Audrey Hobert is the alt-pop star saying it as it is

Audrey Hobert – Who’s The Clown BTS8 Images

Four months ago, Audrey Hobert dropped her first-ever single, “Sue Me”. An upbeat, pop anthem about yearning where she manages to sing “sue me, I want to be wanted”, over 30 times in just under three minutes. Within a few weeks of the song’s release, it became a fan favourite and an instant hit. For some, she appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but to many, she is a familiar face and talent.

Raised in Los Angeles, some may have been first introduced to Hobert as the co-writer and director of some of her childhood best friend Gracie Abrams’ biggest hits, including “That’s So True” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry”. Last year, in an interview with Dazed, Abrams described her as “such a rare person”. Now, less than a year into Hobert’s own music career, her rarity and eccentric nature are proving to be what people connect the most with.

At 26 years old, Hobert belongs to a generation that missed Girls in its glory days but discovered it during adolescence. “I used to think I was Shoshanna, but I now know I’m Hannah,” she says. “We all have attributes of each girl. I’d like to be Jessa, but I’ll never be Jessa.” Crediting the show for her move to New York after high school, it was during her time at NYU’s Tisch School Of The Arts studying Screenwriting that she honed her writing skills.

The songs and accompanying videos from her recently released debut album, Who’s the Clown? merge matter-of-fact confessions and tongue-in-cheek one-liners – in a way that makes sense for someone who spent a large portion of time in writer’s rooms at Warners Bro Studios. Her lyrics could easily be interchanged as lines from a script, and the four videos she has released so far are layered with fun references you could miss (see her as Troy Bolton in the “Thirst Trap” video).

In the short period of her music existing in the world, the word relatable has been thrown around, but it was not necessarily her intention. To her, the album is simply a dictation of life’s weird and interesting moments. “I like to observe, and I like to write,” Hobert explains. “I wasn’t trying to actively do anything other than tell a story while making these songs.” Going from singing about TV characters helping you accept your appearance (“Phoebe”), finding mingling with celebs more painful than high school (“Chateau”) and posting pictures to get attention from the (“Thirst Trap), nothing is above poking fun at.

“I think sometimes you can decide you’re going to make an album and you’ll write maybe a hundred songs and whittle it down. But these are the only 12 songs I’ve written, so I hope you like them. That’s all I’ve got for now.” With her comedic timing and unique delivery, there’s a refreshing quality about her that is destined to set her apart from her peers.

Below, Hobert had a quick chat with us about the album on her way to Erewhon.

Congrats on the album! How are you feeling about having it out into the world?

Audrey Hobert: Jazzed and free. I’ve got some really meaningful DMs about it being on repeat. It all means so much.

You wrote and produced the album with Ricky Gourmet. What was the process like?

Audrey Hobert: Pure friendship and fun. We snacked on tinned fish every day and went to Bravo Toast. We would take long walks. I’ve never laughed and loved so much. He is a special person. This album got finished so fast because we love to kick it, in my opinion.

You used to work in film and television. How do you think that has informed your songwriting and writing generally?

Audrey Hobert: I think the way being in a TV writers’ room informed this whole career so far was really during the meeting with the record labels process. I didn’t have a manager at the time, so I took all those label meetings alone. But I had just spent two years learning how to pitch, so I walked into those rooms and knew how to pitch myself as an artist.

Judging by the crowd at your London show and all the TikToks I keep seeing, you’ve been anointed by a generation of kids as their new relatable pop princess. How do you feel about that?

Audrey Hobert: I feel alive.

What are three things you need to embody what it means to be a popstar?

Audrey Hobert: I think you need stamina, a concrete idea of who you are, and you need to like talking to people.

Who is your dream collab?

Audrey Hobert: Whoever runs the company Fishwife Tinned Seafood.

You encounter a hostile alien race, and sound is their only mechanism for communication. What song would you play to them to inspire them to spare you and the rest of the human race?

Audrey Hobert: “Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga.

What’s the last meme you saved?