MEET : Phoebe Green
What do you get when you put a Londoner and a Blackpooler in an Irish pub in Chinatown? A damn good conversation, that’s what. Phoebe Green is a bubbly, bright, and a little bashful artist who has smashed Spotify with her singles, ‘Reinvent’ and ‘Dreaming Of’. She’s inventive and innovative, grabbing the attention of huge artists like Billie Eilish, and support from world-class DJs from Radio 1 to NME.
When talking about music she was listening to, she grabbed her phone and started scrolling, reeling off bands and artists she loved. She’s is truly music obsessed and an admirer of talent. However the spotlight is on Phoebe as I fangirl about her wryly open lyrics and wildly electronic melodies. If you want to start somewhere with Phoebe, I’d recommend watching her insanely visionary music video ‘IDK’, full of groove, surprises and nostalgia.
She was having a long working-weekend in London and was already half a pint in, the other half sitting on the sticky table in front of her. Going through the recording, all I could hear was this Irish tradition folk music blaring from the speakers, so excuse any Gaelic colloquialisms that have found their way in here.
LB: So you’re going to a writing session next?
Phoebe: I will always write my lyrics myself, but I like to work with people that do a completely different thing to what I do. I don’t see the point in working with someone if it’s just gonna sound the same if you did it yourself.
Do you look for different influences?
For sure. I’m still trying to find my specific sound. I am inherently a pop musician but more alternative pop…
Do you think you’ll ever find your niche?
I hope not! That would be fucking boring! I always wanna be changing because that’s what makes it interesting.
You’re so vulnerable in your music. You refer to ‘you’ a lot in your songs, do you draw upon inspirations in relationships?
That’s so interesting, yeah. It always comes from a place of observation, dissecting myself in different situations. I used to write a lot about other people, then I was like, I’m not really getting anything off my chest here.
Would it be unfair to say you use music as a therapy?
Not at all. I’ve always been so self-aware, even my therapist says it. I know everything I’m doing, I just like looking at what I do and why I do it and I think that comes across in my music a lot.
PHOTOS BY EVA PENTEL
Do you think it would be easier to reinvent yourself or to tell the truth?
*Sips beer* I find it easier to reinvent myself. It’s not really easier, it’s a coping mechanism. I want everyone to like me so I’ll just try and be what they want, but now I’ve grown out of that. You don’t actually form real connections if you’re not being authentic so… stop! You should write that on the mirror.
You have a band behind you.
I do, yes! They’re all my best mates. My keys player is my little sister, she’s ridiculously good. Then my drummer and guitarist I met at uni. My bassist I met on Twitter. He was a fan and then one day I was like ‘do you play drums’ and he was like ‘yeah’ and I was like ‘I’m playing a gig tomorrow and I don’t have a drummer, do you wanna do it?’ and he was like ‘yeah.’ So he learnt all the songs overnight and we played the gig the next day and we’ve been best friends ever since and now he’s my bassist which is weird. I literally hang out with them all time.
The scene is sick in Manchester.
Oh my god, mate, I know. We are all really good friends as well.
Do you take influence from them?
Absolutely! My best girl friends are in a band called Witch Fever from Manchester. They’re a punk band and you wouldn’t think I’d take inspiration from them but I watched them last night and they talked about so many issues I care about. I need to voice that more within my own music.
Where did you begin writing?
I’ve always written about my feelings. I’ve had a diary since I was like 10. I recorded my first album before I went to uni and then I released it in first year and when you’re in an environment where everyone’s doing the same thing, you can’t help but feel people are measuring you up. But that was just me in my own head, they were all really nice.
Does your art come from pain or can you find writing in happiness?
This is something I’ve really struggled with because the songs on my most recent EP came out of hell. I wrote in the worst time of my life ever and now I’m in a good place, I’m worried I can’t write songs that are as good. If I tried to access that place it would fuck me up and you don’t want to write when you’re happy because you’re too busy being happy.
Have you tried writing from that happy place?
It just cringes me out, and the only good happy songs are love songs and I’m not in love and the idea repulses me, so anything happy that I write would just be like ‘oh yeah, I went and had a chippy with my nan’.
What career would make you the happiest?
I want to tour! I’ve done my first festival, Tramlines which was sick, and I’ve got one in Liverpool next week and Green Man. When I say I went to see my mates in Witch Fever, I literally went in the van with them. I needed to feel ‘tour’.
PHOTOS BY EVA PENTEL
Do you think you’re ready for anything?
Yeah! For ages we weren’t enjoying our set, because we were doing songs we weren’t really passionate about and now that we have the new EP and a couple of new singles, we love the songs that we’re playing so we’re really enjoying it. With all this new equipment we’re so much better… We want to go on tour so badly!
Fingers crossed. Who are you listening to at the moment?
Last night we were coming back home in the van and one of the girls put Big Thief on and I hadn’t listened to them in ages. They write love songs that don’t cringe me out. Little Simz I listen to every day, the new Tyler, the Creator album obviously. I can’t stop listening to Willow Smith, she’s too good. And the new Wolf Alice album!
Last question, what do you listen to on the Last Bus home?
Oh. My. God. Right, I need to think about this.
(5 minutes later)
One of my favourite melodies ever is Phoebe Bridgers ‘Would you Rather’. It’s just so good. I cannot even express. She is like one of my favourite people in the whole world. FKA Twigs ‘Two Weeks’. Everything she does is unreal.