This week’s artist, Phillip-Michael Scales, has a connection to a gentleman I worked with a couple of times over his illustrious career: the late, great B.B. King. The legendary bluesman was a close friend to Scales’ aunt and he even called the young man “nephew.” I learned this when I got the press release that spoke about Scales upcoming opening position for another singer-songwriter-guitarist, Keb’ Mo’ at the Waterville Opera House next Wednesday, the 12th. It was kind of neat to be able to continue a “relationship” with King by chatting with his “nephew,” Scales when he called me on May 16.

Q: Where are you calling from?
A: I’m at home in Nashville.

Q: Could you talk a little bit about the gentleman you’re opening for at the Waterville Opera House — how’s it going on tour with Keb’ Mo’?
A: We are going to meet on that tour, for sure. My people got in touch with his people and they decided that it would be a good fit, so I’m super excited. I think that my story of growing up with my Uncle B as a presence in my life, I sort of quickly realized that being the bluesy guitar slinger wasn’t necessarily calling my name so I went to songwriting. I was listening to a lot of Beatles, I was listening to a lot of up-and-coming indie songwriters, but I kept talking to my Uncle B and I kept going to the shows, and I kept sort of keeping in touch with him. So the more we spent time together, my bluesy tint, my bluesy lean was more of a head-nod to him instead of trying to be and do what he did. I think it ended up in a beautiful place that I call ‘dive bar soul’ because it has that indie-rock storytelling that I was influenced by and it continues with the passion of the blues. And I think that someone else who sort of does a lot of songwriting focus and the blues is Keb’ Mo’; so I’m really excited to see this pairing.

Q: Have you performed up in Maine before?
A: I’ve not, but it looks like I’m going to get there a couple of times. I’m going to get there in June (at Waterville Opera House on the 12th and One Longfellow Square on June 13t) and I think that there might be something on the books for later in the summer, as well, so I’m really excited to get up to Maine — I went to school at Berklee College of Music, so I was over in the area but I never really got up there.

Q: That being the case, what can folks expect from your performance at the Opera House in Waterville?
A: Well, I’m going to get out there and tell my stories and do my thing — I write from a very genuine place, for better or worse (laughter), and when I’m solo I really like to bring crowds and share a little bit of myself in hopes that they feel a couple fragments of that, ya know?

Q: Oh, so you will be performing solo then, right?
A: I will be performing solo, yeah.

Q: One of the videos I saw of yours, “Shame,” I think it was, had you onstage all by yourself letting the audience know that you had three ladies “in a little box” and that when you stepped on a button they would hopefully sing with you.
A: (Chuckle) You know, as a performer I feel like I’m almost so comfortable onstage that when things go wrong it’s easy for me to acknowledge them, ya know what I mean?

Q: Yeah, I do, I feel it makes you much more accessible and inviting. Now, as far as recorded music goes, do you have a new album coming out anytime soon?
A: I’ve got a new single coming out on May 31st called “Be My Own Man” and I have a current single out called “Light Up The Sky;” so I’ve got this new album done and we’re just figuring out a release date, potentially in the fall. And I’ve got the whole thing on vinyl and I’m selling it at shows. I want people to have that full experience before it’s on the internet. I feel that vinyl is definitely an opportunity to create a palette for music.

Q: Oh, art analogy, I love it! Is there anything that you’d like to pass on to the folks reading this article?
A: Umm, just come check out the show and if you can’t make the show, make sure that you check out the website because I’d love to see you.

Q: Is there anything that we haven’t discussed? This is your forum, after all.
A: I would say that I call my music “dive bar soul” and I call it a blend between indie-rock and the passion of the blues.

Lucky Clark, a 2018 “Keeping the Blues Alive” Award winner, has spent more than 50 years writing about good music and the people who make it. He can be reached at luckyc@myfairpoint.net if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.

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