FINDING HIS VOICE: How Metal Vocalist Phill Paxton Moved to the East Coast to Put Family First – Without Missing a Beat

"I hope people get to experience the same kind of happiness I’ve experienced as a father," Phill Paxton opens up about fatherhood, new music, and how his roots in Niagara have shaped his journey.

Photography by @concertsbyjasmin Born and raised in Niagara, Ontario, metal vocalist Phill Paxton built a strong reputation in the local music scene over the past decade. From fronting multiple metal bands — most notably Sinner and Hellbent — to being an avid supporter and friend to countless others, Phill has long been recognized for his dedication to the community. He's known not only for his talent, but also for his willingness to help fellow musicians, network, and promote others through various platforms, including his podcast Bandecdotes. Friends and loved ones describe him as having an infectious personality that makes it impossible not to feel at ease in his presence — and to share endless laughter.

After spending more than 30 years in Niagara, Phill and his wife made the collective decision to move to the East Coast, putting their family first shortly after welcoming their son. While the transition came with its share of adjustments, Phill opens up in this exclusive interview about how he's been adapting to life in Eastern Canada — and how he's been making new music again.

"I definitely miss the Niagara music scene," Phill admits, reflecting on how the biggest challenge musically has been having to hit pause on former projects and losing that sense of familiarity he'd built within his hometown community. He also shares that, although the move has at times brought feelings of isolation — with his family and friends still back in Ontario — he's found connection through a fellow father and musician who shares a similar story.

After a few months of getting to know each other and bonding over their shared experiences and passion for music, Rich Uncle Skeleton was born. Having both relocated to the East Coast from Ontario, the two drew inspiration from their common journey to write and release their first song, “Odell Park.”

According to Phill, “It's a song about moving to a new place and the feelings that come with that.” I sat down with him to talk about the progress he's made since the move — the new music, his emotionally transparent love for fatherhood, and to reminisce about some of the many experiences that have shaped his career as a musician.

Photography by @concertsbyjasmin (2014)   

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me today. You know, I was thinking this today, we’ve actually known each other for over 12 years already! 

Phill: Yeah, dude! Wow! That's pretty crazy to think about.

We initially met through the very early stages of Sinner — prior to its first final lineup. Having met each other through music and gotten to know each other over the years, I’ve watched you not only transition multiple times throughout the music scene, but also continue to grow as a person. You’ve become a husband, a father, and now moved to the East Coast! A lot has changed in the past 10 years.

Phill: Yeah, it's actually quite bonkers. Now that you mentioned that, like, yeah, I guess that's a good way to putting it. I mean, I've been married to my wife for five years, but we've been together for 15 altogether.  

Which is so rare to come by these days — especially for our generation!

Phill: Yeah, you know what? We're pretty old school in that sense. We met when we were younger and just kind of, you know, we never left each other. Now that we have a kid — being a father is crazy man, like I can't really put it into words. I hope people get to experience the same kind of happiness I've experienced as a father.

You’re really great with him. It’s been a privilege to see that — not just as an outsider, but as your friend, too. Watching you grow into that role more and more every year has been amazing. I still see you as the goofball of the group from the original Sinner days, and now seeing you posting stories, headbanging in the car with your son — it just hits me like, wow, Phill's all grown up!

Phill: Thank you, dude! I appreciate that! I know that'll never change though — I'll never grow up. My son will have a goofy dad, that's for sure. Which every kid needs, especially in the world we live in today. Being able to have fun and laugh is a necessity. I couldn't agree more! You have to keep that inner child alive. Phill: You know what? That's kind of a good segue. My experience playing in Hellbent is exactly that — it's what we play for! We do silly things and play silly songs. It's actually just me being a class clown and playing a character almost — but I'm really just being authentically myself. It's one of my favourite parts about being in Hellbent.

After spending most of your life in Southern Ontario, you made the decision to move to the East Coast with your wife and little one — putting family first. How do you feel this move impacted your life and even your involvement in the music scene?  

Phill: I definitely miss the Niagara music scene. I made a lot of friends and feel that in a way, I helped to establish a lot of its community. I was involved in it all for 10 — maybe even closer to 15 years. Although, don't get me wrong, it's left in good hands. They've got all sorts of really cool stuff happening there. It's definitely by no means dying without me there. But I miss it dearly. I mean, coming to a place like Fredericton, it does have a cool underground scene. There's not nearly as many bands but there's still some really cool musicians out here on the East Coast. Going from building a reputation in Niagara to coming here, it can make me feel like an outcast sometimes. That's kind of how Josh and I ended up forming Rich Uncle Skeleton, because we're two dads with a mutual passion for having fun and making music.

