Skip to main content

Phibi Olumide - Issue Two Interview

  1. What’s been your greatest experience as a musician?


I would actually say my greatest experience as a musician has been seeing my progress in music. I've been singing and playing the piano as early as 5 so it's genuinely been amazing to see myself growing into a musician and artist I'd hope 5-year old me would love!


  1. Which artists inspire you?


I take inspiration from many artists! I'd say my main inspirations would be Jeff Buckley, John Martyn, Erykah Badu and Maynard James Keenan 


  1. Do you think there has been a gender imbalance in the music scene? And if so, what can we do to reduce that imbalance?


I have noticed quite a large gender imbalance in music. I think my main issue is wording like 'female fronted' or 'female producer' etc. It seems in the music industry being female and not just being a stand-alone singer is something out of the ordinary. I would also say there needs to be so much more female representation at festivals! There is such an amazing range of female musicians and artists of every genre that I would love to see in the mainstream.


  1. Similarly, do you feel POC are limited in their ability to do well in the industry? And, again, if so, what can we do to reduce that?


 I actually think the music industry has been a safe haven for POC. In the same breath, POC has also been marginalised and put into a certain category. You could say it's self-imposed or you could trace it back to a history of POC only being seen as entertainment. Either way, as much as I'd say I fully think POC are thriving in the music industry there can always be room for improvement and inclusivity. 


  1.  How has the Black Lives Matter Movement impacted your career? And what can we do to maintain this momentum?


 All I would say is I hope that it does. I'm still up and coming so I really do hope movements like this ensure that people will be treated with respect and decency. I encourage everyone to stay focused on change. Keep educating yourself. Basic humanity shouldn't be up for debate really. I think everyone should be striving towards a better, more accepting, generous and kind world.


  1. How would you describe your music in 5 words?


Genre-blending, familiar, emotive, poetic, fun, exciting


Questions by Emily Duff





Most Popular

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

 by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an  Instagram account  has been created to provide a  ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A  total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding  one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists .  Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel comfortable and safe during the pro
Read more

Now What? The Aftermath of the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl'

by Susan Moore Here is a bit about me: I am an open, excitable, creative AFAB who is also moderately attractive. I have a unique sense of personal style and a personality that on the surface can only be described as “bubbly” and “quirky”. For this reason, dating is a nightmare. To be sure, I do not have a hard time finding dates or potential suitors. The problems arise when said dates spend some time with me and decide that I am a rare specimen, and the connection they feel with me is “unlike anything they have felt before”. Then, things go one of two ways.  Either a) they decide I am too high maintenance and no longer palatable, or  b) they choose to never look further than the surface and are content to date the idea of me rather than the real me. There is something rather interesting, perhaps funny, about my situation. It is in no way unique. I have met so many people who constantly dealt with the same problem. Even funnier still, is the fact that there is a trope that simultaneousl
Read more

Eurydice’s Last Words

by Kate Bradley I do not want to return To sit in the stalls, Of an empty black box Strewn with petals Leave the ghost light on, Let it shine like a call home, But I will not come back To turn it off alone. I learn this as we walk Our ever so solemn path Our thudding funeral march, You think we’re going back. As I trace my old steps, I fear of the day When the symphony swells, And I land my gaze On you, yet you will be Enraptured by the sound, If you did twist To turn around, You would not see me. So I am not sorry, I speak out into the empty air And I am not sorry. “Turn Around.” You do, you look You think  I fall But I run on, Arms wide open To fall in love With it all “Perhaps she was the one who said, ‘Turn around.” On the X45 bus, back from the Tyneside Cinema, I wrote a poem entitled “Eurydice’s Final Words”, after having seen “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”.  That poem was terrible, so I wrote a new one, as my response to the beautifully poignant film.  In one scene, Héloïse, an 18
Read more