ATP! Interview: Phoebe Ryan

Starting off in the music business as a songwriter for artists like Oh Honey and Bea Miller, Phoebe Ryan is now making a jump into the spotlight. “I always wanted to pursue my own career as an artist. It was a matter of getting my skills up to par and focusing on the craft of songwriting. I always knew that I wanted to be an artist, it was just all about timing,” she says.


While she’s switching gears to focus on her own career at the moment, she still likes to write songs for other people for fun. Writing for herself is a whole other animal than writing for others, though. “When you’re writing for other people I feel like you get into some sort of character,” Ryan says. “You have to think—not about what you’re trying to say exactly as the artist you’re working with. When I’m writing for myself I always write subject matter that’s important to me. I feel like I just have certain things that I’m trying to say right now.”

The song that got people listening was a unique mash up of R. Kelly and Miguel that happened randomly in the studio. “It started with the track, using that Kesha sample. I just kind of started doing R. Kelly over the track…then my producer started singing Miguel and we were like ‘Oh my gosh, how do we combine this,’” she says.


That mashup ended up being the first track on her debut EP, Mine, as “kind of like the diving board for everything.” She says the other songs were a good introduction into the ideas that she wants to expand upon and hopes they mean as much to other people as they do to her. As far as favorites go, she says “Mine” is her favorite track of the EP because it's “something really special.” After a moment of thinking, she backtracks and says, “Actually, I think all of them are the best. When they were asking what the single should be, I said all of them.”

While she was prepping for a weekend performing at Bonnaroo when we spoke with her, she plans on spending the rest of the year “writing my butt off” her debut album and opening on tours for “some cool acts.”


Ryan's ultimate goal, however, is to do stadium tours and perform on Saturday Night Live. “I feel like my parents think that’s when you’ve made it so I would love to play,” she says. After a brief pause she adds with a chuckle, “Oh, and performing on the moon because no one’s done that yet. I think that’s a very strong goal.”

The 24-year-old new artist has a lot of insane love for her fans and the support they give her. She says that everyone being supportive is the absolute best feeling in the world and constantly inspires her to keep making music. “I just wanna say thank you and I hope you guys keep listening and you guys are all very attractive and I love you,” she says when asked for a message for her fans.


“I just feel like I have something different to offer. It’s hard to put it words. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m writing my own songs or if it’s because...shit. I don’t know. Hopefully there’s something different that people like about me,” Ryan tells us when explaining how she stands out from other artists.

We think Phoebe has something that is incredibly special that stands out from rest and we couldn't be more excited to hear what she has in store for us next.

Words by Lauren Jones