PHILDEL
...is a musical marvel from London who blends pop, alternative pop, neoclassical and dream pop in her songs. Her name is a tribute to her Chinese and Irish roots. She overcame a harsh childhood under a music-hating stepfather who tried to silence her voice, but she found solace in school and music mentors who nurtured her talent. At 17, she started crafting her own demos, which opened doors to collaborations with other artists and producers. She also earned fame for her music being featured in various ads, such as Apple iPad 3 and Expedia. Phildel has three albums to her name: The Disappearance of the Girl (2013), Qi (2018) and Wave Your Flags (2019). She is admired for her stunning vocals, mesmerizing melodies and cinematic soundscapes.
How did you discover your passion for music and who are some of the artists that influenced your style?
I remember being a very young child and finding enormous joy in teaching myself to play the nursery rhymes that I knew, on my toy piano. It was a non-electronic hammer action tiny toy piano.
They no longer make them but I recently bought a vintage model of one. It took me back…
“Strange ships” is a captivating song with a wonderful mood and amazing vocals. What or who inspired you to create it?
The creation of Strange Ships was fairly long. I was sitting at the piano feeling kind of depressed and creatively blocked or numb. I was finding it hard to write so I thought, why don’t I write a song about that very feeling. The feeling of stasis. I remember thinking about the rest of nature and how even the rock cycle, moves at its own rate of progress.
As the years went on and I gradually returned to the song here and there, new things began to occur to me. The frustrating pace of progress for humans, our slow approach to equality, our slow approach to climate change. Set against the epic chaos of creation and destruction in the universe there is this seemingly all too slow movement. That’s one of the key themes of the song. In fact, the original Strange Ships track is much slower, and this Universe Spell Mix has been resampled to run at double the time.
How has your songwriting process changed from “The Glass Ghost (EP)” to your latest release?
It hasn’t really changed. I still take a long time and I still believe rather than rushing out a hollow song, it’s better to do what is necessary to wait for the song to be truly finished. Even if that means waiting years until you’ve grown as a person.
What are some of the techniques or strategies that you use to write lyrics for your songs?
I like to relax and connect with my unconscious. It’s a creative process that means you need to minimise and avoid any form of judgment or analysis over your thinking. I let the words, fragments and symbols surface. And I do this for a few sessions. Then I reflect on it all with a more analytical mindset and interpret what’s there.
How do you stay true to your artistic vision while meeting the expectations of your audience or the industry?
I’ve really always been quite removed from the industry. I’ve enjoyed occupying my own position, away from the activity of the music industry - and I think for me and my style as an artist that’s been helpful. I don’t think my creativity would have developed in the same way had that been different.
I think I’m lucky in that my audience are wonderfully supportive and always have been. They want authentic music, they trust my process and they do not impose a need for their own personal tastes or expectations to be delivered through my creative work. My experience with my listeners has been that they are open minded and respectful, in the way that they receive new music. This is something I am so grateful for.
Which three songs of yours would you suggest to our readers to get a glimpse of your musical journey?
The Wolf,
Qi and
Into the Woods.
What are some of the aspirations or dreams that you have as an artist?
My main goal is one that I have already achieved and continue to achieve - to wake up each day and be able to create whatever I like, with the resources to do that. My other goal is to find a way to do a small tour, bringing my children along.
...and finally, what's next for you?
I’m working on a very exciting new track with BBC Radio 1 DJ and Producer Paul Sawyer. So we’re both very excited to release that soon! I’ll also be releasing a few more singles from my forthcoming album, “Into the Woods”
