Interview: Phoebe Katis Redefines Herself with “A Coming of Age”
With a voice that moves effortlessly between pop, soul, funk, and musical theater, Phoebe Katis has built a career defined by constant reinvention. Born in the UK and now based in New York City, the singer-songwriter has just released her fifth studio album, A Coming of Age, her most personal and liberating project to date.
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The record, which she describes as “a musical identity crisis,” resists any attempt at categorization. Across its tracks, Katis blends the drama of Broadway-style ballads with the energy of pop, indie rock, and funk, celebrating artistic freedom over labels and expectations.
We sat down with Phoebe to talk about the journey behind A Coming of Age, the moments of crisis and renewal that shaped this new chapter, her candid take on an industry increasingly ruled by algorithms and trends, and her creative dreams for the future, which, as it turns out, might even include writing her own musical. Here’s what she shared with us.
Phoebe, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. A Coming of Age arrives after a three-year break from releasing a full-length record. How did you experience that process of recalibration, and what role did it play in shaping this album?
Ooof, yeah, the artistic/career/general life crisis that happened is at the core of this album. I took a break after my last album because I was totally burned out (4 albums in 4 years) and had really lost my artistic instincts. I needed to recalibrate a belief in myself. During that time in between records, the well was dry. I was scared. I’d never felt such a profound lack of creativity. And I wish I could tell you one day I woke up and songs poured out like they’d done before. But the truth is, I fought for every song on this record, battling with myself every step of the way as to what direction each song would be, who to work with, how to market it, and how to release it, second-guessing myself the whole time. Something that really helped me actually finish this album was focusing on the song first. I wrote and finished the songs the way they wanted them to be finished, instead of trying to squeeze them into a certain production direction. That’s the reason for all the eclecticism and genre blending; I didn’t give myself any boundaries. Which sounds fun, and it was, but it also definitely led to each song sounding like a different person. So yeah, savvy for marketing and industry purposes? Who knows…
You’ve described this record as a kind of “musical identity crisis.” What discoveries about yourself and your art came out of that journey?
I just really didn’t want to give up. I was so close to it, seeing another life for myself that I would have been successful in and felt fulfilled by. But I couldn’t make the jump; I couldn’t call it all in after putting so much in. I think a lot of artists go through this, and regularly, especially those in their early 30s like me, who had imagined a life for themselves and realize that they’re not exactly where they want to be. I think I needed to scare myself a bit, to really say, ‘Ok, here’s the other option, here are the other paths you can take. Do you really want to do this?’. I looked down those paths; I even worked a few of them, and still do as my side hustle, but instinctively I knew I needed to keep going as an artist. Once I decided to keep going, I worked really hard on those songs. And didn’t put any limits on it. I knew I just wanted to write and create and didn’t want to get in my own way with any limits or boxes I needed to check. Hence the musical identity crisis.
The album blends pop, rock, funk, jazz, and even Broadway-style ballads. How do you manage to keep a sense of cohesion amid so much eclecticism?
My voice, I suppose, is the cohesive thing throughout the record. I do all my own backing harmonies, arrangements, etc., so every song has a similar feel to that side of the production. Aside from my voice, though, I truly didn’t give this album any cohesive direction, as you can probably tell, haha.
Early on, you gained visibility with “All of My Life,” the track for the film Kilo Two Bravo. Looking back, how do you feel that milestone shaped your artistic path?
That one was really fun. I had already written the song and was asked to change some of the lyrics and record a new arrangement to fit the narrative of the film. It was the first ‘industry’ gig in that regard, writing for another purpose other than my own project. It definitely helped shape how I approach music and songwriting in general, taking myself out of the center of the song and making something else the subject. I loved it.
Your live shows have taken you to iconic stages like Glastonbury, the Elgar Room (Royal Albert Hall), and the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Is there a particular performance you’d consider a turning point in your career?
I’ve been very lucky to play in a lot of amazing venues. I really loved opening for Cory Wong in North America in 2019 and early 2020. Those shows were my first experience of the American live music scene and America in general. That gig helped me develop an American fanbase, friends, and ultimately to live in NYC. On that tour, I sang at the Troubadour, and that was pretty crazy – my heroes Carole King, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and I can go on, all played there. It’s a truly magical place.
The title A Coming of Age suggests transition and continuous growth. What does the idea of “coming of age” over and over again mean to you as an artist and as a person?
The pressure to ‘arrive’ somewhere in your life, your career, or yourself, is something I’ve always tussled with. We are always ‘coming of age’—again and again. Never finished, never fully formed, and that’s the point. That understanding fueled my songwriting and musical choices. This record is unapologetically genre-less, messy, colorful, and emotional—just like life.
You’ve also said that this record is, in a way, a “response” to the music industry, which often seems obsessed with labels and trends. What do you think needs to change in the business to create more room for authenticity?
This is a difficult one because, on the one hand, I totally understand why the industry favours artists who have gotten themselves to a certain level, a certain number of tickets sold, a certain number of streams, or a certain following size, before taking them on. There is so much music out there. There’s something insane, like 100,000 songs uploaded to Spotify every day. That’s INSANE. Of course, if you are a big label, you’re going to look first at the standout artists, the ones who have gotten the ball rolling themselves, showing initiative, determination, drive, etc. I totally understand that.
What frustrates me, though, is that a lot of art is being made to satisfy this addiction we all have to our smartphones. We all know it. We already have ‘dumb phones’ that kids have in school, and friends of mine have them, so they’re not using their smartphones all the time. We set social media limits on our phones to help us stop scrolling.
The industry is a wonderland of opportunity, and the most accessible it has never been hugely in part due to the internet. You can blow up from your bedroom and suddenly be playing 3,000-cap theaters on the other side of the world. But this addiction to instant satisfaction, the 3-second attention span, the doom scrolling, it’s killing artistry because we’re feeling forced to create content for the algorithm and not for the art. I certainly feel like I’m bowing to the algorithm gods with everything I post, and get completely burned out on whether it ‘performs well’.
I think the emphasis on online reach and numbers is skewing the art, supporting the algorithm over authenticity. The answer is in live music and shows. People are being moved in person by talent that’s in the room. The core of the human experience is connection. The live music scene is in crisis mode, and I think industry money going towards funding more live music and making it easier for artists to tour (Live Nation has definitely taken a step in the right direction after being one of the worst out there) is going to help rebalance the scales.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in self-producing this album, and how did you overcome it?
I bit off more than I could chew, giving myself no boundaries and no box to fit these songs into. This was a big project to produce; I had the best team of co-producers. I chose my favourite people and friends to finish these songs with me, which just added to the fun.
Looking ahead, what dreams or goals do you still hope to accomplish as an artist, and what do you wish this new chapter in your career will open up for you?
Ok, there are the normal dreams and goals like touring the world, getting a number one, winning a Grammy, etc., which I, of course, would love. But that’s been the same throughout my career. A fun new one I’d really love to achieve is to write a musical, featuring my music, and see it put on in the West End or on Broadway. That’s a PIPE DREAM, but who knows, maybe saying it out loud (and printing it!) will make it happen?!
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Photo Credit: James Jin
