• News

• All

Aug 19, 2021 By Mark Redfern Photography by Frank Ockenfels

Phoebe Bridgers has shared three new remixes of her single “Kyoto.” The remixers are Bartees Strange, Glitch Gum, and The Marias. The original version of “Kyoto” was found on her acclaimed 2020 album, Punisher, released by Dead Oceans. Listen to all three remixes below, followed by Bridgers’ upcoming tour dates.

Bartees Strange is a Washington, D.C.-based singer/songwriter/guitarist (real name Bartees Cox Jr.) and his version is more of a cover of the song, than a remix, featuring his own vocals. He had this to say about his version in a press release: “I wanted to find a way to make this song hit in a completely different way, but still retain some of the big and small moments that make the song special to me. At first I was thinking through how I could use the stems, but the more I got into it the more I wanted to take it somewhere else entirely. Crushing tune, glad I could mess around with it.”

Bridgers picked Glitch Gum after hearing his hyperpop cover of “Kyoto.” Glitch Gum had this to say in the press release: “All I know is one day, when I was in between Zoom classes last fall, I thought, ‘Man, what if Phoebe Bridgers did hyperpop?’ That idea turned into a 30-second snippet of ‘Kyoto,’ which turned into a full song, which turned into working with Phoebe and her team to make this little quarantine project come full circle in ways I could never even fathom. It was so fun deconstructing the musical realms of both Phoebe and I and combining them into something that filled the hyperpop-indie-crossover-shaped hole in my brain. I am just really happy with how it turned out and forever thankful for Phoebe, her friends, and their continuous support.”

LA band The Marias collectively had this to say about their remix: “I remember seeing Phoebe years ago at an open mic here in Los Angeles, and I knew right off the bat that she was really special. Working on this remix was a sort of full circle moment for us. ‘Kyoto’ is an amazing song as-is, so with the remix we were just curious to see what it would sound like with the vocal slowed down and adding some of our favorite synth sounds behind it.”

Punisher landed Bridges on the cover of our print magazine and topped our Top 100 Albums of 2020 list.

Punisher includes “Garden Song,” and “Kyoto,” which were both #1 on our Songs of the Week list. “I See You,” was also one of our Songs of the Week, as well as “I Know the End.” Then she shared a video for “I Know the End.” She then shared a video for “Savior Complex” directed by writer/actress/comedian/producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge and starring Irish actor Paul Mescal. She also shared some behind-the-scenes footage from the making of her “Savior Complex” video. Bridgers also performed on various TV shows, including doing two songs on Saturday Night Live this past February where she memorably smashed her guitar.

Read our review of Punisher here.

Bartees Strange released his debut album, Live Forever, last fall via Memory Music (it was also one of our Top 100 Albums of 2020).

Read our rave review of Live Forever here.

Read our interview with Strange about Live Forever here.

Phoebe Bridgers 2021 Tour Dates:

September 3/ The Pageant/ St Louis, MO +
September 4/ Bonnaroo Festival/ Manchester, TN
September 5/ Iroquois Amphitheater/ Louisville, KY +
September 7/ Royal Oak Music Theatre/ Detroit, MI *
September 8/ Royal Oak Music Theatre/ Detroit, MI *
September 10/ Pitchfork Music Festival/ Chicago, IL
September 11/ Palace Theatre/ St Paul, MN *
September 12/ Palace Theatre/ St Paul, MN *
September 14/ The Sylvee/ Madison, WI *
September 15/ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre/ Indianapolis, IN *
September 17/ Stage AE Outdoors/ Pittsburgh, PA *
September 18/ Express Live/ Columbus, OH *
September 19/ The Fillmore/ Charlotte, NC *
September 20/ The Ritz/ Raleigh, NC *
September 23/ Firefly Festival/ Dover, DE
September 25/ Governor’s Ball Festival/ New York, NY
September 26/ Leader Bank Pavilion/ Boston, MA *
September 27/ Leader Bank Pavilion/ Boston, MA *
October 2/ ACL Festival/ Austin, TX
October 3/ The Orpheum Theater/ New Orleans, LA
October 4/ Avondale Brewing Company/ Birmingham, AL
October 9/ ACL Festival/ Austin, TX
October 16/ Greek Theatre/ Berkeley, CA
October 21/ Greek Theatre/ Los Angeles, CA
October 24/ Shaky Knees Festival/ Atlanta, GA
October 26/ The Anthem/ Washington, DC

+Support from Bartees
*Support from MUNA

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.