Jodi Phillis

Jodi Christine Phillis (born 11 April 1965 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist. She spent her childhood in California, and moved back to Sydney, Australia to begin school. She quit school at 15, then spent eight years working as a graphic artist with surfwear company Mambo Graphics until she formed the band The Clouds, where she met fellow frontwoman and bassist Trish Young.^[1] Phillis is best known for her vocal ability in many of her songs, such as "Hieronymus", "Souleater" and "Ghost of Love Returned".

The Clouds and other projects[]

While still in The Clouds in 1996, Phillis explored a more mellow, acoustic direction with her debut solo album Lounge o' Sound, embracing many exotic textures, while its follow-up, the more conventional In Dreams I Live (2001) received much critical acclaim. The track Waiting, Wanting, Holding was featured in the ABC's series Love Is a Four-Letter Word. In Dreams... went on to receive two ARIA Award nominations. Her third solo album, For Lovers, Artists and Dreamers, was released in 2004.

After The Clouds split in 1997, Phillis formed The Dearhunters with Tim Oxley, Raphael Whittingham and Greg Hitchcock.

Phillis provided the vocals for the Decoder Ring track "The Night Shift" for their 2002 debut EP Spooky Action at a Distance.

2005 saw Phillis reunite with former Clouds band-mate Trish Young, under the moniker The Girls from the Clouds. Their EP Lalalala was released in early 2006.^[2] After 18 months, however, Phillis and Young once again went their separate ways.

In 2011, The Clouds reformed to play a tour with Jesus Jones and the Wonderstuff, playing sold out shows at the Enmore Theatre. In 2016 The Clouds released a new EP, Zaffre and toured Australia. They have since toured with Cyndi Lauper and Blondie as part of the Day on the Green festival series. A new single was released in 2017 called "Beautiful Nothingness" which is a "mini meditation wrapped up in a song". The Clouds still collaborate and perform periodically.

In 2013, Jodi attended the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), to study composition and graduated with a Certificate in Screen Music. Jodi's screen credits include the feature film Convict, and numerous TV commercials and television shows.

In 2017 Jodi Phillis spearheaded the composer's project, Seven Stories, in collaboration with Ensemble Offspring and six other prominent female composers, Amanda Brown, Caitlin Yeo, Sally Whitwell, Bree van Reyk, Kyls Burtland and Jane Sheldon with text by Hilary Bell. Seven Stories premiered during Sydney's Vivid Festival.

In 2018, Phillis released her Becoming album. Produced by Tim Oxley and penned by Jodi, it was an album that covered topics such as grief, loss, love and menopause. The album was rated at number 5 in Your Music Radar's "Top 20 Best Australian Albums of 2018", with Brian Parker opining, "An album that serves as a chronicle of one person’s experience of change, yet ultimately becomes therapeutic for her listener – giving hope that life and love is worth it, and with change comes positivity. A beautiful album that marks Phillis as one of Australia’s vital singer-songwriters."^[3]

Discography[]

Solo artist[]

• 1972 released on 12" vinyl
• 1986 Fifth Business
• 1987 Nu-Genes (Giant)
• 1996-Jodi Phillis, Lounge'O'Sound, album (Redeye/Polydor)
• 1999-The Dearhunters 7 inch split single with The Hired guns (Steady Cam Records)
• 1999-The Dearhunters, Red Wine and Blue, album, (Candle Records)
• 1999-The Dearhunters, All My Loving compilation album
• 1999-The Dearhunters ‘Banter’ (Candle Records compilation)
• 2001-Jodi Phillis, In Dreams I Live, album, (Candle Records)
• 2001-Jodi Phillis, Lounge'O'Sound, album re-release, (Candle Records)
• 2002-Jodi Phillis, Candle Records, Feast, compilation album, (Candle Records)
• 2003-Jodi Phillis, For Lovers, Artists and Dreamers, album, (Candle Records) recorded and produced by Tim Oxley
• 2004-Jodi Phillis, Feast, Candle Records compilation album, (Candle Records)
• 2005-The Girls From The Clouds E.P. ’La La La La’(Candle Records) recorded and produced by Jodi Phillis and Tim Oxley
• 2006-Jodi Phillis, Hamper, Candle Records compilation album, (Candle Records)
• 2008-Roger loves Betty, Let Love Begin, album. (independent) recorded and produced by Tim Oxley and Jodi Phillis.
• 2009-Roger loves Betty, Circle Suckers and Bubble Stars, album (independent) recorded and produced by Tim Oxley and Jodi Phillis
• 2010-Ilona Harker debut album That which lasts, recorded and produced by Jodi Phillis and Tim Oxley.
• 2010-Roger Loves Betty 3rd album (work in progress)
• 2011-The Glamma Rays, The Austinmer EP. (independent) recorded and produced by Jodi Phillis
• 2013-Jodi Phillis, Sonum Vitae (Solo album)
• 2015-The Glamma Rays, Listen to the Birds album (independent)
• 2018-Jodi Phillis, Becoming (independent, self published)

Personal life[]

Jodi Phillis currently lives in the Illawarra region of NSW, south of Sydney. Jodi has two daughters.

References[]