Phoebe Bridgers. Photo: Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images / AFP
American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers won't be at Laneway tomorrow after the festival was cancelled yesterday, but told Music 101 that there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future of music.
Phoebe Bridgers Punisher album cover Photo: supplied
Phoebe had been looking forward to the festival that was set to be held on Monday.
Talking to Music 101's Charlotte Ryan before the festival was cancelled on Saturday, she said she was excited to play, adding she was looking forward to seeing other bands like HAIM - whom she went to school with.
It was due to be her first gig of the year.
Phoebe, who is in LA, says it was something like a "religious experience" to be playing in front of crowds again last year on her tour after pandemic restrictions eased.
"It was beautiful to see people again and have a communal experience."
She's excited for her upcoming album with indie supergroup Boygenius - along with members Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus - due to be released in March.
The record producer says she's got a gut feeling when it comes to deciding whether a song is just for her or right for the band.
"I have songs with them that I wrote by myself, but even then the ones I choose to bring to that product I think are different than the ones I choose for myself. Like it's just obvious to me what's going to be for Boygenius and what's for me.
"I never really stop writing ... the first thing I was writing after Punisher came out, it felt like a Boygenius song and it felt like the next thing I should do."
That song was the recently released 'Emily I'm sorry' - which is one that is close to her heart but still complicated to break down, she says.
"I haven't even really figured out what it's about. Like I'm still sorting through some of those feelings. But I usually am pretty upfront but I like to know what I'm talking about first and some of the Boygenius songs are still a little bit of a mystery to me, which is really cool."
The same year her critically acclaimed Punisher album came out, she set up the Saddest Factory label.
"It's always easy when you love the music you're putting out so it takes up enough of my time for sure.
"There's a huge creative element to marketing that I love. Like it doesn't all have to be business."
While she feels pessimistic "about industry in general", she's got hope for music.
"It just feels like everything is worse than it was and it's like designed to fail but I do feel optimistic about the music industry because I'm optimistic about music, there's just a lot being made right now that I love, so something must be working."
