MTF first introduced you to Phil Hurley in 2023, and we now shine our spotlight on him once again
Phil Hurley is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist based near Austin. He founded Gigolo Aunts, Stonehoney, and the South Austin Moonlighters, and he toured as lead guitarist for Tracy Bonham, Jimmy LaFave, and Fountains of Wayne. Decades of playing wore out his left thumb. Surgery with the help of the Musician Treatment Foundation got him back to full-time work.
Music started early for Phil. The Beatles hit, and everyone wanted to play. His older brother Steve started gigging at thirteen. Phil joined him at eight, much to his brother’s chagrin. The whole family played, and instruments filled the house.
Phil grew up in Potsdam, New York, a college town alive with live music in the 1970s. A local shop anchored the scene. The folks who ran it encouraged young players and built a community around them. Phil turned professional by fourteen on bass, drums, guitar, and vocals.
As the youngest of five, Phil raided his siblings’ records from his earliest days. Zeppelin. The Beatles. The Stones. Stevie Wonder. Marvin Gaye. The Monkees. When he started playing in bands, the adults around him noticed his ear for blues and pointed him toward Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, Howlin’ Wolf, and B.B. King. In his teens, The Police, R.E.M., U2, Big Star, and Television set his own direction.
Then his hand gave out. After decades on the guitar, Phil’s left thumb hurt constantly. The joint had slipped its proper mooring and drifted away from his wrist. He played through the pain as long as he could. Then he met Dr. Alton Barron, the orthopedic surgeon who founded MTF in 2017.
Dr. Barron diagnosed the problem fast and built a plan. Phil describes the treatment in plain terms. His care could not have been better, and the staff stayed helpful and courteous throughout.
“I’m back to playing full time.”
-Phil Hurley
Recovery ran long. Phil hit complications after surgery and worked through a difficult stretch that took major readjustment. He plays full time again.
He also stepped out on his own. After a decade of sharing the load in other groups, Phil wrote, performed, and produced a five-song EP called The Firebird Sessions, named for the tones of his 1966 Gibson Firebird. A hard drive crash nearly killed the record and left the songs in pieces. He rebuilt it. The EP went on to spend three months on the Americana charts and reached more than 100 stations. His EP Stay Gold followed in February 2024.
You can hear Phil on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. You can also see him at the MTF Elvis Costello Tribute Show in early September!