Project Description
Interview with
JODI PHILLIS
Interviewer – Vicky Hebbs
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After leaving her mark on the Australian cultural landscape with The Clouds, Jodi Phillis has returned to her default mode of acoustic singer songwriter, mining the deep seem of neo-romantic folk pop.
Successfully crowdfunded and produced by Tim Oxley, Jodi’s new body of work is an acoustic, intimate account of grief and it’s fallout. Real life is flipped inside out, shaken up and transformed into vintage filtered songs that celebrate life and the quest to find meaning in a broken world. ‘Becoming’ will evoke cherished memories, childhood day dreams, and visions of a longed for utopia, while urging the listener to follow their bliss.
Jodi will perform songs from her new album ‘Becoming’ as well as a selection of songs from earlier solo albums and a few favourites from her other musical incarnations. Real, raw, vulnerable and life affirming are a few words to describe what you will experience from Jodi’s performance.
Come along and let your heart sing with Jodi on this most intimate occasion.
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How did you first get into music? When did it become a serious concern?
We always had music in our house. My dad was a true music lover and my mother was a singer. I was always singing and making up little ditties from a very young age.
I sang in an amazing choir from age 7 til 13. That’s where I learned all about harmony singing. My parents bought me a nylon string guitar when I was 13 and I learned how to play from The Beatles and Neil Young chord books. I started writing songs once I knew a few chords.
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What kind of music did you grow up on? What artists inspired you and which do you still look to now for ideas?
The earliest music I remembering hearing and loving were albums by Sergio Mendez and Brazil 66, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkle, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, The Carpenters, Four Freshmen, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Chet Baker, Oscar Peterson, Beach Boys and so many more. I still listen to all of these great artists and they still inspire me.
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Your fifth solo album, Becoming, will be released October 19th. How would you describe the concept of your latest album?
It is very much a singer, songwriter album with a neo-romantic, folk vibe, inspired by the great singer, songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s. My main points of reference lyrically were Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, George Harrison and Joni Mitchell. There is a lot of acoustic guitar with pretty embellishments here and there, which support very intimate, spiritual lyrics. The songs deal with grief, transformation, art, nature and love.
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How did you begin the writing process of the album, and what inspired you to create it?
I have wanted to make an album like this since I was a teenager. It is only now that I feel I have had enough life experience to write these songs and to sing them in a relaxed and soulful way. I have expressed my inner most feelings and thoughts about life. I have shared the grief of losing both my parents to cancer. I also have a song about menopause which gets chuckles of recognition whenever I sing it for an audience over 40!
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Do you feel that Becoming is true to your unique sound, or are there any surprise elements to the album that your fans can expect?
I think it sounds like a Jodi Phillis album if that’s what you mean. I did approach it more as a singer, songwriter though, rather than as a musician. I didn’t have any musical ideas for the album at first. I just concentrated on recording the acoustic guitar and the lead vocal. I even considered releasing it just like that.
However, producer Tim Oxley decided to try laying down some drums and bass and it started to take on a whole new sound that was really beautiful and exciting.
Then we added flutes and harmonies and organ and percussion etc…Tim did an amazing job of pulling the whole thing together. He approaches everything as a true artist. Time is non-existent and he is totally in the moment when he works. He will work on something meticulously until it sounds finished. I also had Damien Lane play some brilliant electric guitar and Cameron Bruce provided some beautiful piano parts.
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Will you be releasing a single before the launch of the album?
Yes, the song ‘Becoming’ is the first single. It is a folk-pop song about the evolution of consciousness and becoming the person you have always wanted to be. It has a George Harrison style slide solo as a tribute to the great man.
The second single is called ‘Hudson Dreaming’ and it is a love song..a love song for my husband and a love song for a place….the Catskills in upstate New York.
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Can you share a song from Becoming that you feel especially proud to have written, or that has a particular meaning to you?
All the songs on the album have a very deep meaning for me. I think if I have to single one out, I would choose ‘Mamma Told Me a Secret’. It is about my beautiful mother Juni. It’s a tribute to her beautiful soul. Everyone who knew her, knew that she was a special and rare human being, full of unconditional love for everyone. She was sweet like a Disney movie. I wanted to create a song that immortalised her and I love the way it has turned out.
