The album Phoebe Bridgers tried to emulate on ‘Stranger In The Alps’
When Phoebe Bridgers released her debut album, a star was born. Undoubtedly one of the leading lights in modern music, Bridgers has climbed the ladder to the very top but was given a hefty shove with her debut record. But long before that success and notoriety came, one album inspired her to no end.
There has always been a clear magic around Phoebe Bridgers. As a mere teenager playing open mics and small gigs, crowds could spot it. At 16, she wrote ‘Waiting Room’, a song that seemed to hold limitless potential and prove her position as a key one to watch. When producer Tony Berg heard the song and was introduced to Bridgers, he offered to make her first album for free.
Today, Bridgers is a star. She was the most awarded musician at the 2024 Grammys as a member of the powerhouse supergroup Boygenius, and her solo career continues to thrive. She’s carved out space forever in the music industry through her heavily emotive lyricism and penchant for utter devastation. With songs that swell from slow acoustic numbers into all-out screaming chaos, her distinct sound is instantly recognisable.
Bridgers has spoken at length about her influences in the past, calling upon Elliott Smith as her ultimate idol and inspiration for Punisher. But when it came to making Stranger In The Alps and introducing herself to the world in 2017, the album that inspired her was a little more niche.
“I love the sound of Blake Mills’s first record,” she said in an interview as her debut was released, adding, “I wanted my record to sound like that.”
While Blake Mills’ solo material isn’t as well known as it deserves to be, his impact on music is massive. As a producer and guitarist, he’s worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, Fiona Apple, Lana Del Rey, Laura Marling, and Conor Oberst, all artists who provide clear inspiration to Bridgers.
His debut album is a masterpiece of lyricism and guitar work. Mixing slow acoustic sounds with bluesy slide guitars and exciting high-production details, it’s easy to see why it was so impactful to Bridgers. Just as she likes to build from a soft start into major climaxes, Mills does that masterfully.
By the time Bridgers’ second album, Punisher, came around in 2020, she got to work with Mills, who contributed guitars and even clarinets to the songs ‘Halloween’ and ‘Saviour Complex’. Turning one of her idols into a peer is proof of Bridgers’ talent and inevitable stardom.
