Phoebe Bridgers
Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers around acoustic guitar and electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has received four Grammy Awards from eleven nominations.
Not to be confused with Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Phoebe Bridgers
August 17, 1994
Pasadena, California, U.S.
- Singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- Vocals
- guitar
- bass
2007–present
Born in Pasadena, California, Bridgers has performed music since her youth and was a member of Sloppy Jane. She released her debut solo album Stranger in the Alps in 2017, followed by Punisher (2020), both of which received critical acclaim. She is also a member of the supergroup boygenius, with whom she released a self-titled EP in 2018, followed by their debut album and another EP in 2023. She was also a member of Better Oblivion Community Center with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, with whom she released one self-titled album as well as two singles.
A frequent collaborator, she has worked with various artists including Taylor Swift, the 1975's Matty Healy, Muna, SZA, Kid Cudi, Christian Lee Hutson, Shame, and the National. Bridgers holds progressive political views, and has advocated and fundraised for various causes.
Early life[edit]
Phoebe Lucille Bridgers was born in Pasadena, California, on August 17, 1994.[1][2] Her mother, Jamie, works in real estate and stand-up comedy, while her father was a film and television set builder. She has a younger brother named Jackson.[1] Her parents divorced when she was 19 years old.[3] She was raised in Pasadena, but also spent some of her childhood in Ukiah, California.[1][4] As a child, she made extra money by busking at the Pasadena Farmers Market,[3] and started playing guitar around the age of 13.[1] After graduating from the Sequoyah School, she began studying vocal jazz at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 2009.[5][6] She was later accepted into the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out after orientation.[7]
Politics and activism[edit]
Bridgers is associated with American progressivism.[114][115] Bridgers, Fiona Apple, and Matt Berninger released a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's 1966 song "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" updated to reflect events in 2019, including the murder of Botham Jean, the opioid epidemic in the United States, and the testimony of Mick Mulvaney in President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial.[116]
In 2020, Bridgers expressed support for and encouraged people to give donations to racial justice charities via her website and called for the abolition of police during Punisher's release amid the George Floyd protests[117] and released her and Maggie Rogers' cover of "Iris" as a single specifically to raise money for Stacey Abrams' Fair Fight Action, having vowed to release the cover if Trump lost the 2020 United States presidential election.[50][51]
In October 2020, Bridgers performed as part of the virtual fundraiser festival "Village of Love" benefiting Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles and New York.[118] At SXSW in 2022, Bridgers and Caleb Hearon criticized Greg Abbott's position on gender-affirming care for children and invited progressive politician Greg Casar to the stage.[119] At a May 2022 concert in Florida, following the passage of Florida House Bill 1557, Bridgers repeatedly expressed disdain for Ron DeSantis.[120]
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, Bridgers shared a post from another account on Instagram which mourned the victims of colonialism during the monarch's reign.[121]
While performing with Boygenius at Coachella in April 2023, the band spoke in support of trans rights following bills proposed in states like Florida and Missouri.[122] Bridgers also added "And abortion rocks, and fuck Ron DeSantis."[123]
Bridgers advocates for reproductive rights. In an interview with Teen Vogue in 2022, she expressed disdain for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.[124]
After winning multiple awards at the 66th Grammy Awards, Bridgers called out Neil Portnow, ex-president of the Recording Academy, criticizing his remarks towards women musical artists and highlighting accusations he engaged in sexual violence. In closing her statement she said "to him, I'd like to say I know you're not dead yet, but when you are, rot in piss."[125]
Solo studio albums
Better Oblivion Community Center
Boygenius
