How Phoebe Bridgers Found Her Voice: The Albums That Shaped a Modern Indie Icon

Phoebe Bridgers has become a defining voice in indie music, seamlessly blending raw vulnerability with hauntingly beautiful soundscapes. Whether she’s performing solo in her now-iconic skeleton costume or collaborating with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker in the supergroup Boygenius, Bridgers channels her honest experiences of loneliness, love, and self-discovery into every note. Her deeply personal approach to music has inspired a generation, especially young women, many of whom have been inspired to pick up a guitar for the first time.  

Bridgers may be a leading figure in today’s “sad girl indie” movement, but her path was paved by the artists she grew up listening to. Among these influences, Joni Mitchell stands out as a beacon. In an interview with *Records In My Life*, Bridgers revealed that Mitchell’s 1971 masterpiece, *Blue*, inspired her to start making music at the tender age of 11.  

Mitchell’s influence is unmistakable in Bridgers’ catalogue. Mitchell’s delicate, folk-tinged guitar tones and confessional lyrics resonate throughout Bridgers’ own work, showing how the original "sad girl" folk legend set the stage for the modern wave of women wielding guitars to tell their stories.  

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A Childhood Soundtracked by Classics  

Beyond Mitchell, Bridgers’ musical foundation was largely shaped by the records her parents played during her childhood. She cites *For Everyman* by Jackson Browne as another key influence, along with the works of Neil Young and Tom Waits.  

“I had pretty much every Neil Young album, Tom Waits album—just kind of what my parents were listening to,” Bridgers shared. Young, in particular, left a lasting impression. Known for his genre-blending style and emotionally resonant lyrics, his influence can be heard in Bridgers’ intimate, genre-defying approach to songwriting.  

In fact, Neil Young provided Bridgers with her first real concert experience. “My first real concert was Neil Young,” she recalled in an interview with *Under the Radar*. “I can’t remember how old I was. I’d probably been to concerts before, but not having been a fan first. [At home, there was] lots of Neil Young. Lots of Laurel Canyon music. Lots of Van Morrison. I’d seen *The Last Waltz* about 1,000 times before I was a functioning adult.”  

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Discovering Her Own Taste  

Like many young music fans, Bridgers initially leaned on her parents’ tastes before forging her own path. It wasn’t until high school that she began exploring more contemporary genres. “It kind of went backwards,” she said, reflecting on her teenage years. “In high school, I was like, ‘Oh wait, pop-punk and emo are a thing. That’s crazy.’ I totally missed out on my age group’s music.”  

Bridgers’ discovery of these genres added new layers to her sound, blending the intimate storytelling of her folk influences with the raw emotion and edge of her high school favorites.  

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The Album Every New Listener Should Hear  

Though she doesn’t cite it as a direct influence on her own music, Bridgers believes that The Beatles’ *Rubber Soul* is the ultimate starting point for any budding music fan. “I think that’s a great introduction-to-everything record,” she said. “If you have no preconceived notions of music, that’s probably a good introduction.”  

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Bridgers’ Legacy  

With her ethereal vocals, tender lyrics, and haunting guitar-driven soundscapes, Bridgers has successfully synthesized her influences into a style that feels both timeless and refreshingly modern. Her music serves as a bridge between the greats she grew up admiring and a new generation of fans inspired by her honest, deeply human approach to storytelling.  

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The Albums That Inspired Phoebe Bridgers

1. *Blue* by Joni Mitchell  

2. *For Everyman* by Jackson Browne  

3. The works of Neil Young  

4. The works of Tom Waits  

5. *Rubber Soul* by The Beatles (an essential recommendation, though not a direct influence)  

These records not only shaped Bridgers’ artistic journey but continue to influence her as she carves out her own place in the history of modern music. 

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