Review Fix Exclusive: Tae Phoenix Talks ‘Outside the Lines’

  Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Tae Phoenix, who discusses her new album “Outside the Lines,” as well as her goals for 2014 and the development of her sound.

For more information on Phoenix, head to taephoenix.bandcamp.com.

Review Fix: What was the creative process for this album?

Tae Phoenix: I grew up listening to American roots music, even as I spent the bulk of my early life singing opera and musical theatre. I made the transition to singing jazz and the blues in high school and college. With this album, I wanted to go back and pair the roots themes I love with lyrics that reflect more modern sensibilities.

The first song to come together was “Ordinary Things,” which is about the universal fear of being abandoned by the people we love once they really see us for who we are.  Over the following year and a half, I wrote about thirty songs and then selected the ones that fit together best.

Another big component of making this album was finding the right band. I have nothing but respect for studio musicians, but I knew that recording with my own band would bring much-needed cohesiveness to this project. I spent nearly a year looking for the right musicians, and then we spent six months working on the material and gigging before we went into the studio.

It was an transformative process; I grew as a musician and a leader. In retrospect, there are some things I would have done differently. But overall, I’m happy with how things worked out.

Review Fix: What’s your favorite track on the album and why?

Phoenix: I think “Let the Light In” is one of the best songs I’ve ever written. It’s about letting the world break you open instead of breaking you down. I love that song for deeply personal reasons, and people frequently tell me after shows that it touched them. We had to record two versions of that song because I love it so much.

I’m also partial to “Down & Dirty Way.” It’s raucous and bawdy and highly danceable. We had so much instrumentation when we finished recording that it took forever to mix. It was like sculpting out of sound. The lyrics push the sexual politics envelope, which is in keeping with a proud blues tradition (For more on this, see Angela Y. Davis’ Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Legacies-Black-Feminism-Gertrude/dp/0679771263)

Review Fix: What’s a track people may bypass but you think has staying power?

Phoenix: “Moment I Try” is quiet, but ultimately powerful. We all know what it’s like to see the root of someone else’s problem and want to get inside their life and fix it for them. Ultimately, you realize that attempting to do that fixes nothing and serves nobody.

Review Fix: What did you learn from this album and how do you think it’ll influence you moving forward?

Phoenix: I learned what it takes to make art a “team sport” under time pressure. Artistic collaboration breeds complicated relationships to begin with, and we had to work quickly, so there was definitely some tension in the studio. That’s just the process. I’m glad to report that everyone remains on happy terms.

Ultimately, the points of friction and the ways we resolved them made the album better and brought us closer. That closeness and trust in the process have already improved our cohesion onstage. I can’t wait to see where they take us next.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2014?

Phoenix: I’m moving forward on a lot of fronts this year, both professionally and personally. I’m getting married in May, and my biggest goal for the year is to start our marriage off well.

That might seem odd to those who think feminists are supposed to put our careers ahead of romance and be all grouchy about men; but the truth is that great partners make everything in life better. Noah supports me with so much honesty and vigor. He’s the greatest blessing the world has ever given me. Having that relationship stay strong and fruitful is going to be the best path forward for me as an artist and a human being.

Career-wise, my big goal is to connect with more people through my music. My next growth spurts as a songwriter, a performer, and a leader are waiting for me in every little stage, lonely road, and new friend. I can’t wait.

(You can check out her tour dates here: http://taephoenix.com/tour-2/. More West Coast dates are coming soon.)

Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?

Phoenix: As an oddball with a huge heart whose work made people less afraid to be authentic.