Neu Phoebe Green: “It’s nice to be able to document this state of personal growth through my songs”

On her most recent single, Phoebe Green is on tantalising form. Half spoken, half sung, ‘Reinvent’ is a track that deals in a witty brand of honesty that feels entirely her own - the Manchester singer deliberating the pros and cons of people-pleasing in the most satisfyingly straight-talking of fashions. “It’s definitely my way of putting across things that I want to say without having to actually say them!” she laughs down the phone of its honest and direct approach, a few weeks on from the track’s release. “I do like to do that!”

That much is evident from all of her singles so far. Having broken through early last year with the similarly forthright ‘Dreaming Of’ (“You don’t get to choose what makes me blue / I don’t want to compromise myself for you”), she’s already earned herself some major #indie cred, first signing to Chess Club Records and heading out on tour with labelmates Sundara Karma, and now writing alongside The Big Moon’s Jules Jackson.

But for the 22-year-old, her newest track marks something of a breakthrough. “I would definitely see it as [that],” she agrees. “Singing is always something I’ve done, but I’ve never actually done spoken word… And like, I’ve never been self-conscious about how Northern I sound, but I’ve always thought, well, you know, it’s not the most romantic sounding thing ever… So yeah, I felt quite vulnerable [on the track] - especially when I was being so blunt - but it felt good. It felt really empowering, and I think it shows a lot more of my personality than just a standard track would.”

It’s with her next step, however, that the singer’s set to really lift the lid on herself. Continuing in that same honest vein, her forthcoming debut EP aims to build upon the gorgeous alt-pop leanings of her early tracks, while still offering a platform to speak her mind. Ultimately, though, it’s about giving people a real sense of who Phoebe Green is.

“I have struggled with knowing my own mind with things, and trying not to constantly appease people,” she offers up. “Now that I’ve finally got to a headspace where I do feel like I know what I want, I’m clinging to it for dear life! I wanna stay like this forever, and I don’t wanna get back into a cycle of people-pleasing ever again! I think it’s nice to be able to document this state of personal growth through my songs. I’ve always wanted to do that with my music; to keep who I am as a person in this present moment.”