Philip Burley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Philip Burley | ||
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 Burley performing in concert in Truro in February 2007.
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Philip David Burley | |
| Born | September 28, 1987 (age 19) | |
| Origin |  St Day, Cornwall |
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| Genre(s) | anti-folk, Indie | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, guitarist | |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals | |
| Years active | 2004–present | |
| Label(s) | Red Records Zebs Records |
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| Associated acts |
The Red Army |
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| Website | theredarmyband.com | |
Philip Burley, full name Philip David Burley, is one of the two frontmen (along with Floren MacDonald) of the Cornish anti-folk band The Red Army. He is noted for appearing to suffer a seizure when playing a guitar riff, as well as for his strong vocals which are seen as a key factor in the critical acclaim received by the band so far. He is a professional composer and musician, and has become one of the most well known and respected anti-folk writers on the Cornish scene in recent years. He currently attends Truro College, where he studies politics and music.
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[edit] Early Life
He was born in the village of St Day on September 28th 1987, and attended schools in the area, learning much of the ways of the world. He attended Redruth School and Community College from 1999-2006, obtaining A Levels in Music, History and Drama And Theatre Studies.
[edit] Acclaim
In 2007, The Times newspaper called him "the most talented and certainly the most prolific" songwriter on the Cornish scene. In the same year, the West Briton declared his song 'Northern Lights' a "masterpiece".
[edit] Speculation
In June 2006 he received an unconditional offer to study Music Composition at Dartington College of Arts and is expected to attend the institution from September 2007 for a full three-year degree. It should be noted that he has commented on several occasions that his commitments with The Red Army will still remain priority.
[edit] The Red Army
The Red Army was formed on February 17th 2004, when Burley joined forces with Floren MacDonald and Stephen Burley. At the time of writing, they have played over 200 gigs.
[edit] Musical Style And Influence
Burley considers himself an anti-folk artist, and is heavily influenced by Adam Green, Regina Spektor and Pete Doherty. His vocal style is often noted to owe homage to Morrissey, and his dramatic, heartfelt, metaphorical poetic lyrical style has clear links with both Morrissey and Bob Dylan. E.g: "It doesn't matter if I'm treading on thin ice, because I can walk on water"-'Northern Lights', The Red Army (band) Some critics have labelled this aspect of his work pretentious and melodramatic, however, the best example of this is probably 'Northern Lights', a live favourite and one of his best known works. At the heart of Cornwall's anti-folk scene, Burley often talks about his "mission statement" to increase the scenes support, and is regarded by local acts as one of the scene's largest influences.
[edit] Trivia
- Burley is noted for his enthusiasm for the work of Regina Spektor.
- Philip Burley is the brother of Stephen Burley, bass player and founding member of The Red Army.
- Burley is a pathological compulsive liar.
[edit] See Also
[edit] References
- BBC Interview (2004)
- BBC Interview on 'The Sound Of Young Cornwall' (2007)
- Article in The Times (2007)
- The Red Army Review For Aberfest (2006)
- Programme For Interceltic Watersports Festival Feat. The Red Army (2006)
- The Red Army in 24/7 magazine
- Review For FATEA online magazine (2005)
- Link to 'Totally Radio' playlist showing radio plays of The Red Army (2007)
- Link From Cumpus Website
- The Red Army Win Battle Of The Bands Write Up-Cornwall College Website (2005)
