Grant-Lee Phillips is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Stockton, California, born in 1963. He is known for work across alternative rock, folk, pop and rock, and he is associated with Grant Lee Buffalo and Shiva Burlesque.

Early life and first bands

Phillips spends his formative years in Stockton, where he forms a band called Bloody Holly. Before his 20th birthday, he moves to Los Angeles to study film and becomes influenced by local bands including the Rain Parade and Dream Syndicate. He then joins with Stockton acquaintance Jeff Clark to form Shiva Burlesque.

Shiva Burlesque and Grant Lee Buffalo

Shiva Burlesque releases two critically regarded records before splitting up. After that, Phillips writes and demos material under the Grant Lee Buffalo name. Following some solo appearances, he brings in former bandmates Joey Peters and Paul Kimble, and the trio signs to Warner subsidiary Slash in 1992.

Grant Lee Buffalo goes on to release four albums and builds a cult following through touring and critical praise. Phillips is voted Rolling Stone's Male Vocalist of the Year after the group's second album. Despite the response, the band's record sales are limited, and Phillips asks for the group to be released from its contract.

Solo work

After ending Grant Lee Buffalo, Phillips records a set of solo songs at Jon Brion's studio in October 1999, playing all the parts himself. These recordings, issued as Ladies' Love Oracle, are first self-released online and at his appearances at Largo in Hollywood, then reissued after he signs to Zoe/Rounder.

His solo albums include Mobilize, Virginia Creeper, Nineteeneighties, Strangelet, Little Moon and Walking in the Green Corn. Nineteeneighties is a covers album. He also appears regularly in the television series Gilmore Girls in the early 2000s as the Stars Hollow busker, performing cover versions of other artists' songs rather than his own.