I honestly can’t believe some people understand me in such a way. But more than anything, some fans just find you. I have friends out there, and we support each other. "To be honest, in terms of with other artists, I still feel very alone. It’s about figuring out where the root of your comfort comes from and building your community around that, rather than what anybody else’s community looks or feels like… Everyone has their trauma or story that they are bouncing off that may have nothing to do with what is happening for the rest of the world or the general public." You always have to follow that voice inside of you telling you what is suitable for you. You all of a sudden have more and more people in your ear telling you what they think is right and what it is going to sell, but you reach a point where you step back and learn to trust your intuition again. " The thing is that once you discover yourself, you almost have to do it then again three or four more times. It was the first time that I felt like I belonged anywhere."Īnd how did that build into the sound and persona that we see today? It was confusing for so long. But then, when I started making music, I realised that there were people who liked what I was doing. I was just into weird shit, and I don’t think my parents understood me or my aesthetic either. I wasn’t an emo kid or a hardcore kid, or a hip-hop kid. I liked other types of music, though, but never felt like I needed to subscribe to any one thing. I grew up playing jazz and didn’t fit in with the jazz kids. My sexuality was a big part of that, and within music, it was always weird knowing where I would fit. "For me growing up, I always felt like I didn’t know where I belonged. What was it that sparked the vision for you? What was it that you wanted the project to represent? Let’s go back to the very first moment that phem started to come to life. But it's been quite the journey to reach this point, with plenty of soul-searching and self-examination along the way.Īs we look to the future, we look back on that journey and how it feels to be at such an inspiring and incredible point in her career. If you're not already familiar, may we introduce you to phem.įurther developing their own brand of no-holds-barred pop-rock and releasing some of their most damning and decadent tracks to date, they've had an absolutely incredible year that is closing out on the road with Waterparks. "Being a bit rougher around the edges and the message a bit more fucked up speaks to people a lot more than it did in the past"