This week on the Q with Tom Power podcast is host Tom's post-Coachella sit down with singer Phoebe Bridgers for a career-spanning interview tracing her early years in Pasadena, CA, to becoming one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of her time.
LISTEN NOW: Q with Tom Power: Phoebe Bridgers
4X-GRAMMY nominee Phoebe Bridgers is known for her sad-girl Alt-anthems both as a solo artist and with her group boygenius, offering extremely specific and relatable songs to a growing fan base as rabid as Beyoncé's Bey Hive and Taylor's Swifties.
Phoebe explains her upbringing in the suburbs of Pasadena, where she somehow tapped into a kind of "past-life pain" when she began writing deeply personal songs at the age of ten. "I think I was just trying to make myself happy," she says. "I also remember I thought plagiarism wasn't as big a deal when I was little. I would literally steal verses from other people and put them into my own songs."
Now 29 years old, the "past-life pain" has given way to real-life relationships, experiences, and loss -- all of which she's considered fair game in her songwriting. Though she's known for leaning into the sad side with her songs, Phoebe says that may not always be where her initial inspiration began. "I have disassociative tendencies, so I think I write it and I'm like, 'that was pretty.' Then like a year later I'm like, 'Oh s***, this is actually really heavy.'"
"Believe it or not," she explains, "when I feel down, I'm actually trying to get better... the thing that's been commodified," Phoebe believes in the outward appearance people give off about never being able to find happiness. "Well, I hope that's not true," she adds.
"When people write about it too much, it's like everybody knows everything about you. But I think there's something to be said for -- and I talk about this with my friends all the time -- people just think you're smarter if you're sad," Phoebe says. "Peppy love songs get kind of a bad rap as being dumb, and I think my next challenge in my life is to have a way to write about happiness that doesn’t make me cringe.”
"It's self-protective... Culturally, just think about every nihilist ever -- I guess it's not nihilism to be emo -- but I think you associate darkness with being an intellectual or something. I think that's such a narrow lens, and I’m guilty of it too.”
Listen to the full episode with Phoebe Bridgers above. Also in this episode, Shane Ghostkeeper talks to guest host Talia Schlanger about his deeply personal song “Hunger Strike” and more.
Five days a week, acclaimed interviewer Tom Power sits down with the artists, writers, actors, and musicians who define pop culture. Whether he’s ribbing Adele, singing a boyband classic with Simu Liu, or dissecting faith with U2 frontman Bono – Tom brings the same curiosity, respect, and meticulous preparation into every conversation. He also has a track record for interviewing artists on the precipice of stardom – like Lizzo and Billie Eilish — who appeared on Q well before hitting the mainstream. Hear your favorite artists as they truly are, every weekday with Tom Power.
Listen to more of your favorite music on Audacy's Women of Alt, Emo Kids, Alt Now, Rockternative, Drivin' Alt, New Wave Mix Tape, 90s and Chill, Alterna 00s, IndustriALT, Greatest Guitarists, Greatest Drummers, and ALT Roots stations -- plus check out our talent-hosted Kevan Kenney's Music Discovery, and Megan Holiday's My So Called '90s Playlist.
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