How many of these did you know about this indie singer?
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE VIA YOUTUBE (PHOEBE BRIDGERS)
Happy Phoebe Bridgers album day! Her latest album, Lost Weekend, is her first solo release in six years. Grab the tissues, get your headphones, and make yourself comfortable. The American singer is known for gut-wrenching tracks like Waiting Room, Scott Street and I Know The End. But how much do you know about this indie icon?
Elliott Smith massively influenced her work
So much so that her song Punisher explores what she would say to him if they ever met. Elliott was a singer-songwriter known for his introspective and vulnerable songwriting. His song Miss Misery was used in the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. Speaking to The New Yorker about the track Punisher, Phoebe said: “I wrote a song about how, if Elliott Smith were alive, I probably wouldn’t have been the most fun person for him to talk to. I’m a superfan, and I know way too much about his music. So I wrote that as if I were the punisher.” (The term “punisher” describes overzealous fans.)
She appeared in a number of commercials before her big break
From Taco Bell to Apple, Phoebe was scouted to star in several commercials. In an iPhone advert in 2014, she sang a cover of the Pixies’ hit Gigantic. These commercials helped her save up enough money to start working on her album Stranger In The Alps.
She’s in a band with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus
If you haven’t heard of boygenius, where have you been?! The trio set up the indie supergroup in 2018 and have released two albums. The name references unnamed male collaborators they have worked with in the past who have been told from a young age that they were a “genius”, giving them unbounded confidence. They won three awards at the 2024 Grammys.
She stands up for what she believes in
At the 2024 Grammys, Phoebe, along with Julien and Lucy, all wore pins supporting Artists4Ceasefire. She also signed an open letter calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and pledging to boycott performing in Israel. She has also spoken publicly about supporting the trans community.
She founded her own record label
In 2020, Phoebe founded her own record label called Saddest Factory Records. Artists included Muna, Claud and Jasmine.4.T. In June this year, the imprint was merged into its parent label Dead Oceans following a trademark dispute.
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