Sol Philcox-Littlefield: How a Kid From a Small British Town Became Nashville’s Go-To Guitar Player
PodcastA Career Built From Nothing but Hunger and Curiosity
Sol Philcox-Littlefield didn’t come from a musical family.
He never took formal lessons.
He didn’t have industry connections, mentors at home, or a clear blueprint for how to build a life in music.
What he did have was boredom, a tiny local guitar shop, and a sense that music wasn’t just interesting — it was the only thing that made sense.
In this conversation, Sol retraces that unlikely path: from hanging around Norfolk pubs to becoming one of the most recorded guitar players of his generation.
The Email That Changed Everything
One of Sol’s early YouTube clips quietly worked its way through Nashville until it reached legendary session player Brent Mason.
Brent sent him a message that changed the trajectory of his life:
“If you ever come to town, I’ll take you around.”
Sol didn’t wait for another invitation.
He booked a ticket.
Then another.
Then another.
On his third trip, while shadowing Brent on a session, he bumped into Jake Owen in a hallway. Jake had just lost a guitar player, handed Sol two CDs, and said:
“Learn these songs. The bus leaves tonight.”
Sol was suddenly on tour — not because he knew the right people, but because he showed up and was ready when the door cracked open.
The Hard Reality Behind Session Work
Even with huge moments like that, the move into full-time session playing wasn’t instant.
Sol tried to quit the road three separate times, only to run out of money and jump back into live gigs.
What finally shifted?
He grew alongside a small circle of hungry, unsigned writers and producers.
They made scrappy records together, experimented together, and slowly leveled up together.
After about five years, the work started to feel steady — not glamorous, but real.
Why Sol’s Success Isn’t an Accident
Sol’s edge isn’t theory or flash.
It’s instinct.
- He hears the finished record in his head before he plays
- He can translate vague references (“Skynyrd but also Death Cab”) into parts that feel inevitable
- He knows how to make a riff feel more country with one bend or double-stop
- And he treats the volume pedal like a third instrument — shaping dynamics, smoothing transitions, and adding emotion in real time
These aren’t chops.
They’re decisions.
And they’re the decisions that pull session players into the center of a song.
The Takeaways Young Musicians Need
Sol leaves the episode with a modern, grounded blueprint:
- You can build a session career from anywhere
- Remote work is real, but community still matters
- Learn the number system
- Don’t chase perfection — chase usefulness
- Put your best idea into the track, then move on
- Stay kind, stay curious, stay visible
It’s the kind of story that resonates deeply with Sonora’s learning culture — a reminder that great musicianship isn’t about shortcuts or luck.
It’s built on curiosity, repetition, community, and the willingness to grow alongside the people around you.
