Tourist (born February 12, 1987) is the stage name of English electronic musician and producer William Phillips, best known for co-writing the Grammy Award winning song “Stay With Me” alongside James Napier and Sam Smith, hailing from London, England.
Having learned to play the piano from the age of three, the musician began writing his own songs aged 10, discovering his insatiable passion for music. Unable to go out to listen to dance music due to his age, Phillips would scour the internet for pirate radio stations, finding the hottest most emotive dance numbers. The young talent made his personal impact on the music industry with his debut Tourist EP “Tourist” released in March 2012. Introducing Phillips’ danceable yet melodically emotive sound, the EP earned strong reviews upon its release.
The electronic artist went on to release his sophomore EP “Tonight” in 2013 proving extremely popular in the online blogosphere. Marked by synth-inspired vocal accompaniments and more compelling, climatic soundscapes, the record introduced the musician to a much wider audience. Following a period of touring in which time Phillips honed his live skills, Tourist returned in 2014 in what would prove to be a massive year for the London-native. The EP “Patterns” arrived in April 2014 once again showing the huge development in the musician’s style and abilities. Combining the influences of house, UK garage, gospel, and soul music, the record featured singer Lianne La Havas on the titled track, as well as vocalist Will Heard.
On top of his own releases, Phillips co-wrote the Grammy Award winning Sam Smith single “Stay With Me”, which became one of the sounds of 2014 and catapulted Sam Smith to international recognition. The songwriter later contributed to Jessie Ware’s album “Tough Love” on the single “Pieces”, showcasing the many strings to Phillips’ bow.
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