Review Fix chats with Singer/Songwriter Josephine Phillip, who discusses her origin in music, her new album, “Call My Name,†goals for the rest of the year and so much more.
About Josephine Philip:
Singer, composer and performer Josephine Philip lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her work is influenced by a multitude of artistic expressions; choir works, contemporary art and performance, jazz standards, experimental music, film, literature and classical music. Call My Name is the first single from Josephine Philip as a solo artist.
Philip began working on her forthcoming album during the winter of 2019 and the process accelerated in the pandemic year of 2020. The mutual isolation that many of us shared, became a catalyst for the process and both compositions and lyrics resonate the personal and communal experiences of this period – cycles of intense being, joy, despair, love, frustration and careful optimism, shattered by pessimism, and then briefly relieved by hope.
Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?
Josephine Philip: It started back when I was 14 and taking guitar lessons. My teacher really wanted me to sing while I was playing, and he was surprised when he heard me sing the first time. I had always liked to sing, but I didn’t know that I was actually good. When I finally discovered my voice, a new world opened up to me. I have played in many constellations all from ska music in my band Favelachic, to LSD-pop in JaConfetti, pop-noir in Darkness Falls and also done collabs and features with musicians as Trentemøller and Christian Löffler.
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Philip: I have been working on my solo project for a long time. I had many lonely days in my studio because I was so focused on trying to write and produce everything on my own. I soon decided that I needed to change that process as I missed collaborating. I decided that even though I was writing songs for my solo project it didn’t have to be in solitude. I decided that I wanted to do some sessions with different musicians to see if something interesting would come out of that. I met up with Lasse Martinussen who I had worked with before (he produced an album for my band Darkness Falls) and we instantly had an amazing flow, and we decided to work together on what will become my album. We wrote a new song every time we met. We tried to make the starting point of each session super minimal with the instrumental part, so that the melody would have a lot of room, and then Lasse would work with the production after.
Review Fix: What inspires you?
Philip: I get very inspired by my surroundings, and also by other artistic expressions such as contemporary art and performance, film and literature. But I also have a lot of musical influences as choir works, jazz standards, experimental music and classical music.
Review Fix: What does music mean to you?
Philip: Everything.
Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
Philip: I feel my music has a very cinematic feel to it. It’s sparse and dreamy mixed with an insisting and mesmerizing vocal – both strong and fragile.
Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?
Philip: I don’t know yet, as I haven’t played any shows yet with my solo project, but I am very much looking forward to that.
Review Fix: What inspired your latest single?
Philip: I think the inspiration comes from lived life. Call My Name is a song about love and longing. A feeling that must of us know. The longing to be together, to be important, to be held, to be adored, to be missed and ultimately, the burning longing for somebody ready to make sacrifices to save you.
Review Fix: What are your goals for 2021?
Philip: To finish the songs for my forthcoming album.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Philip: You’ll see ☺
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