The photographer Kara Nikol Make Up by Bernadine Gunderson
I won’t shy away from admitting that pop music, traditionally speaking, is something I’ve never been keen on. To me, the majority of it sounds like a mortar of shrapnel and railroad spikes tearing apart my ear drums without a fragment of mercy. That being said, if a rule exists, so does the exception.
In this case, the exception’s name is Phenix Red, a 27-year-old Wisconsin born artist who’s lived in Nashville for nine years now. Phenix’s fresh approach to pop music should come as a sigh of relief to those who can’t stand the banal circus act that is current pop but still enjoy a modern sound.
“I want to love pop music, but the truth is that I hate most of it. I like concepts and ideas that are just… thick, and I’ve realized that a lot of what goes mainstream is made up mostly of empty space. When it comes to my art, I don’t want anything to be useless.”
“Useless” and “empty” certainly aren’t words that come to mind when exploring her songs. Her 2019 single, ‘Dinosaur’, hits like a tribal war stomp draped in melodic ferocity that’s out to wake you the fuck up.
The song tackles a theme as old as time – one’s inner self. Yes, it’s a topic that has inspired a myriad of songs throughout all genres, but to hear it delivered through a pop prism with unexpected poetic undertones is refreshing and unique.
The production is tactful and refined, and the words couple well with a groove that swings back and forth like a pendulum, cutting deeper and deeper to your inner-self with each drop of the blade.
“I think that at the core of everything I do, there’s a drive to remind people of what they already know if they’d just get in touch with themselves. We’re not as in touch with ourselves in today’s world. I think that’s the big purpose.”
‘Owe You Something’ is another song that speaks to the core of one’s being and reminds us that nobody is entitled to our value.
The vocal delivery shoots out at you like an arsenal of rattlesnake strikes, almost in rapid fire whispers. It’s kind of sardonic in tone, but that doesn’t sell it short of its angsty and unapologetic message.
The music video is a monument in and of itself. Most video projects follow a simple, redundant formula – one setting, one wardrobe, one story; sometimes even less than that. The ‘Owe You Something’ video goes the extra mile with three different settings, back up dancers, and a series of details that are never in the frame without purpose.
Visually, it feels like something Wes Anderson would direct with its eye-popping color schemes and tightly composed choreography. Most of her videos follow the same type of structure, and it’s emblematic of a production and strenuous effort that is rarely observed amongst artists.
But let’s back up to the back up dancers. How often do you really see independent/local performers take the time to organize them? Rarely. Phenix uses them in both her videos and live shows, which is enough in and of itself to check out both.
As live entertainment starts to reemerge within Nashville and the world beyond, you can expect plenty of opportunities to catch her on a stage.
Phenix Red and everything she creates is a contribution to pop music that, I’m sure most people would agree, the genre is in desperate need of. At the center of it all, there’s a distinct and untarnished energy that arises from the ashes of a fire that’s still burning. Hence the name, I suppose.
“The world needs artists, not content creators. It’s integrity and authenticity that we want right now, and I’m all about that. My biggest fear is to die and be irrelevant. I’m a real motherfucker, and I believe in the big purpose behind it all. That’s what I’m out to do.”
Keep an eye out for Phenix Red. There’s plenty of great stuff to expect from her in coming days.
