Her way has already taken her from Australia to America and back again, but that is not enough for the lovely Thandi Phoenix. For her, there is currently no other goal in sight that is any smaller than going global.
After having featured her in an article before, we have now spoken exclusively to the lovely powerhouse vocalist to discuss what she has been up to since the successful release of the Rudimental-produced track “My Way” and where she would like hers to go in the future. We have also asked her some personal questions about what keeps her going and what she would like her younger self to know.
Go check it out below:
Hey Thandi, lovely to meet you! How are you?
Hey! So good to meet you too! I’m doing really well, thank you.
We love your new track “My Way”. How does it feel to have some brand new music out?
I’m so glad you like it! I’ve been very excited to release this one so it feels amazing to be able to share it with all of you.
(Thandi has also dropped several club-friendly remixes to her banger “My Way”,
the Vanilla Ace one being her latest)
What have you been up to these last couple of weeks? And what can you tell us about the future?
I’ve just been doing a bunch of promo for “My Way”: I performed at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in the Gold Coast which was a whole lot of fun! The future holds a lot more new music, exciting collaborations, and more shows.
You have been a steady companion of Rudimental in the past. How was it working with them on the new track?
It was sick to work with the guys. I met them back in 2015 and supported them on their Australian tours. I was a fan of their music and vibe so to work with them on my track was a dream. They’re based in London and I’m in Sydney so we went back and forth via email to get the track to where it is today.
We love how you always combine so many musical elements. Which direction would you like to (maybe even are you going to) explore in the future?
I think I will forever experiment with sounds and continue to push myself creatively. I don’t ever want to be a predictable artist but I have been listening to a lot of house/dance music so you maaaaay hear something along those lines [laughs].
What was your favorite experience during your career so far?
I’ve had so many amazing opportunities to play around Australia in amazing venues to great crowds supporting Tinashe, Jhene Aiko, Rudimental, Vera Blue, Tinie Tempah, Pete Tong + 65 piece orchestra. But my most recent highlight would have to be going over to Austin, Texas for SXSW. I felt super fortunate to be accepted as it’s the world’s largest music conference. I took my band and my manager and we just had such a great time. Everything ran so smooth. It was our first show overseas and to be able to do what I love on the other side of the world and connect with people that may not have ever heard of me and my music was such a wonderful experience. Not to mention being able to discover so many new and different artists and bands and eat the best BBQ [laughs].
You are really busy touring and performing your music: what do you enjoy the most about it?
The best thing by far is connecting with an audience. Being on stage and sharing my songs and stories face to face is really the greatest gift, just seeing people move and enjoy listening to what I make and what I love to do, makes me so happy and I love the energy that I get from the audience as well.
If our way takes us to Australia: where should we go and what should we definitely see and do?
Oh I hope for you it does [laughs] I’m from Sydney so you have to come visit here first. You have to check out the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge, then get a ferry over to Taronga Zoo, hug some Koalas. Then I recommend going on the Bronte to Bondi walk and soak up some of our beautiful beaches.
What are some of your personal goals right now and where would you like to want your way to go?
I won’t bore you with my dream collab list, it’s too long! [laughs] But the goal is definitely to get more music to you and get it out as far as possible. Then get on the road, do a headline tour in Australia and abroad and then release a bigger body of work.
“Believe in yourself, stop comparing yourself to others and don’t rush the time it takes to grow.”
What are your main inspirations in life from which you draw energy?
Inspiration is a funny thing because it’s everywhere but it all depends on how you view things. Ultimately I’m inspired by things that make me feel something. That could be happiness, heartache, anger, excitement but if it triggers an emotion in me then there will usually be a response. I’m lucky that music allows me to release those feelings into something positive and enjoyable.
If you could give your younger self some advice: what would it be?
I would first and foremost say don’t be so hard on yourself. Believe in yourself, stop comparing yourself to others and don’t rush the time it takes to grow.
What would you like to tell your fans at CelebMix?
Thanks for taking the time to get to know me a little more. I hope you’re enjoying the music so far and I hope that one day I’ll be able to meet you guys! Keep being you. Kisses.
Thank you so much for the chat!
Thank you!
If you want to stay up-to-date with Thandi and her latest work, you can do so by following her either on Facebook, SoundCloud, Instagram.
We at CelebMix are definitely excited for what the future holds for Thandi.
What do you think about Thandi Phoenix? What keeps you going your way? Tell us all about it by reacting down below or by tweeting us @CelebMix.
Note of the author:
This interview has been edited only for punctuation and style. Otherwise, all answers appear as the interviewed artist intended them
Thandi Phoenix appears courtesy of Motto Beats Records.
We at CelebMix would like to thank all the participants for this opportunity.
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