phem (Photo by Hee Eun Chung)
Alternative pop sorceress phem and Australian superstar Alison Wonderland pose a question that has been on everybody’s mind as of late with their new single “W.W.C.B.D.”–i.e. “wut wud carole baskin do?”
Inspired by the cultural phenomenon and Netflix documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, the track fuses echo-y trap beat-craft and electronic transmissions from Wonderland with phem’s ruddy acoustic guitar and hypnotic croon. It closes out on a possible answer to this popular quarantine query as phem strains out the final crescendo, “Feed you to the tigers, but I can’t because this virus got me paralyzed again.”
Watch a visualizer video for “W.W.C.B.D.” by phem X Alison Wonderland on YouTube:
About “W.W.C.B.D.,” phem commented, “During this quarantine, I became obsessed with Tiger King (just like everyone else). Everyday, I was searching the hashtag on Twitter to see what other people thought and how they were reacting to Carole and the mysterious death of her husband.”
She added: “Feeling frustrated about being stuck inside and the idea that many people are cooped up with their significant others, (many who are at their breaking point and probably wish they could end the relationship), I picked up my guitar and began playing a simple base line. The words came out naturally. The demo was short and concise, but I wanted some extra production and had been going back and forth with Alison Wonderland for a few months about making stuff together, so I sent it to her. She loved the idea. Within a day’s time, she sent it back and made it sound so good I almost started crying. Literally, we made this shit in two days. I didn’t want to be precious about it. It feels like no rules apply right now. It was something fun and relatable, and we both wanted it out ASAP.”