Conversations with PHIE

Today we’d like to introduce you to PHIE. 

Hi PHIE, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hi! My name is PHIE. I’m currently 25 years old and I’m a singer/songwriter from Colorado. Where it all began- I suppose I’ve always been creative and a deep feeler. For me, songwriting is as necessary and effortless as breathing. An emotion or a thought will become so intense, that it begs for release, finding its way into some form of artistic expression. 

I went to Denver School of the Arts from grades 7-12, majoring in creative writing, but there was so much talent at that school and I wasn’t a vocal major, so I grew terrified of performing, afraid I’d embarrass myself in comparison. This insecurity bled into all aspects of my life. I didn’t go after the things I wanted- my songs were secrets tucked away in journals. I let people mistreat me. I was extremely people-pleasing- a chameleon without a sense of self. 

At some point, I found identity and control within an eating disorder that became most severe my first year of college. I had cast my creative endeavors aside and was majoring in public relations. Miserable and entrenched in my ED behaviors, I couldn’t fathom recovery, but my declining health forced me to drop out. I suppose this closeness to death was the catalyst of everything. It gave me a moment of fearlessness. I didn’t see the point in anything, not even in being afraid. Why not pursue music? Who cares if I embarrass myself? 

I had no idea what pursuing a music career looked like, so I enrolled in University of Colorado Denver in their songwriting program. It was a crazy year. A lot of doors opened very quickly. I started working with a very talented producer and songwriter, Ted Bruner. We got my first album together in half a year and one of the songs “Reckless” made it onto 93.3 radio shortly thereafter, which felt like a dream come true, especially having listened to that station religiously growing up. I formed a band and was pushing myself to perform often so that I’d overcome my stage fright. I finally felt there were things I wanted to live for. 

On the flip side, there were challenges. I wasn’t talking to my family. They weren’t thrilled about my decision to pursue music and there were a lot of choices I was making they didn’t agree with. I was still very bulimic and wasn’t willing to recover on their terms. My mom and I had been very close growing up, so the separation felt lonely and heartbreaking. In hindsight, it was a necessary transition for me. After having been so reserved and so cautious all my life, I needed to unleash a wilder side, to discover for myself what was good for me, to get a little crazy and test the limits of things. 

Doors continued to open and close: I had a songwriting job for a few years, then quit that songwriting job, more radio play, connections made and connections broken, trips to L.A, meetings with record labels, relationships, heartbreaks, etc. I met a lot of vampires in the music industry- people who “loved” me and then wanted to change everything about me. I’ve learned not to be too swayed by my seeming failures or successes. You never know how it plays into the big picture of things. 

Speaking of, my latest release “wildflowers” just made it onto 93.3 which is exciting! It’s is a love letter to humanity, really. While I am now happy and healthy, learning to love myself has been a quest of mine. I wrote and filmed this song in the mountains, pondering what the “self” even means. I feel most at peace in the woods, even though there is constant death and constant rebirth within them. Every organism is competing for life, resource, mates, territory, food, etc., but it’s all harmonious and perfectly so. Things feed and flow into each other, perfectly designed. At some point, I started to recognize myself as part of this cosmic existence. I am just as much in harmony with nature as the wildflowers. I don’t need to become anything. I don’t need to worry. I’m inevitably growing and moving with the current of life just as much as everything else. As humans, we are responding to each other, to emotion, moving with one another, opening to love, a network of ideas, sharing, and growing. I love myself the way I love the woods, the way I love you, the way I love strangers. We’re all part of the same beautiful dance! 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a singer/songwriter. I play piano and I produce to an extent. My music is in the realm of indie-pop, singer/songwriter, cinematic ballads. 

I’m proud to have had four of my songs on 93.3 radio, which is where I got most of my initial fan base. 

I write my music for me. It’s what I need to hear, taking the emotions I’ve buried and pouring them into lyrics and melodies so I can move through them. Everyone is unique, so as long as I’m creating from a place of authenticity, rather than trying to replicate something or someone else, my music will be different. 

That being said, I am not easily persuaded by fear or the judgment of others. Therefore, I strongly trust my artistic instinct. I am not afraid to try something new, nor will I ever limit myself. I am not afraid to feel my emotions deeply, and I can articulate them well as a result. Most of my songs I write crying at the piano. I would never compromise my art to be more marketable/sellable, or more attractive to a record label. So, my art will always be authentically me, and therefore different from anyone else! 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I will forever be grateful to Ted Bruner for his help and support. A very talented songwriter and producer, he came to my school to share his experiences in the music industry. I played him a song of mine and we started working together, collaborating on my first album which led to 93.3 radio play. He believed in me when no one else did. In our songwriting sessions, I felt able to be my complete self. I remember, at one point, he even called my parents to assure them my music career was worth pursuing, and that I had real potential. Considering he’s worked with big names and is brimming with talent; they gave his compliments some weight. He knows the industry well, and I’ve appreciated all his advice. There’s a lot to navigate! 

I am so grateful to 93.3 radio for giving my music a platform to be heard. It’s truly amazing what they do for local artists. I’ve listened to 93.3 radio since I was little, and I’ve cried all four years when they’ve announced a new song of mine would play in their rotation. The effect is palpable. My Spotify streams will skyrocket. I had so many new Colorado fans because of these guys. Thank you thank you! 

Of course, thank you to all my family and friends! 

Contact Info:

• Website: sophiewilsonmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cest_la_phie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cestlaphie
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SophieThings
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/cestlaphie
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1frsxrA0nPnZzdnKdLFEE1