Phil Firetog on Firetog & Company

On November 8th, Firetog Trio and Company released their latest single, “What You’re Good For”. Prior to the single release, I had the opportunity to chat with Phil about his latest project and other music-related matters. 

Tell Me About Yourself

My name is Phil Firetog. I am a singer/songwriter. I have a project that is called Firetog and Company. We just rebranded from Firetog Trio and Company. It is all original music with a full ensemble of wind instruments, horns, piano, violins and organs and other accompaniments.  . Our project also provided opportunities to bring in new artists to be featured on tracks. 

How Did You Get Started In Music? 

Music was always a part of my life, starting at a young age. I played the piano, oboe and I was in the school band. Later I started writing my own stuff and picked up guitar and fell in love with guitar. I was in a few bands/projects that really pulled the singer/songwriter inside of me. Those projects were Page and Grace where I was playing base. We did mainly original music. After the band went their separate ways, I still pursued songwriting. One of the other former bandmates of Page and Grace did a project with his brother, Tangora. Seeing how they moved along really inspired me to keep on going and do my thing.

Can you tell me how Firetog and Company was formed? 

Firetog & Co. is the current name of the group, but the original project, Phil Firetog Trio, began with Jake Bergaglio and Liam Gordon. Jake was a former tap student of mine who followed my previous band, Paging Grace. When he heard I was starting a new project, he was eager to join as my drummer. At the time, Jake was attending the University at Albany, where he became friends with Liam. He reached out to Liam to see if he’d be interested in joining, and the three of us came together to form the trio.

Can you tell me the inspiration behind the song, “What You’re Good For”? Is this song about a specific person? And/or experience? 

The song is a message of self-worth and a past relationship. It’s also about evaluating who you are and are people worth the energy and love you provide. The song also highlights the redflags when you start in the relationship and whether to take things as they are. The song does address a past relationship I had where I was okay with how the relationship was going. We did set boundaries but she wanted more. And I had to say no you are not good for me. 

Describe your song writing process 

What You're Good For is a great example of my songwriting process. I started the initial guitar riff which naturally led me to sing along.  Then I started to craft lines that touched on a complicated relationship. As I played, I kept coming back to this idea of relationships that are as addictive as they are destructive. That initial feeling from the melody helped shape the theme. From there, I drew from personal experiences and emotions. I wanted to capture that back-and-forth pull—the kind that feels like a game of manipulation and longing. Every line was crafted to reflect the layers and contradictions of that kind of love, making it a relatable anthem for anyone caught in those emotional cycles."

How is this song similar/different from previous songs you have released/wrote about? 

The song is different musically, because it’s the first full song released as a full company. It is the first song all the guys like playing live. It has a special place in my heart on how we recorded it. We met with a few speed bumps along the way on this song.  This song brought back Liam from my original trio. We worked on this song previously.  He was the base player and we had re-recorded the base sections and allowed Liam to shine and  give the song its own identity. 

Can you tell us your music inspirations/role models? 

John Mayer is one of my biggest inspirations and made me want to play acoustic guitar. When I heard “Room For Squares” and “No Such Thing (acoustic version)”, I noticed how someone is doing what I always wanted to do. And it was mainstream during a time when acoustic music wasn’t popular. And when John Mayer did it with his tones and messaging, I realized that is what I wanted to do even though he’s more jazz and blues than I’ll ever be. Other inspirations are As Tall As Lions, an amazing Indie rock group and Matchbox Twenty - Rob Thomas’s writing style and melody. Also Toad The Wet Sprocket and Gin Blossom. I’m also inspired by Glenn Phillips, an Australian artist who gets his nails done with fiberglass so he can pick his guitar. He plays a 12 string in a different tuning. His blogs gave me a roadmap on developing my personal sound in splitting the guitar signal with acoustic sound and electric sound and blending those two sounds together. 

What was your favorite concert? 

I have three favorite concerts. 

  1. As Tall As Lions in Richmond 

I saw them when I was in college at Virginia Commonwealth University. No one else showed up. My roommate and I were the only ones there. No one knew who they were.  As Tall As Lions were supporting Receiving Ends of Sirens at the time. But, I got to see them on a personal level and talk to them and that was amazing. It’s always the personal shows that are the best concert experience. 

2. John Butler in New York 

He played at a very intimate theater. I was able to walk up to the stage and see him play the instrumental version of “Oceans”. I went up front because there was a big dude sitting in front of my original seat. Security let me go up front for two songs. 
3. Bradstock Festival 

We (Firetog and Company) performed a set but we stayed for the whole weekend. We got to see bands like Dead and Company and Fish perform and camp overnight. It was an immersive experience. 

Besides you, what was your favorite band at Bradstock? 

Our friends, MJT on the local stage. It was cool to see them onstage do their thing with better sound quality  versus a random dive bar where the sound is bad. 

Why is music important to you? 

Music is an extension to who I am. It’s a limb. I need to write music. It’s like breathing. I’m attached to it. Even though I hate it sometimes, I need to write music. 

How do you get over writer’s block? 

Go into a different song and come back later. Let it marinate. The music comes first and bring in the lyrics later. 

Where and when can we purchase/download your music? 

November 8th. You can listen, download the song on spotify, itunes and all streaming apps. 

What is next for you? Any upcoming gigs and/or more new music? 

Currently working on rebranding Firetog and company. We will perform a release show at Mr. Beary’s in Bethpage, NY.We will release two additional songs.  Storm on February 8, 2025 and A part apart on May 8.  

Follow Firetog & Company: Spotify; YouTube ; iHeart Radio ; Apple Music; Instagram ; Facebook