There’s a certain pride instilled that Philadelphians believe we do everything better than anyone else. Sports, the arts, food … The same can certainly be said when it comes to music.
So when WXPN announced its ambitious project of creating the soundtrack of the country’s 250th anniversary, it was only a matter of how hot and how bright the fireworks would be.
The local radio station is unveiling a dozen tracks called “Philly Anthems,” a new project supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage that brings together five acclaimed Philadelphia musicians and seven emerging local artists to write and record 12 original songs. The goal was for Philly artists to put a modern shine on 250 years of freedom and independence.
“As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we wanted to do more than look back,” WXPN General Manager Roger LaMay said. “Philly Anthems is about creating something new — giving Philadelphia artists the opportunity to reflect on themes in the Declaration of Independence that resonate today through original music and add new songs to the city’s remarkable musical legacy. We’re excited to share their songs and stories with audiences over the coming months.”
The project will feature new music by Christian McBride, Devon Gilfillian, Eliza Hardy Jones, Lady Alma and The Hooters’ Eric Bazilian, who kicked off the series on July 14 with his new single “Better Times.”
Bazillian, a Germantown Academy grad who studied physics at the University of Pennsylvania, said he enjoys a challenge.
“I was honored to be asked to be a part of the Philly Anthems project,” Bazilian said. “I considered it a challenge to write something from a modern and relevant perspective about the state of our union. I put heart and soul into ‘Better Times,’ and hope that it lands well for the listeners of WXPN, and wherever people are listening.”
You could say the song was a clean vision from the start.
“ ‘Better Times’ came to me in the shower,” Bazilian said. “Five words, over and over. Better times better come soon. I chased the idea in my head as I dried off, got dressed, followed it out of the house and into the studio, where I tried a bunch of things that didn’t work until I sat down at the piano, started playing some chords, then a few more chords, until the idea decided to let me catch it. Several versions later, I’ve got a song in a style I’d never thought as mine, in a voice I’d never inhabited before.”
South Philly resident Sug Daniels is among the seven emerging artists who contributed songs to the project. Daniels is joined by Grace Gardener, Black Buttafly, The Bul Bey, James Everhart, Moustapha Noumbissi and The Flying Vees, who won this year’s 24 Hour Song Challenge – Philly Anthems Edition.
The Flying Vees bested nearly 350 other songwriters who wrote and recorded an original song in just 24 hours, inspired by the prompt “Freedom.” As the grand prize winner, The Flying Vees will receive a $5,000 honorarium, a performance slot at this year’s XPoNential Music Festival (Sept. 18-20) and Philly Music Fest (Oct. 12-18), and a song on the upcoming Philly Anthems album.
Their winning song, “Workman’s Song #1”, explores how working people in America often must defer their experience of freedom because they have to work so hard just to get by.
“We received a lot of positive feedback during the voting process and it felt validating to have our song resonate with so many people and to have the support of the city we love so much,” the band said in a statement. “This song embodies the spirit of Philadelphia, which is a community of working-class people. No snobs, no phony balonies. That’s what this song is really about: having to work hard and putting off your leisure time to another day.”
You can catch The Flying Vees in South Philly for a free concert at Bardascino Park at 1000 S. 10th St. on July 31 at 7 p.m.
New Philly Anthems songs will premiere throughout the rest of 2026, with the project culminating in the release of a 12-song vinyl album on Record Store Day 2027 and two concerts.
July 4 may have come and gone for the 250th time, but the great local music is here to stay. ••
