Today (July 7) the Sydney dance-pop star Thandi Phoenix is releasing her second EP, ‘Rebirth’, as a newly independent artist – and she’s living up to that mythic surname.
The South African Australian began her career as a classic R&B vocalist almost a decade ago. But she soon gravitated towards dance music, signing to Universal Music via Neon Records and cutting heaters with the UK drum’n’bass outfits Rudimental and Sigma. In 2019, she issued a self-titled EP, and two years later featured on Adelaide DJ/producer Mell Hall’s historic hit ‘Knock Knock’ – the longest-running Number One for a female lead in the ARIA Club Chart. Yet, creatively frustrated, she left her label, deciding to manage herself. “No one is gonna fight as hard as you for your music,” she says.
“With artists, there’s a need, and a desire, to push out the things that set their heart on fire”
Phoenix was also grieving the loss of family and a relationship – personal hardships that had her wanting to deliver music that was affirming, transformative and communal. ‘Rebirth’ finds the revitalised musician exploring everything from funk to garage to Afro-house. The Snakehips-endorsed lead single ‘Hot Sauce’, produced by Arona Mane, is a disco romp – a product of Phoenix dancing to Donna Summer and Chic at home during lockdown. She also dips into Amapiano on ‘Ready’, working with Melbourne’s Billy Davis (“a musical genius”).
In June, Phoenix participated in the ensemble show Aretha, launched at the Sydney Opera House in honour of the Queen of Soul. This month she and band will kick off a tour behind ‘Rebirth’, the singer promising “a party”. “I write music so I can perform it live,” she enthuses. “I love the energy in the room and being able to feel bodies… There’s nothing like it.”
An animated Phoenix talks to NME via Zoom from her base in the South Western Sydney suburb of Canterbury.
You’re now an independent artist. What prompted you to leave the security of a major label and go it alone?
“I can only give my props to my previous label. There’s no bad blood between us or anything. They really helped break me into the market here and the scene here. I had a great working relationship with them.
“But I think there comes a time when relationships run their course. It was a feeling that I’d been feeling for a while. And then, once COVID hit, that just really changed everything so drastically. They were restructuring and I was able to take my own path and go independent.
“When you think about it at first, you’re like, ‘Oh, this is a nerve-wracking thing.’ But it was really just something that I wanted to do to just have complete control – and especially when it came to the artistic side, like being able to completely dictate which songs come out. Because that was something that was making me a little disheartened.
“With artists, there’s a need, and a desire, to push out the things that set their heart on fire – and that’s gonna connect with people. When you’re feeling it 100 per cent, that’s when the best stuff happens, you know?”
Were you conscious of showing a creative spectrum on ‘Rebirth’?
“I think that’s what was so important for me – because that’s one thing that kind of was frustrating me in the label structure. I love so many different genres of music and I’m inspired by so much. And, [in] my music, I play: I wanna be playful, I wanna experiment, I wanna explore.
“There was a period of time where I just wasn’t enjoying the writing process, because I was getting setbacks and not being able to put stuff out. I was like, ‘What am I doing this for if I can’t get it out into the world?’
“So, this EP, yeah, I fell back in love with that process. I was just allowing myself complete freedom to try whatever the hell felt good and what felt right – and that’s why I’m so happy with how this EP came to be, because it’s just me trusting my intuition and my instinct and exploring what feels good.”
“It’s such a difficult market for upcoming, emerging [and even] established artists still in Australia to break through or to remain consistent”
Overall, ‘Rebirth’ is positive and empowering, but you’ve faced personal challenges. How did you get into that headspace, turning those trials into something upbeat?
“We have to choose our perspective in this life, because I was in a very downward spiral and in a funk – and it was music that brought me out of it.
“Upbeat music that just brings you out of your mind and into your soul, into feeling and into your body – like that is such an important thing for me; being able to turn something negative, turn your pain, into something inspiring and uplifting. I don’t wanna say life is fucked, but there’s so much sadness in this life. Unfortunately, that’s just the inevitability of life. But there’s [also] so much beauty and there’s so much joy. And we can’t understand those highs without those severe lows. It’s a rollercoaster.
“So I just wanna give people joy, because there’s so much sadness in life. We have to appreciate the wonderful moments that we have together.”
There’s been discussion about the lack of Australian artists in the ARIA charts. Are you concerned?
“I don’t put too much thought and consideration myself personally into the charts… I mean, yeah, I did break in with Mell Hall, which was amazing. But, until they start showing more love locally, I’m just like, ‘Uhhh…’
“It’s such a difficult period, especially post-pandemic – like it’s such a difficult market for upcoming, emerging [and even] established artists still in Australia to break through or to remain consistent and in everyone’s faces and in people’s ears. So I would love to see more support from within the establishments, giving back to the artists here.”
Are you thinking about an album next?
“I definitely will release an album at some stage… I’m going back to South Africa and we’ll see what comes from that.”
Thandi Phoenix’s ‘Rebirth’ EP is out now. She kicks off the Rebirth Tour on July 29 in Adelaide, before heading to Melbourne on August 3 and Sydney on August 5. More info here