If you don’t know the name Thandi Phoenix, it won’t be long before you do. With explosive singles like ‘My Way’ and ‘Cleopatra’, the former produced by Rudimental, Thandi has earned her place in the line-up of renowned festivals such as Spilt Milk and Splendour in the Grass.
Come December, Thandi is set to appear at Festival X in its inaugural year. Presented by Hardware, Onelove and Live Nation, Festival X will showcase international acts for fans of anything from dance to hip-hop to pop, including the likes of headliners Calvin Harris, Armin van Buuren, and Lil Pump.
With Festival X just two months away, the Sydney singer-songwriter promises audiences an eventful set. “It’s going to be a big old party. Come ready to dance and to have an amazing time,” she says. “I’m doing it for the audience just as much as me. For me, it’s the experience that they get that’s number one.
“The boys and I, my band, we’re a pretty tight band,” she continues. “We know each other really well; we’ve been playing together for years now. So it’s just about having fun, going out there and doing the best show you can do.”
Since announcing her first single in 2015, Thandi has released a handful of tracks leading up to her debut EP release next month. Despite this, she hasn’t found difficulty in forming her setlist for the upcoming Australian festival season.
“It is tricky sometimes when you just want to put all the best ones in and then you’re like “Oh no, I don’t want to cut this, I don’t want to cut that. But if it’s a shorter set, I just want to come out with a bang and hit the audience with a ‘Best of’.”
Fans will not only be treated to favourites like ‘Tell Me Where All the Lovers Have Gone’, with new material from next month’s coming EP featuring throughout the setlist. “I’ve been really integrating some more of the new tracks from the EP,” she explained. “The EP is pretty pumping.
“It’s high energy. The shows have just been getting a lot stronger every time we perform. It’s been fun, I’ve been adding new live elements. For Splendour [in the Grass] I brought on backing vocals and a horn section, so that’s been a really fun element to introduce into the live show. Having more people on stage and it creates a big sound and allows the audience to experience the live show in a different way.”
With a run of festival shows to follow her debut EP release next month, Thandi is excited for the busy months to come. “Next month I’ll be putting out my first EP, which is really exciting. I cannot wait to share that, obviously, and perform those songs.”
With her Festival X performance set to go off, Thandi wants the audience to have as much fun as her. “I don’t want people to be too caught up in looking a certain way or behaving a certain way, I just want people to have the best time, enjoy the music and get to meet new people.
Festival X heads to the Melbourne Showground on December 1st. Tickets are available at festivalx.com.au/tickets
Written by Thom Devereux
