The album, released Friday, was a passion project for Phillipps, which before his death in July 2024, at age 61, collaborated with his bandmates Oli Wilson, Erica Scally, Callum Hampton and Todd Knudson to bring these early compositions to life.
The album also features contributions from notable artists from New Zealand, including Neil Finn of Crowded House, Julia Deans of Purs Patrol, Hollie Fullbrook, small ruins and others.
Phillipps began to think about revisiting his previously released compositions in 2020, Muir told RNZ’s Music 101.
“Already in July 2020, we started discussing the springboard with Fire Records. He wanted reimaginated works of a younger Martin that he built in some rudimentary and music structures that were very good, and he wanted to improve them with his current band, which was very good and a good producer in Tom Health, someone could trust and enjoy working.
“So the end result would be, as he said, as close to where he heard them in his head as possible.”
Phillipps did not see Spring Board as a swan song when it was conceived, said Muir, and then his health turned worse last year.
“All recordings took place between September and December 2023 and in October he had a short stay at the hospital.
“And then, around January last year, he began discussing with us his worries about his long -term health and did not think the international tour would be a probability. He was always aware of his mortality. It was always something he was very aware.
“He went through very good periods and very bad periods, and we end where we are today.”
The guest apparitions on the album were from musicians with whom he had a genuine connection, said Muir.
“He just wanted the people he to really respect, to love and enjoy their music to be part of what he was doing. It was really important to him that he connected with these people personally as well.
“It wasn’t just about ‘Are you going to sing a song for me?’ It was, you know, ‘I loved’ 1905 ‘, so it would be great to have Shona [Laing] Play it ‘. So she did it. “
There was “gold to be extracted” in the back catalog of Phillipps, said Muir.
“He had an amazing lyrical brain. He could subtly change something from you to one and that would change the whole content of the song.
“And that’s what I feel is often forgotten when people are listening to music, instead of really listening to it, just listening to it, great music, this is cool, but there is gold to be extracted from what he was saying about these charming or delicious melodies that were there.”