For those who may not know, do you mind explaining how you two came up with the name "Rich Uncle Skeleton"?

Phill: So, Josh and I, we met out here, and it's so funny that we met here because we have so many parallels in our lives. He became a father quickly after moving out here. He came from Ontario as well. He has a very similar story to us and we like a lot of the same things. We love football and we love Simpsons. So, we went through a list of names but then Rich Uncle Skeleton was a very niche Simpsons reference from a one-liner joke from an episode that's probably two decades or more ago. So that's where the name came from. And Jasmin, something super cool that happened fairly recently, is my son actually learned a few of the lyrics from our single. It's so cool to see that two things that I love and helped create are interacting with each other! How cool is that?!

Awe, I love that — that's adorable! Do you and Josh eventually plan to open up the band to additional members? 

Phill: So, I think the way that this band is probably going to operate, I mean, it's hard to kind of say, you know, things evolve and kind of grow from different points. Right now, we're like half a band if that makes sense? We have probably seven songs written and we record everything ourselves. It's more of a passion project for us at this point. We're both fathers too, so we're just taking our time with everything.  

You’ve been promoting the band’s first release — "Odell Park." What was the inspiration behind this song? 

Phill: Yeah, that song is about moving here and feeling isolated, leaving everything in Ontario, and just kind of riding the wave of emotions. I think I started writing the lyrics to the song before the band was even a thing. It was just something that I needed to write down.

Just kind of like the way like coping with the changes?

Phill: I guess, yeah, that probably a great way to put it. You know, I'm someone who just genuinely gravitates towards creating things, that was probably what I wanted to do. We named it "Odell Park" after an actual park out here. It is gorgeous. It's a several block park that kind of goes uphill. It's this wildlife, like, really cool garden. There's all sorts of really cool statues. It's a beautiful park, and with this project, since Josh and I share such a similar experience, Fredericton is kind of our muse. So, every song that we've written is named after a landmark out here.

I know that you’ve spoken recently on how you’ve always been focused on screaming and even occasional instrumental involvement when it came to previous bands. How would you describe this new band’s unique sound — especially focusing on singing now vs screaming? 

Phill: Yeah, so, I've always loved blessing the mic on a karaoke and fucking sucking my heart out when I can. I'm starved for attention. But, yeah, this project is more of like a punk/emo sound. You know, old 90s, like, skate punk kind of vibes. There's definitely, like, you know, sadder elements to it too. And, like me singing, I've never really had that opportunity in previous bands. I was very self-conscious about it. So having this new band and getting to sing in it is a nice change. I just want to have fun doing this, and that's trying new things sometimes. Like, before we even started the band, him and I did this recording. I don't think we posted it anywhere, but we did a cover of Death Cab For Cutie's "I Will Follow You into the Dark," and that's because I sing that song to my son before bed every night. 

When it comes to the creative process, what would you say is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced over the years? Whether that be something that stood out more recently or even something that you’ve run into multiple times throughout the years. 

Phill: And again, to this project, it's playing drums. I've never played drums for a band. I mean, I've always played drums, but I've never done it for a band. So like, in this band specifically, I have an electric kit that I use but writing drums is a new thing for me. Having to be in the actual driver's seat of the drummer is a very new, challenging thing that I'm always second guessing myself. We pre-record everything, we download it all, and then I send it to the drummer of Hellbent, Nick. Then he actually just tracks the live drums for me because they sound better than electric drums. You can get away with fake drums these days, but we want that more authentic sound.   

When thinking about the creative process behind it all — who would you say were your biggest musical influences growing up? And have you developed any newer influences throughout the years? 

Phill: Number one, Metallica. I mean, I grew up listening to Metallica, I love them. They were silly band at times. Metallica's always going to be my biggest influence. Second up, we're going to go absolutely South of the border. One of my old-time favourite artists is a rapper named Slug, and he performs in a group called Atmosphere. And they're like just like a hip hop group that's been around since like the 90s. He runs and owns a rap label called Rhymesayers. He's still putting that records. He just put out a record like last month. And like, now, he's talking about having kids and having a wife. I feel like he's just been so relatable in every aspect.    

How old were you when you first discovered your passion for music? And how has your taste changed over the years? 

Phill: That's a really interesting question. I have always loved music. I've always loved when my dad used to play like Weezer on his tape deck in the van while we would drive places. I guess I don't really have an early memory of when my love for music started. I've always had a passion for music. My mom plays guitar. My dad is a bit of a singer himself. He was never really like a musician, other than that. When I was in grade three, I joined an out-of-school program, and I learned the clarinet for like three years. Then in high school, I went with the trumpet and I crushed that. And so like, yeah, music has always been a big thing in my life. I've always liked rap. I've always liked metal. I don't feel that I've necessarily ever grown out of anything as far as my music taste goes.

