Though Phoelix is best known for his production work with artists like Noname, Saba, and Smino, that's about to change. The Fox Valley musician started releasing solo material in recent months, and he seems fated to be the next Chicago-area musician to break big—"Sirens" is a haunting, anthemic ode to his hometown, a suburban area outside of Chicago. Elton Aura, a longtime Phoelix collaborator and fellow Fox Valley native, features on the track.
"We are very much a family-oriented group," Phoelix says. "I always hear people say that kids from the burbs always claim Chicago. I never understood why you would want to generalize yourself and diminish your upbringing by claiming somewhere you aren't from. The Valley aint' like the city, but that's where we from."
It's the latest big moment for the multi-instrumentalist, who is also playing bass on tour with Noname. Phoelix also celebrated a birthday on Saturday. The EP comes next.
"'Sirens' makes me feel proud," he said. "We don't have a song like this that so adamantly puts on for the valley. We haven't had an anthem until now and I feel like it's only right that I did the song with E."
