Nigel Phillips's father was a musician and played the strip clubs in Manchester, England, often taking his son with him to work. From these early encounters, Phillip became comfortable around a wide variety of people from all social classes, a trait which he believes is valuable to his work as an investigator. At age 18, he became a professional drummer and joined The Alarm, a popular 1980s British rock band. While touring around the world, Phillip played often in San Francisco and fell in love with the city. When he retired from the band, he settled in San Francisco and went to work as an investigator in the public defender's office. While investigating for the Marcos Ranjel murder case, Phillip interviewed witnesses such as Selina Archuleta, after being coached by Will Maas.