0:00

You're listening to it's been a minute. NPR. I

0:02

may leave here all

0:04

month. We're bringing you a Summer music series here

0:06

on the show on today's episode

0:08

Edy. Bridge's 2020

0:10

with a huge

0:13

year for Phoebe. Her album Punisher

0:15

came out to Major critical Acclaim. NPR

0:18

music named it. Their number for album

0:20

of the entire year. CD

0:22

also snagged for Grammy nominations,

0:25

including one for Best, New Artist. We

0:28

are bringing Phoebe's interview with former host

0:30

Sam Sanders back for you because her the. Music

0:33

the haunting soothing sushi guitar

0:35

failed chart got lot of our

0:37

team through that first year of the pandemic

0:40

phoebe, and Sam talk about success and

0:42

same and whether you actually get to

0:44

enjoy it. and the unpack

0:46

them of the songs and Iraq from punisher,

0:49

all right, he was Sam and C.D.

0:55

I gotta say am excited

0:58

about all my interviews but really nervous

1:00

about them any more, but gotta admit was

1:02

a little nervous about this one because

1:04

Phoebe, you have been literally the

1:06

soundtrack. Then. My twenty oh

1:09

my God it is saying I'm gonna like

1:12

ahmed thank you so much as

1:15

I, can I tell you how many times have

1:17

literally been? , through

1:19

the woods watching my dog chased

1:21

dear that some never cats

1:23

listening to the be bridges and

1:26

also maybe sometimes cranes us cranes little. bit

1:28

thank you for the catharsis as of i love

1:30

that so much love that that's my

1:33

compliments like wife signed my

1:35

myself up to be like. Man,

1:37

I lost it. So hard

1:40

the other day and my car and like st you.

1:44

Yeah I. mean it is

1:47

a really timely year for an

1:49

album like punisher Which

1:51

deals with themes of A.

1:53

For them and melancholy and sadness

1:55

in laws like it's a really

1:57

time we year for. that

2:00

The ballmer come out when we're all having to

2:02

really sit with those emotions.

2:04

More than usual, I made you couldn't have

2:06

planned a better.

2:09

Yeah, I assumed it seem like couldn't have

2:11

planned it worse. Like. The

2:13

beginning I'm glad wasn't one

2:15

in the middle of making something or in the middle

2:17

of it who are. Right, yeah, had

2:20

literally just finished the record. Well,

2:23

finish like the last music video for the record like

2:25

the day. Or a lockdown? We're

2:27

we're all like, is this real, is this

2:29

why what's happening and then I

2:31

send us? The A.M. was

2:34

done or the next week, then fly to Japan for

2:36

tour, yeah, just it's a been

2:38

nightmare foot. I

2:41

say think people are answering like, "How

2:43

are you more accurately this year",

2:46

which Amezaga so Rad like instead

2:48

of my only that's fine, everything's great like the

2:50

answer, now the obligatory answer

2:52

is well, you know?

2:54

Everything's yards purposes it's own

2:57

on that theme how are you as?

3:00

his twenties when it comes to a close I

3:03

am. Very lucky,

3:05

I. They have experienced nothing.

3:08

Other than boredom, no personal

3:10

losses.

3:12

You know again, the collective trauma

3:14

of reading and watching too much news.

3:17

The'so so I'm doing relatively.

3:20

Fine. How are you? I've

3:23

you don't have a good as it is.

3:25

I actually had been in L. A for years and I came

3:27

back home to Texas around July

3:29

to be closer to family and.

3:33

Yes it's been like six months of not having a permanent

3:35

address half, myself

3:37

and stores have abuse things are here

3:40

and just getting used to that uncertainty.

3:43

by I'm thirty six years old

3:45

now and. Pretty much thought cough and,

3:48

like this year, has been just flux bucks, looks like flux

3:51

but. You make peace with it in your stronger

3:53

for it, I think so.

