Injury Reserve was originally a trio consisting of rappers Ritchie With a T and Stepa J. Groggs, and producer Parker Corey. The mixtapes Live From The Dentist, released in 2015, and ‘Floss’ in 2016 earned them underground attention, capitalising on it with their eponymous debut album in 2019. The group’s momentum was halted when, in June 2020, Groggs tragically passed away. By the Time I Get to Phoenix was completed with Groggs contributions before his death, and will be the first Injury Reserve song to be released since their debut album. It took Ritchie and Corey the past year to complete the record, an homage to a song that has been covered numerous times before (song written by Jimmy Webb, originally released by Glenn Campbell in 1967 and covered by Isaac Hayes in 1969), which is in keeping with the group’s approach when it comes to creating music. The distinctive, deconstructed feel of the record was born out of an impromptu dj set Corey performed in Stockholm.

Injury Reserve moves through various styles and eras of hip hop but move through each with a lens all their own. Nowhere is this dynamic more present than on By the Time I Get to Phoenix.