The first time I heard Phoebe Bridgers’s Stranger In The Alps, I was blown away instantly. I knew a little bit about Phoebe — her song “Killer,” I was really into before the record came out with a different version of it. I sort of became obsessed with that song originally, and then when I heard the record, I was taken aback by how good it was, especially for someone so young. I was just like, Wow, how did she write this so young? Everything sounded so mature.
It just hit this sweet spot of something new and exciting, but also familiar in a way, and almost nostalgic even though I hadn’t heard it before. Her music isn’t futuristic, but it was a breath of fresh air in that it’s a songwriter’s album. I guess that’s what hit me the most first, that the songs were so good. That’s something that I’ve been trying to focus on more, creating and crafting really good songs.
I really love the production too. I fell in love with every little aspect of it — it doesn’t have a bad song on it, it’s complete, it makes sense. I listened to it so much that I haven’t heard it now for probably a year or more. I totally burned out on it, because I loved it so much. That kind of record, for me, only happens once every couple years. When I get into something, I really obsess over it.
I got to meet Phoebe and play a set with her when she opened for Bon Iver; I sat in on some drums and piano, and that was super fun for me. It was really cool to know a record that well, and just play it from memory. Like, “Yeah, I know that song, let’s do it. Let me figure out what key you play it in.”
The album gives me a lot of hope. I don’t know if it defines the decade at all, but it gives me hope that young people are doing awesome things, especially young women — that’s really important, and I think they’re going to keep doing awesome shit and people need to recognize it. I like a lot of music, but in general that’s been more attractive for me to listen to — her, and a band like Big Thief. There’s more people I need to check out too, I’m sure.