3:54

I'm ultimately fine thank you for ask a the yeah

3:57

yeah. that sounds It sounds it reminds

3:59

me of to. It little bit that's the only

4:01

has been like. In between.

4:04

Moves or people, people who are making.

4:06

The life choices and then.

4:09

Or like well. I guess it just

4:11

have the remain kind of half. The

4:14

and for hand van have vowed exactly

4:17

how. much do you miss torque as you've talked about doors

4:20

and like

4:21

I'm an American the album or alluding

4:23

to tour life I can't tell if you love beyond Torah

4:25

hated or something in between yeah the answer is

4:27

yes I. have a

4:30

higher i tweeted at the very beginning

4:32

of the pandemic and pandemic still think about it every day which

4:34

is which can't wait to heat tour again

4:37

Finally, I went on like a small press

4:39

trip. The New York. In

4:41

February.

4:43

He added: "Having that kind of like a welling

4:45

up overwhelmed feeling where are

4:47

like, oh, my god like. I'm

4:50

asking for it again, I'm going to be miserable

4:52

again and. Oh, baby, and

4:54

I'm in I. The I'm the queen

4:56

of kind of. Leaving my job kid

4:59

in hotel room and not realizing

5:01

it for three days and having my manager like ship

5:03

it to the other like just having all your

5:05

it's so much to be human being

5:08

and just day to day life, but on tour you're like.

5:11

I'm gonna be your human as the lot every

5:13

day. Yeah, I really do leave my wallet at

5:15

the Loves Truck Stop or just

5:17

it's like mental math everyday. The

5:19

didn't and now I'm finding myself.

5:22

Really romanticizing that and missing it

5:25

some trying to. The tried to I'd

5:27

be grateful for the time but also and.

5:29

his torso much yeah i would go

5:32

on the worst tour

5:33

On Earth right now, if I can relate

5:35

the as can snap my fingers, yeah, it's

5:38

a weird time to be creative though because

5:40

I it's.

5:41

You have more time to create you have more time

5:43

to sit down and write songs if you want to but

5:46

so often I think what sparks creativity

5:49

is, serendipity, and

5:52

chance. encounters and

5:54

those it is happening unless they can be found this year to

5:56

be more inspiring as a song writer or less

6:02

I think I'm always kind of the

6:04

same I. That was like this is, think

6:07

that's disappointing because know that

6:09

it's like, and but because being on tour.

6:13

You feel like you're having an affair with.

6:15

The you that. Where your now?

6:18

You know, you sneak backstage for 20

6:20

minutes and you try to A hash out a little

6:22

idea that you had Or my

6:25

song savior complex. I wrote in my sleep

6:27

on accident, like just the

6:29

Melody. can never write words in

6:31

my sleep. for. but i haven't fully haven't Look

6:33

up with if we're melody and my head. They

6:36

don't think so romantic about that, the yeah you do

6:38

wish you had more time to hash it out.

6:52

And then, like every other person on Earth

6:55

who make stuff with their brain. At

6:57

the beginning of covert, I was like. Helen's

7:00

right my files album

7:02

of them, and think I've written like exactly

7:04

the same amount as on, so they did last year don't,

7:07

don't assume so low think and. The

7:10

Liberals. The i you go

7:12

an ally. Edit Arab has

7:14

said that to me once and I was like yes.

7:17

because i have Of

7:20

draft a song first, like,

7:22

I can write a song fast, but

7:24

then my favorite version of it. His

7:27

after as. What

7:29

about it every day for, like, six months?

7:32

The and. The weird little

7:34

fanatic. I. Hope he

7:37

is so unrecognizable to wear

7:39

wasn't beginning, so her, so

7:41

I think instead of writing a lot of songs,

7:43

I raise the same song like five times and

7:45

then the. Fifth person is always sort of my favorite, Ah,

7:48

which song on punisher was

7:50

the most worked through like that. think

7:54

it was probably the last

7:56

song on the record of the. You know the and pong.

