pheroze

Clever, versatile guitarist, songwriter and producer Pheroze makes intricately-crafted music that illuminates life’s mysteries and provides a window into a spiritual fantasy world infused with lush and inventive melodies and harmonies. He has written songs for, played in and released well-received albums with bands including Scar Culture (Century Media Records) and Soapbox Army. Widely known as “Minstrel for the Dead,” Pheroze has recorded and released two solo LPs: Driftwood (2008, mixed by Nick Cohen); Crows into Swine (2011, mixed by Clay Holley). Both albums exhibit his dexterity as a multi-instrumentalist and feature him playing every instrument except drums. His latest album Ennui reinforces his agility as a producer, singer and songwriter and introduces his powerhouse backing band, consisting of guitar virtuoso Pontus Gunve (PHWG), accomplished bassist Dan Kramer (The Stink) and nimble drummer Jeff Hardee (Facelift).

Born in London to Zoroastrian parents, Pheroze’s musical journey began while he was splitting his childhood time between the restrictive Saudi Arabia and the colorful, sensual India. Equally-stimulated by literature and philosophy, the pervasive Bollywood culture and the Black Sabbath, Queen and Prince that was on regular rotation at his parents’ house, his exposure to varied cultures allowed Pheroze to develop a worldly perspective. When Pheroze was 12, a chance encounter with a friend’s guitar finally gave a distinct voice to his life’s passion, and, in order to raise enough money to buy his own instrument, he smuggled in Penthouse magazines – which were illegal in Saudi Arabia – and sold them to local teenagers.

A truly all-around artist, Pheroze now allows the ghosts that travel alongside him speak through uniquely-haunted, intellectually-driven songs that honor his cultural and creative roots and memorialize the craftsmanship of the rock risk-takers that have sparked his imagination since childhood, including Freddie Mercury, Kim Thayil, Chris Cornell, Slash and Jeff Buckley. Through his meticulously-crafted albums and cathartic live performances, he freely presents highly-personal material that also genuinely resonates with a universal audience.