Philemon

Philemon is the moniker of Belgian songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Anton De Boes. Expect indie folk with a twist, filled with surprising yet familiar melodies and lyrics that captivate you. With his previous EPs, ‘Hourglass’ and 'Familiar Stranger', Philemon garnered considerable praise from the Belgian press and radio, leading the band to open for artists such as Foxwarren, Dope Lemon, Phosphorescent, and Warhaus.

An album title such as WASTE is a marketer's nightmare, but in his debut album, De Boes is taking out his mental trash. Across 11 tracks, he invites you into the mind of a perpetual doubter, leading you to places even he hadn’t fully explored. True to a real existential crisis, no big questions are avoided: relationships, friendships, career choices, and even the society are placed under a magnifying glass. Yet, each song holds a spark of hope—sometimes hidden in a melody, a line, a word, or an unexpected feeling. The album takes you from Gone To Waste to Hold On, from The Mess to Back From The Start.

For the album, De Boes collaborated with producer Bert Vliegen (Teen Creeps, Whispering Sons, Sophia). Initially, the plan was to record just one single with Vliegen, but it quickly became clear that this collaboration called for more. Alongside drummer Christophe Claeys (Balthazar, Mark Lanegan) and his trusted live band, consisting of Kim Van Elsen, Dennis De Boes, and Jonas Bruyneel, WASTE came to life in no time. The result is an album refined to its core, with arrangements that elevate the songs in just the right ways and lyrics that are more direct and honest than ever.

The album will be released on February 7, 2025, by the Berlin-based label Thirty Something Records, a label name that perfectly reflects the spirit of the album.