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Can you share your process of creating or coming up with the idea for the song you have just shared?
Once I got through the heaviest part of the grief of losing my mother, I started to write songs again. A few weeks before she died, she told me her little trick of seeing everyone as their best self. So whenever she saw a lost, lonely, homeless person in the street, she would picture them dressed in beautiful clothes with a radiant smile and send them love. She wasn’t a physically strong woman, she wasn’t wealthy, so it wasn’t in her power to help someone in a physical way but what she could offer was a loving thought. Putting that little story into a song felt like a perfect way to show the kind of person she was and to celebrate her life.
All our invisible thoughts are very powerful and they shape our world. Choosing beautiful thoughts is so important.
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You will be heading out on tour soon to promote the new album. Is there anywhere you are especially keen to perform or have not played previously?
I am looking forward to playing at all of these intimate venues. I haven’t done this kind of thing before. I am really enjoying meeting people from everywhere and chatting after the shows.
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What do you miss most when you are on tour?
Sleep!!!!
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You crowdfunded some of the costs for this album with enormous support from your fans, something a number of artists have been doing to get there work out there. What do your fans mean to you? And how does it feel to have people enthusiastic enough about your music to contribute like this?
I can’t even describe how grateful I am to everyone. I feel like the world has changed so much since I started out with The Clouds. The barrier between music lover and artist has faded way it seems, cos we’re all music lovers right?! Many fans of The Clouds have stuck with us since the beginning. They are beautiful, kind and generous people who’s support has literally kept us going as artists. It is a beautiful exchange, because I know they appreciate the music we make as much as we appreciate having people to sing to!
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Are there any musicians you can share who inspired you to embark on the multi-faceted music career you have forged?
Yeah it’s pretty multi-faceted alright. The first rock ’n’roll muso who I noticed make the change from being in a band to being a screen composer was Amanda Brown from The Go-betweens. We have since become mates and collaborators but she definitely inspired me to make that leap. Also Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo and Danny Elfman from Oingo Boingo, Lisa Jerrard from Dead Can Dance….Liz Phair….the list goes on.
It was also my musical upbringing and being exposed to so much great stuff and so many different styles of music which makes me want to keep exploring, so I have to thank my Dad. The Glamma Rays came about from hearing so much jazz as a child.
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Has your approach to songwriting/creating music changed over your career? If so, can you share how it has changed?
In The Clouds I used to sit down with a guitar and play around with chord changes that gave me a thrill. Then I would sing and find a melody that had a kind of alchemical reaction over those chords…then the lyrics would come.
Now I write in different ways. For Becoming I just put up my antenna and the ideas started to come in. I rarely sit around playing guitar anymore. The song ideas just come, often melodies and lyrics together….whether I am on a plane or in a car or doing the dishes. Even with orchestral stuff, I just sit at the computer and start playing notes….the rest just falls into place.
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Thinking back over your musical career, is there any moment or event that stands out as being truly memorable for you?
That’s a bit of a big question. Even though I have a really crappy memory there are so many important moments, whether they be happy, sad, funny, weird….whatever.
Ok, I’ll pick one….
I remember doing an interview at Sydney Uni in the early 90s. With a young, well educated music student. Trish and I were asked how we came up with a diminished E9 major over that augmented D minor (or something like that) Trish and I just looked at each other and scratched our heads and both said “don’t know, it just sounded good”. That basically sums it all up for me.
I’m learning piano now. I try so hard to learn theory but my brain just doesn’t want to go there.
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What are your major goals or milestones for the future?
Just to keep going. I have honestly dropped all expectations of anything happening. Good things usually do happen, whether you plan for them or not. Bad things also happen. It’s not something you can control. Things I would LIKE to happen are….composing music for a film that I truly love and relate to (directors take note!) and performing my songs at beautiful theatres around the world.
The main thing is that I keep making music that gives me a really true feeling…music that captures the essence of the meaning in a beautiful way.
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Finally, this is a paragraph dedicated to some quick discovery. Really corny, but for the fans, can you tell me your favorite album, artist, movie, place, drink, meal and person (living or dead) and some brief reasons why? Answer some or all please?
