Phoebe Bridgers thinks we confuse sadness with intelligence: Listen … – Audacy

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 Beyonc'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 doesnt 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 Im guilty of it too.

Listen to the full episodewithPhoebe 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 interviewerTom Powersits down with the artists, writers, actors, and musicians who define pop culture. Whether hes ribbingAdele, singing a boyband classic withSimu Liu, or dissecting faith withU2frontmanBono 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 likeLizzoandBillie Eilish who appeared onQwell before hitting the mainstream. Hear your favorite artists as they truly are, every weekday with Tom Power.

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Phoebe Bridgers thinks we confuse sadness with intelligence: Listen ... - Audacy