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Phil Cody
Phil Cody at Wandering Star Studios March 2014
Background information
Birth name	Philip Allen Cody
Born	(1967-10-18) October 18, 1967 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Folk Rock, Americana, Singer/Songwriter, Rock, Alternative Country
Occupation(s)	Singer/Songwriter, Musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Years active	1993 - present
Labels	Interscope Records, Tiny Head Records, Munich Records, Back & Belly Recordings, Appaloosa Records, IRD (Italy)
Website	www.philcody.com

Philip Allen "Phil" Cody (born October 18, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His music is lyrically driven, consisting of elements of folk-rock, americana, and alternative rock. No Depression has described him as “a gifted storyteller” , his songwriting as having “a melting pot feel” . Regarding his vocal style “Cody sings like a cagey fighter punches; he holds back, waits for his moment, then explodes”. “More wordsmith than singer, but a wordsmith in search of the unusual image” . His lyrics have been noted as “alternately humorous and sad, they succeed in setting the proper mood for each song” . On stage, Cody is known to be “a performer of singular intensity” , singing with “humor and spunk" . Said to have impeccable taste in cover songs , Cody is known for his unique two-step version of the 1982 Clash song, Straight to Hell , which he often uses to close his sets. His melancholy version of “Viva Las Vegas” by Doc Pomus was featured in a 2007 U.K. advert on the Living Channel for the then upcoming season 7 of CSI: Las Vegas. Cody has been compared to singer-songwriters Steve Forbert, Peter Case, and Elliott Murphy.

Early Life

Phil Cody was born in Cleveland Ohio, and raised in Cincinnati. He is the fourth cousin, four times removed, of Wild West legend William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. He started playing in bands at high school parties and later in the clubs and bars that surrounded the University of Cincinnati and neighboring areas. A 2002 bio explains, “bad luck and a twist of fate that almost ended his life turned into a new beginning for Phil”. Following a car accident that left him hospitalized and healing for several months, he picked up his guitar and began writing more of his own songs and soon after made the decision to leave Ohio for California with the hopes of a career as a solo artist”.

Career

In late 1994, Phil Cody signed a recording contract with Interscope Records. His debut album, The Sons of Intemperance Offering, produced by the late Thom Wilson (Iggy Pop, The Offspring), was released in May of 1996. Cody's four follow up albums have all been self released. His second album, Mad Dog Sessions— was recorded in the late 1990’s and released in 2002. Featuring 20 songs from a four-day recording session (in which over 30 songs were recorded), Mad Dog Sessions was performed live in the studio with such musicians as Rami Jaffee, and Joe Henry . Cody’s version of “Splendid Isolation” was featured on the Warren Zevon tribute album Hurry Home Early in 2003 .

Cody’s third album Big Slow Mover, released in 2001, was produced by Ethan Johns and Rami Jaffee, featuring drummer Brady Blade, and special guest vocal appearances by Emmylou Harris and Joe Henry . Showcasing his songwriting and folk-rock sound, Big Slow Mover was called "an exceptionally well-crafted album" by the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange at AcousticMusic . "We Could’ve Had It All” was included on the Trampoline Records Volume 1 compilation, . In 2000, Cody was nominated for Best Songwriter at the LA Independent Music Awards. “The saga of Big Slow Mover is the story of how one goes from Interscope (major label) recording artist to internet DIY artist, and it's certainly not a unique tale these days”, concluded No Depression. During much of the 2000’s, Cody continued to perform, write and record while raising a family. An original instrumental, “Baby Tacoma,” was used in an advertisement for Simple Shoes . 

Cody’s fourth album, Cody Sings Zevon, was recorded in the fall of 2013, and released by Cody's label Back and Belly recordings in the U.S., and by Appaloosa Records in Italy in 2014. Touring with one of his mentors, Warren Zevon paved the way for Cody's release in which he honors Zevon's songwriting legacy by recording stripped down versions of 12 of his songs pulled from albums throughout Zevon's career. “Shortly after Zevon passed, Cody was interviewed and subsequently quoted multiple times in what remains the legendary songwriter’s definitive biography, 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon,' written by ex-wife Crystal Zevon. As music blog No Depression states, "In short, Cody Sings Zevon emerges as far more than just another timely tribute. Cody actually succeeds in doing something few others ever achieve, that is, to bring a new dimension to songs that have already attained their own kind of indelible immortality. And for that Cody deserves congratulations. Cody Sings Zevon emerges as far more than just another timely tribute. Cody actually succeeds in doing something few others ever achieve, that is, to bring a new dimension to songs that have already attained their own kind of indelible immortality. And for that Cody deserves congratulations".

Phil Cody’s fifth release, Featherbed, is a six song EP self-released by his label, Back & Belly Recordings, in 2015. The album is culled from two days of recording at Rami Jaffee’s Fonogenic Studio in Van Nuys, CA with overdubs at producer Steve McCormick’s studio, Studebaker Sound, in Mar Vista, CA. Along with Jaffee and McCormick, the band included Eric Heywood, Roger Len Smith, Andy Kamman, Bryan “Smitty" Smith and Matt Cartsonis. Featherbed is a combination of four new Cody penned tunes and two covers .

Touring

At the 1995, South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas, Phil Cody performed a set that was seen by an Italian promoter. This led to two tours of Italy throughout 1997, and launched his strong relationship with Italian fans. Between 1995 and 2001, Phil Cody spent a lot of time on the road playing shows all around America and three tours of Italy.  Cody embarked on his fifth tour of Italy in the Spring of 2015.

Additionally, Phil Cody has performed with a variety of notable acts including Linda Perry, Lisa Loeb,The Milk Carton Kids , Pete Droge, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, The Freewheelers , The Low and Sweet Orchestra, and The Violent Femmes . Cody has performed at the 2014 Americana Music Awards, SXSW, The Gavin Convention, the NE Folks Convention NEMO, NXNE, Tower Records Convention, Strawberry Folk Festival, and the Yahoo campus, and Cody has opened for or shared the stage with such acts as Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt , Tracy Chapman, Madeleine Peyroux , Rickie Lee Jones, The Pretenders, Daniel Lanois, Ray Davies, The Bottle Rockets and Joe Ely.

Most recently, Cody accompanied Grammy Award winning songwriter Marc Cohn on his U.S. tour in 2015 .

• Toured with Warren Zevon

Discography

Studio Albums

Year	Album
1993	Cool Buffalo Undertow
1996	The Sons of Intemperance
2000	Big Slow Mover
2002	Mad Dog Sessions
2014	Cody Sings Zevon
2015	Featherbed EP

Compilations

Year	Album
2002	Trampoline Records Compilation
2005	Hurry Home Early, The Songs of Warren Zevon

Early Demos

Year	Album
1993	Cool Buffalo Undertow

External links

• Official website