What is your name?
Hey! My name is Phé
What is your genre of music?
My music primarily fits in the contemporary R&B genre
Give us a little bio about you.
Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter Phé offers up a dose of soulful prowess, as her commanding vocals, combined with raw and honest lyrics, expose a realness that truly sets her apart from the crowd. Inspired by the strength of her childhood idols, and female powerhouses Erykah Badu, Sade, and Lauryn Hill, Phé began exploring her own artistry in 2015. Having received critical acclaim from outlets such as NPR and The 405, as well as her 80’s inspired ballad, ‘Feel You’ gaining over 97 thousand streams on Spotify and ‘About Us’ having been featured on Spotify’s Just Vibing playlist, Phé is excited to share her debut EP CRISIS, currently available worldwide.
What made you go into music?
Music has always been a guiding light for me and a huge part of my life, so there was never really a specific moment or thing that made me want to explore my musical expression. It’s just how I made sense of my world.
I was drawn to the stage and performing at a very young age — participating in everything from dance to film and TV acting to musical theatre — and so I’ve always been very theatrical. But, growing up, music was a safe space in which I was able to express and examine how I was feeling and the things I was experiencing, because it gave me a lens that I understood, through which I was able to confront these things.
Are you signed?
I’m an independent artist 🙂
Your debut release ‘Crisis’ is out, tell us more about it.
CRISIS is an exploration of my first experience with love and heartbreak, taking an in-depth look at how I dealt with/was affected by different moments within and following the relationship.
Produced by Mombru and Jaime Estalella, the sonic landscape of each song portrays the emotional spaces I found myself in over the 2 year period — drawing influences from 80s and 90s R&B, trap, and more.
What was the writing process like?
The writing process for this project was unlike anything I’ve ever worked on before. It started off as me just writing songs about this really painful time in my life, more for me than anything else. I hadn’t written any of them with the specific intention of creating and releasing an EP, at the time, I was just writing because that’s what I do. I write music when I’m feeling inspired, and whatever comes out comes out. But then, I realized that together, these different songs told the story of my first experience with heartbreak and that all together they made up this really interesting body of work.
What was the recording process like?
I actually had a pretty hard time recording this project. I had been writing and producing these songs for so long that by the time we got around to recording them, I was super disconnected from the story, so I struggled to reconnect with those emotions and capture them in the recordings.
What is the message you want listeners to take from the EP?
I want listeners to walk away from this EP feeling like it is okay for them to take that hard look at themselves and face whatever demons or issues they are avoiding. It’s okay to not be okay, and even more than that, you deserve to give yourself the space to heal. But you can’t move on and heal without actually opening yourself up and acknowledging the problem.
Describe each track in two words
Incredible: First Love
Catch Me (Interlude): Unsent Message
Home: Heartbroken goodbye
Feel You: Constant reminder
FU (Interlude): Downward spiral
Crisis: Destructive rebound(s)
Dunno What To Say Here (Interlude): Inner dialogue
About Us: Self-empowerment, Self-worth
Do you have any shows or a tour in planning?
I do not have a tour planned at this time, but that is a goal of mine for the near future!
If so where will you be heading?
I will be playing shows around LA this year, and all the information for up and coming shows can be found on my website (phemusic.com).
What else can we expect from you this year?
This year is going to be a lot about simply creating new music and exploring where I am at right now as an artist and young woman. With this EP out, I am really excited to move forward and dive into writing and producing something that is representative of this new phase of my life.
What does 2019 hold for you as an artist?
2019 is all about really spreading my wings and showing the world who I am. I’ve spent so much energy and time on creating CRISIS and now that it is out in the Universe I get to start exploring other facets of my artistry and sound. I just want to create and grow!
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any upcoming artists?
I don’t have a specific trajectory for my next project, so I’m not 100% sure what’s in store. All I know is that I am writing as much as possible and am always interested in exploring new sounds, and new collaborations if it feels right. I just want to make music that feels good!
Do you play any instruments?
I play a little bit of guitar and piano, but mostly for songwriting purposes.
Who are your influences?
Some of my biggest influences are Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Sade.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
I draw inspiration for my songs from the things I experience throughout my life. Writing is a super therapeutic process that allows me to work through things and better understand who I am as a person.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
In 5 years I see myself touring the world and sharing music with people on a global scale. I love performing and want to be able to share my music and story with people all around the world.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
Honestly, these days most of my time is filled with music — whether that be writing, recording, producing, listening to, attending a live show, dancing to, etc. Because I am still establishing myself as an artist, I put almost all my time and energy into music. And if I am not working on music I am probably eating, sleeping, or catching up with my friends.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more into the music scene?
There wasn’t really one specific song that made me want to become a musician. It was also just something I did! There are definitely artists that inspired me to want to be a specific kind of artist and creative, but that was more about the kinds of creative energy those artists exude and the spaces in which their music lived.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Live in the now.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians? Not about the industry, but just as an artist?
Listen to your instincts and be honest with yourself!
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
I always simply try to be my most authentic self.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? Home
2/ Who do you see first? My boyfriend
3/What do you eat first? Probably some mac n cheese
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
This really depends on the gig, because each venue and each gig is different. But typically I cant forget to
To remind my band to bring EVERYTHING they need.
Bring a water bottle
Warm my voice up/ review lyrics to new songs in the set
Do my breathing exercises /meditation
HAVE FUN!
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Yes definitely!
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Soundcloud
Website
