The ISHues Project
20 year old kid from Kansas City gets on a bus bound for LA.
It doesn’t go well...
Most people don’t have a 15 minute discussion with a homeless guy, let alone a multiyear relationship. Ish grew up in the Kansas City foster care system and came to LA to “Make it". Was living on the roof of a restaurant above Hollywood Blvd when we met him.
Phil walked away from music in his 20’s. Years went by, he kept writing songs and needed a singer. Ish had a lightning in a bottle voice that matched his style. Together they became a band and Phil's next project: I was the guy to shoot it.
Interviewing Ish, I pulled childhood stories that gave me chills as he laughed about it (Flashback 1-3). He’s articulate, inconsistent, frustrating and funny. Probably hasn’t slept in 2-3 days. Phil helped him get off the street, get a job, doctors, all of it. Our intent would show Ish’s rise and rebirth as example, but documentary’s aren’t Rom-Com’s. The real world had different plans for us.
650 hours of footage and interviews over seven years, two full albums of original Americana/Roots music engineered by Grammy winning Bob Horn. Guest artists include Hip Hop legend Darryl McDanniels (DMC of Run DMC), LA punk high priestess Exene Cervenka of X and 5 time Grammy winning Blind Boys of Alabama. We recorded in Studio One at East West, a room designed for Sinatra and later saw the Stones, Madonna, Elvis, U2, Michael Jackson’s Thriller… you get the idea. (Spotify/iTunes - William Pilgrim and the All Grows Up)
Our first finished edit didn’t land us at Sundance, or anywhere else. Phil and I had to get back to our careers. Every now and then he or I would meet someone who might know someone. That was 8 years ago. Winter of 2025 Phil found a new editor to revise it… The time away gave us fresh eyes, and now we have an even stronger film my friends. ISHues is currently with an agent being shopped. I’m optimistic to say the least.
I’m grateful for all time and effort. ISHues was a deep trial by wildfire. I had the space to try things, screw up and keep going. I lost at least a year of my life sitting with editors as we crafted dozens of sidecar and music pieces to support the project. An on the job Masters class.
For now ISHues is behind a blind link and password. Those of you that know film distribution understand why I only have bits and pieces here. Can’t sell a film that’s already available. Trust me, you’ll know when we have it out there. I can’t wait to share the whole thing with you. It’s been a wild ride.
Coda: everyone asks… so what happened? Where is Ish now? After LA, he moved to Nashville, then met a girl online who moved him to Sweden. They married: lasted two years. Most recent contact I had, he was in Mexico City. You can’t make this shit up.