Phoebe Bridgers | Artist
Phoebe Lucille Bridgers is an American singer-songwriter born 1994 in Pasadena, California. Her indie folk music typically centers around acoustic guitar and electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has received four Grammy Awards from eleven nominations. Bridgers, whoes mother works in real estate and is a stand-up comedian, and father was a film and television set builder, started playing guitar at age 13, making money by busking at the Pasadena Farmers Market. After graduating from the Sequoyah School, she began studying vocal jazz at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 2009. She was later accepted into the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but soon dropped out. Bridgers was a member of various groups while still in high school, including Einstein's Dirty Secret and Sloppy Jane, and frequently played shows around Los Angeles as a solo act. Her exposure in the L.A. music scene led to her befriending producer Tony Berg, who began working with her on her first album. Playing in an Apple commercial with Sloppy Jane had given her some financial backing, so she planned to complete her record then sell it to a label, rather than get signed first, allowing her much more creative freedom. Around this time, Bridgers met American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams through mutual collaborators, and he put out her EP Killer on his label PAX AM. Bridgers also supported Julien Baker on her 2016 tour of the East Coast. She released her debut solo album Stranger in the Alps in 2017, followed by Punisher in 2020, both of which received critical acclaim. Musically, Bridgers' dark lyrics are accompanied by mostly minimalistic instrumentals and relatively raw production, creating an atmosphere of solitude and vulnerabilty. She employs heavy reverb on instruments such as guitars, pianos, strings, and especially the vocals. This creates the illusion that Phoebe is alone and trapped within her inner self, screaming for help to the outside world. In 2018, Bridgers teamed up with fellow indie singer-songwriters Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus to form the supergroup Boygenius, with whom she released a self-titled EP in 2018, followed by their debut album and another EP in 2023. She was also a member of Better Oblivion Community Center with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, with whom she released one self-titled album as well as two singles. A frequent collaborator, she has worked with various artists including Taylor Swift, the 1975's Matty Healy, Muna, SZA, Kid Cudi, Christian Lee Hutson, Shame, and the National. Bridgers has cited Elliott Smith as one of her favorite artists and the biggest influence on her songwriting and production style. Her song "Punisher" explores her meeting Smith as if he were still alive. Other musical influences include Bright Eyes, the Replacements, Blake Mills, Tom Waits, Avril Lavigne, the Beatles, Jackson Browne, Taylor Swift and Nine Inch Nails. Her music often features a wide variety of popular culture references such as the writing of author Joan Didion, ASMR videos, television series Fleabag, and true crime podcast My Favorite Murder were all influential in the making of Punisher.
Artist Website: phoebefuckingbridgers.com
Featured Albums: Phoebe Bridgers
Related Artists: Boygenius, Ryan Adams, Sloppy Jane
Collections: Movers Shakers
