GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS

GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS

This year, Grant-Lee Phillips is set to release his twelfth solo album, the self-produced In the Hour of Dust. It’s a bold and thoughtful work that confronts the weighty themes of our contemporary world.

“The mood on this album is contemplative,” says Phillips, “a search for meaning in a time of confusion—feeling your way through the blinding dust of unreality.”

In the Hour of Dust is also deeply intimate, both in its stripped-back musical approach and in the highly personal—often autobiographical—lyrics. Phillips sets these stories, he admits, “against a larger, discordant backdrop.”

Audiences first discovered Phillips’ intelligent and poetic songwriting as the frontman of the acclaimed rock trio Grant Lee Buffalo, whose 1993 debut Fuzzy brought them international acclaim. The title track became an anthem and a launching point for the band’s success. They followed it with Mighty Joe Moon (1994), which featured the modern rock hit Mockingbirds, further establishing their unique sound while rising above genre conventions.

With the release of his solo debut Ladies’ Love Oracle in 2000, Phillips began a new chapter, embracing a more folk- and Americana-rooted sound, weaving songs rich in human detail and lyrical depth.

Around that same time, Phillips was cast in a rising TV series—Gilmore Girls. The show became a beloved, multi-generational hit, and his role as the Town Troubadour introduced him to an entirely new audience.

A constant traveler, Phillips regularly tours across the U.S. and internationally. With the release of In the Hour of Dust set for September 2025, tour dates are already being scheduled for the U.S., UK, Europe, and beyond. Expect to hear a mix of new songs from the album alongside favorites from across his expansive career.

“I don’t see love songs and protest songs as all that different,” Phillips reflects. “At their core, they both speak to the need for connection in a disconnected time.”