8:10

It was just the super

8:13

miserable song that my

8:15

drummer and I were writing. About

8:17

breaking up. Which is? The

8:19

also. Yeah, love music

8:22

and allow related, yeah, we. We

8:24

dated and.

8:26

And then wrote a broke up song together, see that

8:28

yes and we just,

8:31

sit out and you're better than me as added

8:33

mix,. of go

8:47

He had before you miserable miserable.

8:50

Couple vs. There

8:52

and. I just and really resonate

8:54

with them. Maybe there is this as

8:56

his experience, but yeah.

8:59

probably road like five different versions.

9:02

The man.

9:04

Three years later, are literally I

9:06

always like, oh, want a song

9:09

on the album with crazy outgrow. And

9:12

on and then I, yeah. That found

9:14

piece of everything because it took really.

9:17

The one time to write some of it

9:19

and then the last piece just kind of came,

9:22

super fast like that for outgrow

9:24

section as guess I'm like

9:27

I just sat down a road and they just pick

9:29

up on it. is

9:31

louder and louder and yelling and zone

9:39

That game easier than that in the alleys up another

9:41

yeah like, a have only ideas.

9:44

i'll even have them not connected to song

9:47

and like okay i want some want to

9:49

crazy outgrow and want to

9:51

scream and want

9:53

You sound like to feel see them and I

9:55

want to have sake cheering

9:58

at the end of the song. was,

10:01

was reading her body another parties of

10:03

the time by Comrie Machado.

10:06

And she had a story called "Inventories", where she

10:08

is, like, all the people that she slept with during

10:10

the apocalypse. Okay, I think

10:12

it's like a zombie apocalypse by lover

10:15

and the way that it ends as she's on this

10:17

island. Right in.

10:20

In her journal, she's writing

10:22

list to keep yourself sane, such as

10:24

the sleeping with people list as. The

10:26

list, but he ends up on this island alone

10:29

and, and I guess, thought. If

10:31

the world is going to and died. Go

10:33

up to her. Like the sir, spent

10:36

a lot of my child for the Northern California so.

10:38

Then. The about were like

10:41

the fictional place I would escape to kind

10:43

of while the others an ice pick

10:45

us great well and. so

10:48

What are you want listens to take from us on like that?

10:51

That a like it's about break up at is about

10:53

apocalypse and it's also about dislike the

10:56

primal scream like I hear

10:58

so many themes and ideas when

11:00

you talk about that song like. What

11:04

do you have been a listeners leave that song with?

11:07

My hope always is that.

11:09

I can be universal in.

11:12

The specificity. The

11:14

show. love hearing

11:16

what. The other people take from

11:18

thing. Because. It puts me in a

11:20

position of. Pretending like I'm smarter

11:22

than I am. Some of my get run,

11:24

it reminds me so much else.

11:27

This isn't this or this time in my life for

11:29

this book that I loved on like, yeah?

11:31

The aqui that I was going the I'm

11:33

totally so. i think just kind

11:36

of like Actually, a really long time

11:38

to figure out what I wanted. Initially.

11:40

The my favorite thing about songwriting is

11:43

that. His stuff

11:45

like this, where all. The movie.

11:48

You know? Lack of my mind or.

11:51

I'm not really intending to put a point

11:53

across and then later all realize what it means

11:56

I'm. But. I

11:58

drove up to the sir. Like at

12:01

the beginning of October or. The

12:03

and. Just by myself,

12:05

I'm like no reason. And

12:08

I so think had been really thinking about it.

12:10

In in the world is sort of the ending.

12:13

Though. So yeah,

12:15

it's like even more fun the thing now.

12:19

Yeah, landed like you talk about that specificity

12:22

vague. The latest

12:24

album on Punisher What,

12:27

does it the most for me is probably

12:29

chinese satellite

12:42

When you saying either money around in circles

12:45

under the myself? And

12:58

then you say drowning out the morning Words,

13:00

with the same three songs over

13:02

and over. I'm

13:15

like what she watching me and

13:20

like I wonder when you're writing

13:22

that specifically, is

13:25

there a barometer for you about

13:27

how specific get, detailed

13:30

to Cuz there's a balance to strike.

