Photograph by Ron Dadon
With over 150 million stream and 1.2 million monthly listeners, Phoebe Ryan is making her way up the charts in the music industry. The pop singer has written for many well known artists and works solo in order to create authentic music. She recently just finished touring with Carly Rae Jepsen and has a new album coming out in 2020.
Phoebe took the time to talk with us to chat about her journey.
**Growing up, what inspired you or led you to music? How did you begin to write your own songs?**
I always loved being on stage, ever since I was in kindergarten. I grew up playing instruments, not very well but good enough so I could sing along. My stoner friends in high school asked me to join their Grateful Dead Cover band. I guess the rest is history.
**Most of your music has emotional lyrics that tell a story. Are these personal experiences that you bring into your writing? Or do you collect these stories from somewhere else?**
I write mostly from personal experience, yes. That’s how I feel most connected.
**Your music ranges from pop to indie-pop. Is there a certain side you prefer to lean towards? If so, why is that type of pop more significant to you?**
I don’t care either way. People are going to label stuff however they want at the end of the day, and I don’t feel the need to box myself in anywhere. I’m just concerned about writing great music.
**After signing with Columbia Records in 2015, you decided to go solo. What drove you to leave the label and stay independent?**
Being on a major label was really life changing in so many ways. I learned so much about how the business works, and I learned even more about what kind of an artist I wanted to be. Eventually it just felt like it was time to move into a situation where I had more creative control and more flexibility to experiment.
**You’ve written for and collaborated with artists such as Jaymes Young, Blackbear, Skizzy Mars, the Chainsmokers, and Britney Spears. How does it feel emerging into the music industry so quickly and working with other talented artists?**
It’s an absolute dream. I pinch myself all the time. I still don’t believe I get to do what I want everyday, make art with my friends, and share it with the world.
**You had just joined Carly Rae Jepson on tour as an opening act. Do you enjoy the experience of touring?**
I love being on tour, especially when it’s with someone as amazing as CRJ. Touring the US with her last summer was my favorite tour I’ve ever done, especially because the audiences were so engaged and excited and supportive. Her fans are unreal.
**Lots of your music has a sudden interruption. For example, in “ICIMY” there is a guitar that interrupts the pop beat at times. What is it that you love about having these instrumental changes in your music? What effect do you think they have?**
I don’t know really, I guess it just adds an element of excitement. I like to keep people guessing!
**What should we expect from your upcoming debut album How it Used to Feel?**
It’s the most personal body of work I’ve ever made. It’s just me being honest about what’s been going on in my life the last few years. I hope my fans can feel the emotional weight that I put into it. It’s a great fucking album if I do say so myself.
Phoebe exclaims her new release to be “a really personal song to me, and it was important that I had a talented actor alongside me to really bring out the emotion of it all. I met Joey last year while we were filming an indie movie, "Dakota". The video shows how important a person can be during a period of your life and how difficult it may be to lose them.”
You can find her song “ICIMY” [here](https://youtu.be/oOprBX85orw).
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