Stripmall Ballads

OUTSIDER FOLK MUSIC

Phillips Saylor Wisor - aka STRIPMALL BALLADS - is a Maryland-based rollicking musical rambler, rife with story-songs rich in emotion and hardihood. His brand of folk music sings the heartbreaking ballads of old brick buildings, vacant lots, and rustbelt towns. Of third shift papas, flood plains, and long drives through nowhere towns. He’s boots on the ground, guitar across the body, ever observing the ugly mundane mixed with the beautiful chaos of this place we trample upon on the daily.



He’s shared stages with Tommy Price, John R. Miller, Danny Barnes, Les Claypool, The Be Good Tanyas, Willy Tea Taylor, just to name a few.



In his early days, Wisor found comfort in DC’s encampments searching for validation in the gritty corners of tucked away spaces. Where street people applauded and encouraged as he picked away, a rustling sound of Americana and folk, with boozed-up night chatter for background noise.



As founding member of The Shiftless Rounders, Phillips dove deep into the Appalachian ocean of old time banjo and balladry. And as a fervent practitioner of Shape Note music, he has spent countless hours singing in the “old way” and devouring the harmonic notions of American roots music.



With a nod to Woody Guthrie, Phillips deploys all these influences in his music. Stripmall Ballads is a testament to the enduring power of painting experience with emotion, forever a voice of the strange amongst strangers.

Winner of 2021 Wammie Award for Best Folk Album Distant