He said: “I expanded to help songwriters.
“I love helping writers or budding writers realise their songs, trying to find the right atmosphere for their lyrics.”
Luckily for Phil, working with other musicians hasn’t just helped propel those around him to greater success. Instead, it’s actually allowed him to become a better artist in his own right.
Phil admitted: “I love hearing people’s ideas and developing them.
“It’s really helped me focus on what I’d like my own music to sound like. It’s taken a long time to be able to do that. I’m proud of the results.”
However, writing a song isn’t always a straightforward process for Phil. While he takes inspiration from his fellow musicians, his way of piecing his work together can sometimes be a little unorthodox to say the least.
He might get the urge to create something when he’s in the studio – or it might even come to him when he’s sleeping.
Phil confessed: “Sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night with an idea. If you don’t get up and actually pursue it, then you’re likely to have forgotten it in the morning.
“So there’s many times when I’ve got up and started a song in the middle of the night after a dream.”
So, what exactly does the typical songwriting process look like for Phil? Well, it’s somewhat of a complicated system involving many strokes of genius and several different instruments.
Phil elaborated: “I may write the song on an acoustic guitar, develop the vocals so that the song is complete and then basically overlay each instrument, called overdubbing.
“I guess you start off with finding the right rhythm, so that would involve doing the bass and the drums.”
The process can vary in length, showing that the modern way of songwriting is still as much of an art as it is a science. There’s even a danger of ‘over overdubbing’ the track.
This essentially happens when a person plays around with a song too much – and it’s something that Phil is always wary about when putting together his own music.
Still, he’s only satisfied when it becomes clear to him that “his imagination cannot make it any better”.
He revealed: “You want to put too much music in your music just to sort of prove to yourself that you can do i,t when simplicity is usually best.”
“Less is more in a lot of cases. It’s about deciding what to leave out and deciding what is best to make the song as most concise as possible.
“The more you do it, the more you learn.”
There’s never been a more opportune time for people to get their first taste of Phil Saatchi if they haven’t previously delved into his music. Sun Come Up features 11 tracks, each clearly distinguishable and with their own individual merits.
It is arguably, however, the song Time Bomb that stands out the most. Phil’s revealed the song is about the need for the world to slow down – arguably an even more poignant meaning given the lockdowns sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “I think that everything is going too fast and in the wrong direction. I think that that’s the message of Time Bomb.
“It’s a gritty lyric but it was written before what’s happened now, which has actually amplified [the meaning] even more.”
The coronavirus pandemic has left the world more uncertain than ever, but it’s not stopped Phil from looking ahead to a brighter future. He’s anticipating the day when he’ll be able to showcase his new music to a live audience.
Phil has actually got a lot of experience when it comes to performing live – whether it’s in an intimate venue or on a huge stage. Funnily enough, it’s the smaller venues that he finds more intimidating.
He revealed: “[Performing] in a small venue with all your friends watching you is much more intimidating than, for instance, playing at Wembley Arena.
“You can’t see anybody or you can see the spotlight and the audience seem miles away, so I find it much less intimidating.”
It’s clear that Phil has got many more ways to contribute to the music industry and make an impact. Some might get the chance to watch him perform live, others might stumble upon a song he’s produced.
Whatever it is, it’s fair to say that we can expect his talents to touch us all in one way or another before all’s said and done.
My Studio Work
https://www.facebook.com/brightonkemptown/
Albums
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0cg91Z2jLjePAGPAmyCAmM
- Sun Come Up and three more albums
- You Want My Soul
- Ballads
- Songs for the Misfits
Time Bomb on You Tube with video
and Time Bomb on Spotify
