
Phil Weller
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
Latest articles by Phil Weller

Freddie Mercury didn’t want a guitar solo. Brian May fought for it — and created one of Queen’s most celebrated moments on record
By Phil Weller published
May says creative friction was part of the process that made the group so successful

“I added more frets with a saw.” They built a microtonal guitar that “makes no sense.” Now they’re blowing up online
By Phil Weller published
The duo’s dense blend of jazz, prog and math-rock has racked up millions of views — and left players like Rick Beato and Cory Wong stunned

“I was done with Radiohead.” Ed O’Brien on why he thought it was over for the long-running art rockers
By Phil Weller published
As he prepares to drop ‘Blue Morpho,’ the guitarist opens up about burnout, lost inspiration, and why stepping away saved his creativity.

“I’m 75, for god’s sake!” Suzi Quatro says she's been driving illegally for 50 years without knowing It
By Phil Weller published
She fought the law — and no one even noticed

Alex Lifeson on how Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” inspired one of Rush’s most unexpected tracks
By Phil Weller published
The guitarist says Jimmy Page’s “hypnotic beast” didn’t just shape his playing — it directly sparked a standout cut from Rush’s ‘2112’ album

Our Lady Peace say Sammy Hagar nearly kicked them off the Van Halen tour. And then Eddie stepped in
By Phil Weller published
Raine Maida recalls the moment Sammy Hagar pushed to replace them — and how Eddie and Alex overruled him backstage.

The night Jimi Hendrix hijacked live TV — and got himself banned
By Phil Weller published
A planned duet, a blown schedule and an impromptu tribute to Cream turned a polite variety show into one of rock’s most infamous broadcasts

“I’m not a cork sniffer.” Guthrie Trapp pushes back on vintage guitar hype
By Phil Weller published
While players like Joe Bonamassa chase rare gear, the Nashville session ace says one simple test reveals whether a guitar is truly great.

Machine Gun Kelly injures hand on a giant thorn while filming video in Dublin
By Phil Weller published
The pop-punk guitarist said he put his “whole body weight” on the spike while climbing a wall, leaving two fingers with limited mobility.

He was a punchline on MTV in the ’90s. Now symphony orchestras play his music
By Phil Weller last updated
Kip Winger went from hair-metal joke to Grammy-nominated classical composer — and has the accolades to back him up

“I don't know if I want to play this.” Rush’s new drummer had a ‘Yikes!’ moment over one classic song
By Phil Weller published
As Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson pursue a return to touring, Anika Nilles admits she hesitated before tackling a song forever tied to the late Neil Peart

Steve Morse spends his days fixing tractors and flying planes — and says it makes him more creative
By Phil Weller published
The former Deep Purple guitarist says life on his 56-acre farm helps him write music after dark

Joe Bonamassa says you’re miking your amp wrong
By Phil Weller published
The blues star has a blunt take on the “Full Sail flashlight” technique — and why starting at the center of a speaker cone is a mistake

Samantha Fish on the guitar trick behind her most distinctive sound
By Phil Weller published
The modern blues great discovered the trick while trying to kick a bad habit

Sammy Hagar compares Alex Van Halen to Roger Waters in new swipe at former bandmate
By Phil Weller published
The singer says he understands why David Gilmour refuses to reunite with the Pink Floyd bassist.

Stevie Ray Vaughan bombed on opening night of a major tour
By Phil Weller published
Huey Lewis fought his own management to put SRV on the bill. Then the crowd refused to listen.

Chris Cornell wrote “Black Hole Sun” after one producer told him to stop writing for fans
By Phil Weller published
Producer Michael Beinhorn says the Soundgarden singer’s songwriting changed overnight — and within weeks he delivered “Fell on Black Days” and the band’s biggest hit.

Suzi Quatro on the time she almost sent Alice Cooper to the hospital
By Phil Weller published
The Detroit rocker recalls rubber dart-gun wars, white-knuckle turboprop flights and the night Cooper wore her tour shirt “out of respect”

“I told Alex, ‘We’re either doing this or we’re not.’” Geddy Lee on forcing Alex Lifeson to restart Rush
By Phil Weller published
Six years after Neil Peart’s death, Lee gave Lifeson a blunt choice — and set Rush’s next chapter in motion

Lita Ford reflects on anger, ambition — and how Eddie Van Halen convinced her to start again after the Runaways collapsed
By Phil Weller last updated
The band’s breakup saw her abandon playing for a year, until Van Halen helped revive her career

What to watch for in Paul McCartney’s ‘Man on the Run’ documentary, out now
By Phil Weller published
The film documents his transition from Beatle to solo artist across a chaotic decade

Alex Van Halen on how close he and Eddie came to making an album with Ozzy Osbourne
By Phil Weller published
As Van Halen reeled from lineup turmoil, an unexpected partnership almost reshaped hard rock history.

“He didn’t like being a solo guy.” Jeff Lynne reveals the truth about George Harrison after the Beatles
By Phil Weller published
Harrison quietly longed for what he lost when the band ended — and found it again in an unlikely place
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