Up from 'Rock Bottom': Singer-songwriter Phil Hamilton pushes reset with a chapter in New Mexico

Sep. 1—Take one look at Phil Hamilton and you'll notice his beard.

"It's one of the few things I was blessed with," he says with a laugh. "It quickly became part of identifying me as an artist."

While the beard is impressive, he's got lyrics and a voice that stand out as well.

The musician has found a home in New Mexico after years of living in Texas.

Hamilton sees it as the next chapter in not only his life, but his music career.

The singer-songwriter is set to perform at Downshift Brewing Company Riverside in Ruidoso on Sunday, Sept. 3.

The show will be celebrating the release of the first single, "Rock Bottom Whiskey," off of his upcoming album, "Ruidoso Sessions Vol. 1." He will be joined on stage by Dave Millsap.

The album was recorded at Montrose Recording Studio in Ruidoso with Richard Cagle.

"It's up on the mountain and has this beautiful view," Hamilton says. "We did the acoustic sessions there. I knew it all had to be done in Ruidoso."

Moving to New Mexico has been a reset for Hamilton.

"After the move, I took a hiatus from being in a band," he says. "I picked up the acoustic guitar and I had to relearn how to play sober. Having just an acoustic guitar and myself is like being naked while performing. I hadn't recorded sober ever in my life. Starting over here in New Mexico was necessary."

Hamilton says recording took a couple of days.

"I wanted to just record and capture everything that was happening," he says. "From my pauses to my breathing, I wanted it to feel as authentic as it could be. We left each song a little more raw. The good thing is that we set out to do this."

Through the journey of music, Hamilton has been able to share his story.

"People don't really understand the severity of what I went through," he says. "I had a stint of fame in Texas along the way. I'm not the most famous guy, but folks have followed me through the years. At one point, I realized that I had been drinking excessively for nearly half of my life. I always showed up to record and for shows. I always hired drivers to take me to the next place because I didn't want to drive intoxicated. I needed a change and made it happen."

Hamilton says he's gotten strong in many aspects since moving to New Mexico.

He writes from a personal place, which helps connect with audiences.

"You have to be believable and this is why I write with an open heart," he says. "When I get done playing songs about my addiction, people tell me that they love it. I can see it, and it's a part of me that I can revisit through writing. When you hear other artists or some of the greatest songwriters around, they are sharing real stories. I share real events that happened to me."