When thinking about where things first began for you, let’s talk a little bit about Sinner for a moment. Although the band went through many different chapters throughout its active years, I’d say you truly built a lot of your reputation and ultimately got your footing as a frontman. What was it like to come back to Ontario in June — getting the band together again to headline the Homecoming show? 

Phill: I'm really glad I got to do that. It started off as like a silly idea, like, "Dude, I'm visiting some family for like a week. We should play a show!" Everyone was kind of like "Fuck yeah! We'll play a show!" It really was a homecoming, just to reconnect with friends and the music scene and have fun doing it. All the bands that opened for us were super cool and I loved that I got to come back and it was welcomed.

After being in as many bands as you have been over the years, is there any specific memory that stands out to you the most? Whether it be a moment that meant something to you, a funny tour memory, or even a lesson that helped shape you as an artist. 

Phill: Yeah, actually! The first time Hellbent went out East was the very first time I had ever actually come out this way, which ultimately led to my decision to move out here. We were just trying to make the best of that tour, just because it was the furthest we'd been from home. And like, we ended up in Saint John, but we weren't able to go to the show the next day because our tire got fucked up. We had to stay in Saint John while we got it repaired. And so, we ended up at the bar across the street, and there was a karaoke night happening, so we all just showed up and buddied up with everybody. It's the East Coast. It's not hard to make friends out here. So, we did some karaoke, and the best part about that is we mentioned that we played in a band and we had to miss our show because of our tire. And people were like, "Well, do you merch? We'll fucking buy it right now!" So we just were slinging shirts to all these karaoke fans who had never even heard our band. They had just heard our silly karaoke versions of like, Mariah Carey or some shit. So like, there's still people out there somewhere in Saint John, walking around with a Hellbent shirt on who've never heard the band before.    

Apart from your direct involvement in bands over the years, you have also taken your passion for music down another avenue. In 2021, you started a podcast focused around shining light on the local music scene — eventually partnering with your friend Ty. Since its launch, you’ve gained a reasonable following. How has your move impacted the channel and its production? 

Phill: Yeah, when we first started out, I was like, "I just kind of want to sit down and give local bands a pedestal because I like to talk to people, I like to make friends." So like, that's part of the reason why I started Bandecdotes — I wanted to give back to the community. I want to make bands feel special. I had a whole set up in my basement in the beginning. There was a lot of work that went into that podcast when we first started. And then obviously, when I lost that space, and found that we were going to have my son, I quickly had to transition the gears of the channel. And we kind of became more of like an online based, like reaction channel. We do everything sort of like a zoom call. We still do some interviews, but not quite as often as we'd like to. The channel has definitely gone through some different stages. I've known Tyler all my life though, so it's cool to have made him a part of it and to have that ability to sit down together and talk about something we both really share a passion for.

Head over to https://www.youtube.com/bandecdotes for the latest on metal music, reviews, and more!

You’ve always been constantly on the go to some degree throughout the years that I’ve known you. Where do you find that balance between a full-time job, family, music, and the podcast? 

Phill: I wish I had an easy answer for you. I don't know how I do it. I genuinely don't know how I do it. I think it's something to do with my ADHD. I think I just keep myself busy and I suppose that's the best answer I've got for you. I just like having fun and these are the avenues I've found, to which I have fun. I can't sit and play video games. I've never been that kind of person.    

Before we wrap up here today, there’s one question that I always like to ask every artist. You’ve been in several bands over the years as well as having previously toured and performed at multiple different venues. What is one piece of advice you could give to someone that’s just getting started? 

Phill: Don't have an ego. Ask questions and don't hesitate to do so. Making friends and connections is like, one of the biggest parts of the music industry, and creating those relationships surprisingly could get you further than just like releasing a good song. Get other artists involved with your art, whether it be like a local artist to do your album art. Do as much as you can and if you are looking to be a part of a music scene, try to give back to the community how you can.

As we come to a close on our time today, I want to take a moment to thank you again for sitting down with me. Congratulations on Rich Uncle Skeleton and the waves you’ve made since moving out East! It’s been a pleasure to get to witness that in real-time as your friend and I can’t wait to see where this new chapter takes you. 

Phill: Yeah dude, this has been a great conversation. It's always a great time getting to enjoy my evening, just hanging out in the garage, chatting with an old friend. I will always like getting to talk about the things that I'm really passionate about. So, thank you for giving me the opportunity to just blabber! Check out Phill Paxton's various projects on all major streaming platforms! Instagram:  @phillpaxton @bandecdotes @hellbenthc @sinnerafterdeath @rich.uncle.skelly