13:32

Right? Cuz you want to write something that like,

13:34

no one will but you

13:36

wanted to be specific to you. I'm realizing

13:40

people

13:40

don't always know what I'm about, which

13:43

is very weird.

13:46

i think just assume Everybody

13:48

knows I'm talking that all the time but.

13:50

it is a matter of personal taste of definitely it

13:52

stop myself from You know, it's

13:55

like reading that. Nutrition

13:57

information on the back of, like, pack

13:59

of. Nunes or something in sign that

14:02

said like it, just it, but you know what if

14:04

you made it song, I probably like it. You

14:07

point in the balance of am being boring?

14:10

Am being annoying, am being? The

14:13

h e m i. Now

14:15

a cartoon of myself but.

14:17

i don't I really think that stuff until

14:20

like. Three days after write

14:22

something.

14:39

What's the thing you're most afraid of conveying

14:41

and a song like, "What do you fear?"

14:44

In vain and song. Or

14:47

if anything. Yeah, I think.

14:50

I think actually I'm afraid of. accidentally

14:53

convey. My own. Privilege

14:56

and brad eunice. I'm

14:58

afraid, okay, I'm afraid. The putting my

15:00

genuine so. The into a song and then having

15:03

someone be like.

15:04

What her problem like are you eating

15:07

me and and?

15:09

i hear that in like some oh my earlier

15:11

The music and that's given example.

15:15

I'm like a really old song called Waiting Room.

15:19

Where? Yeah, I read on, like

15:21

sixteen, and people find it every

15:23

once in awhile and tag me and or whatever. And

15:25

think I'm just one, it's super sincere

15:27

and. And meant everything.

15:30

But it's so one. Emotionally,

15:33

rama and I'm so pie.

15:35

I mean for someone you

15:37

are a teacher or

15:40

failure, Koch, A,

15:43

good oh

15:45

i know her so you know

15:47

it is

15:49

I have like a best high school relationship where

15:52

it was not and some believe you

15:54

have so just. yeah it's like that

15:56

doesn't happen and i think the fact

15:58

that i'm complaining so much The

16:00

in the song. Then. Especially

16:03

in retrospect like too. Your

16:06

summer for. the for

16:08

said yeah i'm afraid of myself and five

16:10

years hearing punisher and being like

16:13

What are you talking about?

16:16

Coming up more with Sam and Phoebe Bridges

16:18

on creating new music during

16:20

a strains and difficult year.

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17:43

I wanna talk.

17:44

The about another song on the album

17:47

that's really quite specific ah,

17:50

kyoto Which is

17:52

about your dad and relationship with ham

17:55

it. paints a picture right away

18:21

I've been driving out to the suburbs to

18:23

park it the good well and stare at the

18:25

chem trails with my little brother

18:28

he, said you called on his birthday you

18:30

were off by like ten days, but

18:33

you get a few points for try. and i

18:35

hear the song will won Then

18:38

the first time you hear you're happy song

18:41

not. be sad lyrics rights but

18:43

then to hear those lyrics

18:45

and lyrics totally relate totally it even though that

18:47

wasn't my dad my dad was dad like that

18:49

we had a different relationship but relationship get

18:52

it

18:54

Who are you writing that song to, are you writing

18:56

it to a certain type of listener,

18:59

are you writing it to your dad, are you writing it

19:01

to yourself? It's

19:04

kind of every one I think that there's

19:06

A does. Fire! The

19:08

que. It is

19:10

almost like closure. The have

19:13

especially if on your proud of.

