There’s something beautifully defiant about retreating to your childhood bedroom to make pop music. Manchester’s Phoebe Green did exactly that, splitting time between her flat and her parents’ house in Lytham St Annes to craft her new EP ‘The Container’.
Written and produced primarily by Green herself, it’s a collection that trades big-budget polish for something far more valuable: authenticity wrapped in clever pop packaging. The freedom of bedroom production has clearly unlocked something special, with Green embracing what makes her unique rather than chasing perfection.
This isn’t her first rodeo – coming off the critically acclaimed ‘Lucky Me’ and 2023’s ‘Ask Me Now’ EP, she’s already earned her stripes. But ‘The Container’ feels different – a project born from “a sheer need to express myself”, as Green puts it, “without trying to fit others’ expectations.”
In Dork’s latest Artist’s Guide, Phoebe invites us behind the curtain of her most honest work yet. As she prepares to take these bedroom confessions on tour this April, it’s a chance to step inside the creative mind of an artist who’s found her most authentic voice when nobody was watching.
Rage Of A Kid
‘Rage Of A Kid’ follows the discomfort of growing into myself and healing from past trauma. I spent a long time suppressing anger and any other difficult emotion in order to keep my head above water, but looking back, I feel as though I wasted valuable years of my life doing anything in my power to avoid being consumed by it. It got to the point where I found it almost impossible to access, and when I did, it was directed towards myself because I felt so guilty for experiencing an emotion I had perceived for so long as “violent”. I learned eventually that anger is healthy and necessary and it serves a purpose when trying to process negative experiences, and especially in our current political climate, anger towards injustice is vital.
What Are You Doing
‘What Are You Doing’ explores the mourning of a pretty toxic relationship, coming to terms with how damaging it was in hindsight, but how thrilling and all-consuming it felt at the time. Now that it feels so far in the past, it’s impossible not to be curious about what this person is doing, how they’re going about their day-to-day life and wondering if I still take up space in their mind.
Precious Things
I really wanted to write a song about the obsessive, almost fan-like behaviour that we can exhibit in romantic relationships; I love borderline creepy lyrics that are a combination of uncomfortable and almost comedic when expressing love for something or someone. For ‘Precious Things’ I wanted to contrast this with a truly devastating chorus that almost feels sacrificial, a willingness to be of use in any way to someone just to feel needed. I like that sonically both of these ideas are reflected too. The verses are sort of nursery rhyme-jolly so that the deeper meaning is concealed somewhat, whereas the chorus is just fully heart-on-sleeve yearning with the big synthy choral sound.
I Could Try To Change
‘I Could Try To Change’ is such a pop bop. I’m so proud of that chorus; it feels like admitting defeat and accepting my imperfections – it doesn’t feel self-deprecating or negative. It’s self-aware. I’m mostly just obsessed with the danceability of it, it’s just so fun! I was definitely inspired by the great pop music that’s been put out in the past couple of years or so; it just feels really freeing to release something like this.
IV
‘IV’ is something I wrote a year or so ago. I don’t write straight-up sad songs that often any more, but I like to indulge myself sometimes. Sue me! I love recording three-part harmonies so much; it just adds such depth of emotion, and the song wouldn’t feel as yearning without it. The presence of an acoustic guitar is something I was surprised to accept from my co-producer Ric Levy as typically they aren’t my vibe, but for this song I think it works.
Phoebe Green’s EP ‘The Container’ is out 21st March.
Leave a Reply