Phil Jamieson explores the lives of other people in his new single “Somebody Else”

Phil Jamieson has been a stalwart of the Australian music scene ever since his time as the frontman of – one of my personal favourite bands growing up – Grinspoon, and with that, comes the pressure to continue to create music that aligns with people’s sense of nostalgia, so to say that Phil’s first solo outing with ‘Somebody Else’ (the title track of his record) is highly anticipated would be an understatement.

With that said though, Phil’s newest song “Somebody Else” is the second song to be featured on Eat This Music – after the release of Kapow! in February 2021 – which, much like his previous work, is akin to his alternative rock roots, with this song, specifically, bringing back memories and a sense of those earlier Grinspoon pieces of art that made the four-piece a household name.

“My friend Ben Rosen – who happened to record the first demo version of “Somebody Else” – described it as the sequel to “More Than You Are”, Phil says on the release of the song. “I hadn’t seen/heard it like that but I kind of get it.”

It is understandable to see where that aforementioned notion comes from, with this new song by Phil offering a heavy-handed assortment of riffs, frantic dialogue, and a world of sound that doesn’t take away from the song’s overall message, which seems to be about being more than you are, and dreaming of a different life, ironically much like Phil’s brand new song.