19:15

Singing a song like that every day

19:17

and haven't to have conversations like

19:19

this is weirdly it's own

19:21

form of therapy. I mean,

19:23

you're like this is this thing

19:26

in my life said should probably be

19:28

examined. The

19:30

and should stop projecting. The

19:33

character on tap partners aren't

19:35

people mean. But

19:38

it's funny because. There are

19:40

pieces that are about my dad, there

19:42

is like a piece about my grandpa a. That's

19:45

more. This is so funny that

19:47

some that kind of more than missing the birthday.

19:49

Then when my dad always. Very

19:52

good about birds as. And that

19:54

we've like been talking again during

19:56

Kobe, which is so weird

19:58

but. Then you. Yeah, so

20:01

I feel know we have never discussed the song.

20:03

And then the other day he called me and lives like. Though

20:06

we got a Grammy for our songs that,

20:10

I was like oh. i love that

20:12

we'd only exactly Oh,

20:15

hello.

20:39

For listeners who,

20:41

don't know Chiado yet and they should know

20:43

at. how much can you describe

20:45

what your relationship with your father has

20:47

been like is now to set up the context of

20:49

the songs and those lyrics

20:51

It's a very weird combination

20:53

of.

20:55

Like that emotionally unavailable,

20:58

but very presence. In

21:00

in a weird way, and I think. The

21:03

an adult I'm just kind of. Like

21:06

looking back with more sympathy.

21:09

Or my parents. Then.

21:12

Which is great. Great,

21:15

yeah, it's sad it's nice

21:17

to not feel.

21:20

Like emotionally trapped all the timeless.

21:24

That that you carry. "Into

21:27

your life like I think was angry for a long time

21:29

and and.

21:30

This is the phone is basically about like not

21:32

be angry anymore which, is a

21:34

good way to feel and good place to discuss

21:45

The thing I like about your music and a song writing

21:47

is that you will quite often

21:50

responds to listener questions

21:52

about your songs and your lyrics

21:55

which is really cool and nice of you and you not

21:57

to do that from. what i can tell

22:00

The of the Internet thinks it's a metaphor

22:02

and probably less than half know

22:04

that actually happened to you. The

22:07

Lyric and Garden song on you write

22:09

the doctor, put her hands over my

22:11

liver.

22:22

And she told me my resentments getting

22:24

smaller when I first heard ourselves

22:27

a wealth of, my dad's

22:29

this is this it and then I was

22:31

reading about it and you realize now that just actually

22:34

half as. i

22:36

have This like nutritionist.

22:39

Lady, in a way who, you

22:41

know, at risk of sounding like every

22:43

l a person on earth is the life of doesn't

22:45

have been literally says my life I

22:47

was of that was. Going through

22:49

a thing where every time. When on where

22:52

I'd get sick immediately? Again,

22:54

I had to be on antibiotics like spy of

22:56

times one year. Then someone recommended

22:59

her to me and went. And

23:01

he, he. Just hit me

23:03

with. them like. You take

23:05

this every day an hour. You don't eat

23:08

sugar and you don't drink a mother

23:10

and I wasn't even trying I'm never going to go see

23:12

her sort of Asia and of,

23:14

the devil thought was like. are

23:16

like i literally eat Like

23:18

five packs of sour scuttles a day

23:21

which I'm serious, I really

23:23

did do that for like years of my life foot while

23:25

she said, "That's me once and feel like"

23:28

Sometimes you can't tell and she's been made me cry

23:31

ah but. that doesn't make me cry

23:33

and then

23:36

One time we. were talking

23:38

about something and she was like or I'm

23:40

sweating. Yeah, actually

23:42

good. We were

23:44

talking about something confirm attic and she was like your

23:46

water through it or palms are sweater. Wow

23:50

so very like which he while awesome

23:52

ogre showed also like I love that can

23:54

also told me can't be a which because I was the

23:56

which of half slice of our.

24:00

The moment I love, have some of

24:02

those savor the scissors or them. Sure,

24:04

like it, no more witchcraft like.

24:06

You are which already I didn't say anything

24:08

about which are fast.

