Recorded during the EVERYBODY WINS sessions, this song has been a Stripmall Ballads since day one. I'm proud to offer this recording to the world.
banjo = psw
guitar = kentucky john clay
bass = John r miller
fiddle = Chloe edmonstone
steel = j. tom hnatow
RELEASE DATE 2/10/2026 With Everybody Wins, Phillips Saylor Wisor—better known as Stripmall Ballads—delivers a stark, sweeping, and fiercely lyrical portrait of forgotten America. Set against landscapes of crumbling mill towns, floodplains, boxcars, satellite parking lots, and the haunted quiet of early morning light, the album is both elegy and exaltation for the outcast and overlooked. Wisor’s storytelling is unflinching: every line is freighted with memory, grit, and heartache. This time, he’s joined by alt-country hero John R. Miller and his band The Engine Lights, whose intuitive, road-worn musicianship anchors the record’s emotional heft. Special guests Lydia Loveless, Willy Tea Taylor, and Bob Sumner contribute harmony, depth, and a shared sense of restless spirit, rounding out an album that feels timeless, timely, and deeply human.
Everybody Wins is a dispatch from the margins, a collection of dusty stripmall psalms and roadside laments that burn with quiet revelation. From the bruised beauty of “Rabbits” to the biting cultural commentary of “Like and Share,” Wisor writes with an unmatched sensitivity to the everyday holy and the quietly broken. His voice is both lived-in and luminous, carrying the weight of hard years and flickering hope. This isn’t just an album—it’s an altar of song for the ghosts still walking Main Street. One listen and you’ll understand: these aren’t just stories. They’re survival songs.
Guitar, vocals and songs: Phillips Saylor Wisor.
With Kentucky John Clay, J. Tom Hnatow and John R. Miller. Featuring Chloe Edmonstone, Lydia Loveless, Bob Sumner, Willy Tea Taylor.
Recorded at Small Blue Studio in Lexington, KY
Produced/Engineered/Mixed by J. Tom Hnatow
Cover photography by Brett Schenning / Photo illustration by Ryan Rich
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Pop Tarts 6:440:00/6:44
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0:00/4:29
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0:00/4:02
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Twenty Dollar Bill 4:100:00/4:10
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0:00/5:37
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0:00/3:39
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Wild Grapes 3:270:00/3:27
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0:00/6:16
LEFT BEHIND was written in a 24-hour Casey's gas station outside Clear Lake, Iowa after Phillips visited the crash site where Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper met their demise February 3, 1959.
Recorded and Produced by Brad Park.
The entire piece is meant to be listened to as the Left Behind Suite, as composed by Brad Park.
Left Behind Suite is the 3 songs connected with electronica interludes. The 3 songs are also included to accommodate the streaming services and those who wish to hear each individually.
LEFT BEHIND was written in a 24-hour Casey's gas station outside Clear Lake, Iowa after Phillips visited the crash site where Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper met their demise February 3, 1959.
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0:00/18:13
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The End Is Near 5:380:00/5:38
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Shitty Hometown 3:410:00/3:41
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Everything Must Go 6:330:00/6:33
Laundromat
A field recording from 2016 made in an empty farmhouse in rural Maryland during a full moon. This session was considered lost until being rediscovered in 2021. Produced by Brad Park / Photograph by Brett Schenning / Songwriting by PSW, Paul Lippens, Tom Lucas and Ray Mason / Guitar, banjo and vocals by PSW / harmony vocal by Renee Thompson
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Chain Link Choker 3:050:00/3:05
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Nine One One 3:440:00/3:44
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All Jacked Up 4:040:00/4:04
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Bottle 4:320:00/4:32
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Mag 2:250:00/2:25
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Laundromat 5:340:00/5:34
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Yes Praise 4:130:00/4:13
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Big Al Hayes 3:190:00/3:19
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0:00/5:13
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0:00/6:41
distant
" Distant is a record to be sipped with attention and patience, a rich story...a disc with remarkable poetic force." - Lonestar Times
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0:00/4:36
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Juice and Sage 4:030:00/4:03
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Don't Mind Me 4:120:00/4:12
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Valerie 2:280:00/2:28
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Pull Over Johnny 4:190:00/4:19
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Marietta 4:570:00/4:57
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Jennifer Pine Tree 7:050:00/7:05
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Slinger 4:190:00/4:19