In Conversation With #223 - Phoebe Go
Following recent support slots alongside Holly Humberstone and Hatchie, Australian artist Phoebe Go has just released her debut EP ‘Player’.
Vulnerable, sincere and gut-wrenchingly honest, unlike anything Phoebe has shared before, Player is a heartfelt project that, at its core, is full of hope. The process of finding her voice as a solo artist has been, as described by Phoebe herself, daunting, but it has also set her free.
She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Phoebe- how are you? So your EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Hey, I’m doing great. Yeah. Feels so good to have a few songs out. The EP won’t be out until Oct 28th but yeah I’m very excited.
It is called ‘Player’ - what is the meaning behind that?
It’s a nod to ‘Be the Player, Not the Poet’ I guess, the second last track on the EP. That word just felt right to me. It’s about me finding my voice and my confidence as a solo artist and also as a person. It’s about this crazy fucking job. It’s about owning who I am and what I do but in a way that feels kinda loose and fun. I’ve been in bands for 12 or so years, so I’ve had to redefine what music is all about and what it means to me a few times. This time it’s just me. It’s tidy and it’s sweet. This title is about how complex and beautiful songwriting is and it’s a reminder to just go easy on myself.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
I recorded it with my friend Simon Lam, who produced and mixed the whole thing. We worked in a studio just down the road from both of our homes, in Abbotsford. We had studios next door to each other for a couple of years where I was writing. God. We got cabin fever so hard.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
It was a pretty tricky period actually. But also really liberating and really really fun. I was wrestling with some past stuff, and maybe also some future stuff. I was sort of understanding myself in a new way and finding my skin as a solo artist. I was also doing a lot of cycling and playing a lot of Fortnite. Haha. These all feel like themes/influences.
If the EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Around the world in 80 days? I haven’t actually seen it... but I like the title.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP - if so, which one and why?
I like this line a lot. “I should learn that there are no words to bring back the year that I missed”. Just hits me like a rock.
Now the EP is out there - what next?
I’ll be recording new music for the next few months, and then hopefully coming to Europe in April/May to play some shows. Yeah. I can’t wait.
