PHANGS – Okay With That

By starrymag | March 19, 2020

By: Kemberlie Spivey

 

 

 

Q) Congrats on your newest single “Okay With That.” Please talk a little bit about the theme of the single and what the lyrics mean to you.

 

A) It’s just a song about the internet – how weird it is and internet dating. Just how friends exist on the internet now. It’s so different from whenever I was younger and it’s just an odd world to live in. I just wanted to write a song about how weird it is. 

 

Q) With “Okay With That” out now, when can we hope for a new album? 

 

A) That’s a good question. The album is done. I’m hoping to get it out very soon. I don’t have an answer for it yet.

 

Q) Out of all the songs you’ve recorded, which one means the most to you?

 

A) Maybe a song called “Good Now.” I wrote about getting engaged and then it became this song for all of these other people. They made this thing about being better than they were before. They use it to maybe come out to their parents that they are queer or maybe they use to it because they went through a breakup or something. Things are better now. I don’t know. It’s cool. It took a different meaning of what I meant for it to be. It’s become an anthem for a lot of people

 

Q) Although you’ve only released one studio album as PHANGS, you have a plethora of singles and EPs under your belt. What’s your favorite song you’ve ever written?

 

A) I don’t think it has come out yet. I think it is on the next album. 

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I have a big hand in the production. I am there all the time. I co-produce all of the songs with a couple of people. It’s very important to me that I’m there hands-on with it.

 

Q) In the past you had the chance to perform at showcases such as SXSW.  What was the biggest lesson you took away from that experience?

 

A) The first time I played SXSW I only had two songs out. I was a brand new artist and I got to play this official showcase and these people came from Oregon. They had a tattoo of the my PHANGS teeth logo on them and they flew all the way from there to come see me. I thought it was kind of crazy, but I guess what I took from this was a real thing. It meant a lot to a lot of other people before I realized it. I was just making songs that I liked. There wasn’t any pressure at the time. I was just making songs and then I realized really quick that the songs are connecting to people emotionally. And it means alot to them. So, that first SXSW showcase kind of changed the direction of PHANGS completely. I realized it was a lot bigger than just me. 

 

Q) You’ve just embarked on a massive tour across America. How do you prepare for something like that?

 

A) I think I’m always preparing a little bit. I think it was kind of the next step. The biggest thing is just a lot longer set list so I have to cut songs and add new songs. I’m playing some songs I never played before, I never released so that was a lot of work ahead of time. But, it’s paying off, it’s been really fun.

 

Q) If I were to take a peek at your music collection, what would I find you currently listening to?

 

A) All of the guilty pleasures. Just yesterday, the band I listened to was Inner Row. I think we listened to “2 Become 1” by The Spice Girls. We listened to “UnPretty” by TLC and we listened to some Janet Jackson…Even Hanson! I like a lot of pop music like direct pop music.

 

Q) What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the music business?

 

A) It’s 2020. You have the internet and a computer. You can do whatever you want to do. I think that’s really all it is. I think you can literally do whatever you want to do in the world with a computer right now.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your music?

 

A) Thank you. I don’t get to do this without people that care about it. They push me to make better stuff and to give them some kind of gift. Them listening is a gift right back. Just thank you! 

 

 

Watch The Video For “Okay With That”

 

Listen To “Okay With That”