PHILIP SAYCE
“The Wolves are Coming”

From the moment Philip Sayce picked up a guitar neck for the first time, he never let go. Malcolm Gladwell theorized that "greatness" requires 10,000 hours of hands-on training. The teenage Sayce had easily crossed that threshold when his hometown hero, legendary guitarist and multi-platinum Jeff Healey, the legendary guitarist and multi-platinum recording artist, caught Sayce at a wild gig in downtown Toronto.

Within a year, Sayce was touring internationally with Jeff Healey's band and performing at the world's most prestigious festivals. Since then, Sayce has put in many times those 10,000 hours. hours, recording and touring with music icon Melissa Etheridge for four years, then launching a solo career and earning an enthusiastic fan base in Europe and beyond, opening shows for bands such as ZZ Top and Deep Purple. Sayce is a rare artist, a combination of outstanding songwriter, incomparable guitarist, soulful singer and electrifying performer.

Sayce's highly anticipated release The Wolves Are Coming was recorded at Station House Studios in Los Angeles with Grammy Award-winning producer Mark Rains. The recordings were produced by Sayce, mixed by Brian Moncarz (Toronto) and Mark Rains (Los Angeles) and released on Sayce's label Atomic Gemini under exclusive license to Forty Below Records. Sayce contacted his longtime collaborators, drummers Michael Leasure, Aaron Sterling and Fritz Lewak, Fred Mandel on piano and organ and vocalist Bernie Barlow.

Songs like "Oh! That Bitches Brew" and "Backstabber" hit like hurricanes and capture the intensity and heaviness of the pandemic era in which this album was created. Sayce sings: "Lion locked in a cage, hostage filled up with rage, hunted for the jewels in my crown, I've been tortured, tied up underground", his vocals as fierce as the thundering guitar riffs. "Lady Love Divine" explores the light in contrast to the darkness with an uplifting, stomping, up-tempo funk groove and catchy songwriting that provides hooks in all the right places. Ballads like "It's Over Now" and the magical instrumental "Intuition" round out Sayce's signature fuzz sounds and mountain-sized drum grooves with tender, intimate and and dynamic performances. "The Wolves Are Coming" is a career highlight and an example of Sayce's commitment to his craft and utilizing the power of music as a unifying force to welcome the light in incredibly turbulent times.

Sayce enthuses, "I'm so excited about this record and where I'm at now. These new songs represent my personal journey since the release of Spirit Rising and my aspirations to grow as a musician and as a person. I'm grateful that I was able to realize my vision for this album with these outstanding musicians, the carefully written songs and my determination around the entire creative process."

For Sayce, who was born in Wales, grew up in Toronto and lives in Los Angeles, his love of the guitar began at a young age when his parents introduced him to many influential greats - most notably Albert King King, Freddie King, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Jeff Healey, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Sayce appeared on Uncle Kracker's album No Stranger to Shame, which included the single "Drift Away", a song that topped the Billboard charts for 28 weeks. He toured and recorded with Melissa Etheridge, and during this time Sayce found time to record his first solo album, Peace Machine, with co-producer Michael Nielsen.

In 2015, Sayce made his major label debut with Influence (Warner Music). Recorded with Grammy award-winning producer Dave Cobb, the album garnered strong press coverage, 20-radio plays and expanded his global audience. It was followed in 2016 by the release of Scorched Earth, Volume 1 (Warner Music), a riveting live performance that took place at Toronto's Silver Dollar Room. Sayce's electrifying live performances leave fans in awe - a stellar performance at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival in New York City was hailed as one of the best performances of the event.

In 2020, during the global pandemic, Sayce released his seventh album Spirit Rising (Warner Music). The self-produced recording quickly became his most successful album without the support of tour dates or traditional promotion. Undeterred, Sayce turned his attention to social media and saw his fanbase grow by more than 300% - Spirit Rising has now reached the 131 million streams mark on Spotify.

With The Wolves Are Coming, Philip Sayce has raised the bar higher than ever before. This body of work is more powerful, unique and brash than anything Sayce has written or recorded before. Be prepared, be warned. You can run, but you can't hide... The Wolves Are Coming.

"These songs and stories were written in my darkest times. The Wolves Are Coming represents a bridge - a connection between despair and hope - that invites broken souls to be transformed and healed." - Philip Sayce