The theme for Songs from Inside is growth. First, growth as a musician and songwriter. The songs on this album were written between April 2007 and September 2011. Over that timeframe, Phil went from singing only to playing guitar and harmonica. His songs grew from converted poems to pieces written to take advantage of new riffs he discovered, experimenting almost nightly. Second, growth as a person. His experiences have shaped him and the opportunity to express this growth through music has accelerated the shaping.