Oh that is impossible! but off the top of my head….in this moment……not to be taken seriously, ‘cos there is no number 1!
Album…..Talking Book – Stevie Wonder
Artist…….Neil Young
Movie……Blue Velvet
Place…….Big Sur – California
Drink……..a cup of tea – with half a honey and a little milk please
Meal……..eggplant parmigiana
Person…..Tim Oxley
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JODI PHILLIS
Homecoming
Album Launch / Solo Tour
Sat Nov 3 – The Junk Bar #Brisbane QLD
Fri Nov 9 – Servo Food Truck Bar, #PortKembla NSW
Sat Nov 10 – The Gasoline Pony, #Marrickville(#Sydney) NSW
Thur Nov 15 – Grace Emily Hotel, #Adelaide, SA
Fri Nov 16 – Kastoria Music Club, #NorthCoburg(#Melbourne) VIC
Sat Nov 17 – Major Tom’s, #Kyneton(#MacedonRanges) VIC
Sun Dec 2 – MONA – Museum of Old and New Art, #Berriedale (#Hobart) TAS
with special guests.
TICKETS & INFO
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Follow JODI PHILLIS
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BIO
Jodi was born in Melbourne then moved to Los Angeles when she was a baby with her American singing mum and Australian camera-man/director dad. The family moved back to Australia in the early 70’s and settled in Sydney’s north shore suburb of Chatswood. Music and art were always Jodi’s main obsessions. She sang in choirs throughout her childhood and started playing guitar and writing songs at age thirteen. At age twenty Jodi had started playing in various bands but it wasn’t until 1989 that she formed the alternative pop/rock group The Clouds. The original line-up consisted of Jodi, Trish Young, Stuart Eadie and Rob Phelan. It was after only a few shows that the band found themselves to be at the centre of a record label bidding war. The Clouds chose to sign with Redeye Records/Polydor, run by John Foy. The line up changed a few times, with David Easton, Andrew Burns, Raphael Whittingham and Ben Nightingale all contributing to the sound, which evolved continuously as they worked hard for 8 years, gaining a loyal following around the world.
The Clouds were the recipients of three Aria nominations, repeatedly entered the top 20 of the mainstream charts, received a gold record for their debut album, Penny Century, played at the first six Big Day Outs, lived in the UK and the US, signed to Elektra worldwide and recorded over seventy songs which were released as four albums and sixteen eps.
Jodi chose to leave The Clouds in 1997 to go solo and explore more intimate and personal styles of songwriting and recording. She has released four critically acclaimed solo albums, with her fifth currently in production. It is scheduled for release in September 2018.
Jodi has been tagged a “national treasure” by Rolling Stone magazine and her second album In Dreams I Live received two Aria nominations. Jodi toured with Tim through the US and Canada to promote it and record some songs for her third album For Lovers, Artists and Dreamers with Ron Sexsmith’s drummer Don Kerr at his studio in Toronto.
Australia’s favourite music trivia show Rockwiz invited Jodi to appear as a featured guest where she performed the old Clouds tune, Hieronymusand teamed up with Kim Salmon for a version of It Takes Two.
Jodi has been creating music for the screen for 15 years, applying her highly original and melodic style to all her work. She achieved a Graduate Certificate in Screen Music from The Australian Film, Television and Radio School in 2013 and scored her first feature film, Convict, directed by David Field.
In 2017, Jodi re-united with The Clouds to tour with Blondie and Cyndi Lauper for A Day on the Green and release new music. The Clouds hosted Rage for the 2nd time in March and Jodi was a featured writer/speaker at People of Letters for the Sydney Writers Festival. Jodi co-hosted a radio show on Double J every Sunday in March, with Patricia Young.
Most recently, Jodi worked in collaboration with six of Australia’s most prominent female composers and Ensemble Offspring to develop Seven Stories, a major work of classical/art music. The show premiered at City Recital Hall in June, 2017 and will feature at festivals and venues throughout 2018/19.
Jodi’s 5th solo album Becoming, produced by Tim Oxley will be released independently on October 19, 2018, with a tour to launch it in November.
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