24:10

fast

24:19

In that moment when you're at this Yellow's

24:22

office and see places or hand over

24:24

your liver where exactly is your liver somewhere down

24:26

there last and the moment that she tells

24:28

you that she feels your resentments getting

24:30

smaller what's? your first

24:32

thought was your first reaction by in on

24:34

that table While she told me

24:37

to write a letter to my dad. The

24:40

are we? They like. That

24:42

with the first time. They want

24:44

it.

24:44

Do that, and she's a higher,

24:47

she may be start drinking less coffee,

24:49

but out this him over to. (Stream)

24:51

I was out of shrinking like ten, that's a coffee

24:53

day. The be I

24:55

know, Ross as very

24:57

anxious. Then. The

25:00

end of the she said that me without any.

25:03

The context of my life. What

25:06

she, she does, actually have some weird. Yeah.

25:09

"Stuff where I'm like, yeah, are you

25:12

live, read my email like was has aspires

25:14

to the sun so, we had talked

25:16

little bit about resentment and south and then. She

25:18

said that to me out of nowhere, you know,

25:20

in the middle of telling me to eat more salad

25:23

or leafy green or whatever

25:25

says, "let's also your sentence getting smart"

25:27

conceal it and, and i

25:29

just to be recognized the that way

25:31

it's like when your therapist tells your you're doing

25:33

a good job or you're doing the best you

25:35

can and your husband wasn't

25:38

or doesn't like you waterworks omega

25:40

chi totally

26:01

Predict what's, gonna

26:03

be. the

26:05

soundtrack for twenty one at least the

26:07

medically We're going to be in a different mindset,

26:09

I hope was that vaccine hits I.

26:12

The think we deserve.

26:14

The summer anthem said everybody

26:16

loves, you know, like the song that

26:18

comes on. In a bar that

26:21

everybody is obsessed ls for

26:23

one summer. The

26:26

My friend Maureen Martinez tweeted something about

26:28

how there should be like. The,

26:30

you know, there should be like covert night.

26:33

The night clubs where you. Play

26:36

all the music that nobody got dance to

26:38

in twenty two. Yeah,

26:41

which I think is Jean, yes. Yes.

26:44

think that the. I've

26:46

already written songs that are pretty

26:49

obviously about the and quarantine or isolation

26:51

and south. I'm and hope that.

26:54

We are choosy with that. The

26:57

genre of like writing

26:59

about now because it's so hard because it's

27:01

a universal I'm. But

27:04

but, yeah, maybe they'll be like. Some

27:07

beautiful album that just encapsulates

27:10

this whole year. Like they're going to

27:12

be lot more weird

27:14

recording, so maybe all that are

27:16

like would never will hit next year's like Bonnie

27:18

there.

27:19

For Emma Record added that

27:22

"Okay, we should be sweet, but also some rhythms

27:24

you could we gotta have that yes, like

27:26

bring t pain back from a while" Exactly.

27:29

You know you could do it totally oh my

27:31

goodness I could ask you

27:33

some anymore questions but I'm going what's going

27:35

on with the rest of your day but, gotta

27:37

tell you see be this is this just a

27:39

treats. ah i really

27:41

can't make enough for the music sometimes

27:44

the timing of the art that we find they consume

27:47

is The perfect and I think

27:49

it was that for me this year with your

27:51

music you really gave me permission to feel

27:54

and a very real way and. i

27:56

cannot thank you enough for that ah thank you so

27:58

much feel it

28:00

Very weird that I haven't met you because

28:03

I, feel like your voice is just. on

28:05

when i'm alone all this is

28:07

my hope so i didn't have this is

28:09

and yeah very real and thank

28:12

you

28:16

They began to phoebe bridges and Sam Sanders

28:19

for the said. This episode of

28:21

"It's Been A Minute" was originally produced by

28:23

Andrea Gutierrez, it was absorbed

28:25

by georgiana Hook, many listeners

28:27

she could carry yourself, "I believe you

28:30

and will talk this"

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