Q&A: Phoebe Go Says “Hey” as Brand New Solo Act

JUST DROPPING IN TO SAY “HEY” - Phoebe Go’s latest single plays on lyrical hardships and breezy sonic energy to say “Hey” as a brand new solo act. 

Formerly a member of bands Snakadaktal and Two People, Phoebe Go has become the guitarist’s fully realized dreamscape of music. Juxtaposing heavy stories within her lyricism and her soothingly comfortable guitar line launches listeners into the melodic and homely “Hey”. Phoebe Go’s sound is reminiscent of artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Genevieve Stokes yet distinctly her own, forging a new path with poignant lyrical honesty.

In the midst of finding her voice and her footing as a solo artist, Phoebe Go has created an ethereal beauty with “Hey”. The Luna Collective received the opportunity to chat with Phoebe Go about the creation of “Hey” and the process of making her upcoming debut solo EP Player.

LUNA: For any readers who may be new to your music, can you give a quick introduction of yourself and tell us how you got started in your music career?

PHOEBE GO: I got into it all pretty young, when I was about 14 or 15. And it’s been a constant in my life since then really. We were having fun and writing songs after school in one of the sheds. We started booking ourselves pub shows around Melbourne and recording our own EP in our bedrooms. We were all underage so our parents were usually there, driving us around and letting us into venues. We were total ratbags but we loved it. It’s really sweet looking back actually. Anyway, things started moving really quickly from there. We got signed, we won this big radio competition, we got a manager, we started touring all the time, and yeah, it became our jobs.

LUNA: I also want to give you a major congratulations on your newest release “Hey”! How are you feeling now that the song is officially out?

PHOEBE GO: Thank you. It’s actually a really vulnerable song for me, so I was feeling a bit nervous about it. But in a good way, I feel super proud to reveal myself like this. In a way that feels true. And it’s been crazy to see so many warm messages from friends and family and folks online.

LUNA: The heartfelt lyricism of “Hey” discusses relatable topics of growing up and finding yourself. What inspired the story of “Hey”?

PHOEBE GO: “Hey” is about finding hope I guess. Grief is at the center of this song. It’s about the constant ache I feel. I think that’s what inspired writing this song. Yeah, finding life inside loss. But I’m starting to realize that the ache is always gonna be there. It’s who I am. But don’t worry, I’m saying that with a smile.

LUNA: Your music is both heavy lyrically and light sonically, creating a really welcoming comfort and understanding with your audience that connects deeply with your music. Do you have a specific songwriting process, or does it change with each song?

PHOEBE GO: Lyrics are always really important to me. They’re the starting place. It’s like, I need to know where I’m coming from. Even if I don’t have the words yet and I just have the feeling or the story. Songwriting is the weirdest, most chaotic and beautiful thing ever, so I need somewhere to come back to when I’m lost down there in the trenches. Lol. I really like the happy sad combo. It’s the thing I yearn for, maybe. It’s always the place where I feel closest to the truth, or something. I think for me the goal is to connect, and there’s no recipe for that, so I just do what makes me feel. And maybe (hopefully) someone else will feel it too.

LUNA: You were previously a part of the bands Snakadaktal and Two People, with Phoebe Go being your first venture into a solo project. How has your music changed for you going from a band to a solo act?

PHOEBE GO: Yeah it’s really different actually. It took me the whole EP to get used to it. Maybe I’m still getting used to it. Sometimes I just go into the studio and stare at the wall and be like, ‘where is my band’ But I think I learned that that’s actually okay. Sometimes it’s just about showing up. And you can only do that for yourself in a solo project. You’ve gotta crack your own whip a bit and nobody will pick up the slack. I guess for me, in a way, it was like starting all over again as a songwriter. I mean it’s still me, but I’m writing in a way that I wouldn’t in a band or something. It’s way more revealing. The focus isn’t dispersed. It’s the freakiest thing ever.

LUNA: So I know your debut EP Player is on its way soon. Can you tell us more about the process of creating this EP for you?

PHOEBE GO: I worked with my friend Simon Lam. He produced and mixed the whole thing. It was winter and it was in and around lockdowns. Before we started recording we had studios next door to each other, in Abbotsford. That’s where I was writing/hibernating. Eventually, I had a bunch of songs that were basically voice memos. I guess I wanted to keep things bare bones before getting stuck into computers and sounds, you know. So I played the songs to Simon one day and from there we started to build them up. With drums, bass, more guitars, piano, harmonies and all that. It was the beginning of a whole new project, so the possibilities were sort of infinite. We just tried stuff. Simon really helped me explore it all. It would have been a different story without him there. And eventually, we felt like we’d landed in the right sound and feel for the whole project. Some songs stayed really raw and I love that. It was a special time. We laughed a lot. Even working on the sad songs we laughed a lot.

LUNA: What do you hope listeners get out of Player? 

PHOEBE GO: I really want listeners to decide that.

LUNA: When you’re not making music, what else do you like to do in your free time?

PHOEBE GO: I’m kind of obsessed with cycling. I love time at home. And I love going to the pub.

LUNA: What do you have on repeat lately?

PHOEBE GO: Nilufer Yanya - PAINLESS. I keep waiting to move on from it, but I’m just not.

LUNA: As you’ve grown and changed throughout your music career thus far, is there any advice you wish you had been given when you were first starting out?

PHOEBE GO: I think growing up in this industry has been pretty crazy. I had to learn very quickly how to stand up for myself, even if that meant standing up in a room where I felt small or outnumbered. I think if there was one thing I wish I knew, it’s that as the artist, I’m actually in charge. I think that’s a really common misunderstanding in the music industry and I had to figure that bit out myself. I think there needs to be more trust for the artist. The person actually making the ‘thing’ and putting their whole life into it. It’s not a 9 to 5 for us. It doesn’t exist without us. We’re the boss.

LUNA: Is there anything else you want the reader to know? 

PHOEBE GO: Add me on Fortnite! @gooigi4lyf

CONNECT WITH PHOEBE GO

INSTAGRAM

SPOTIFY