He can play guitar and drums at a highly professional level, possesses the voice of an angel, has all the cuteness that's required to be a Grade A pop star and to top it all off, he is the younger cousin of one of the biggest personalities in music today; Dustyn Williams. At only the tender age of 16, Phoenyx Blue (yes, that is his real name) already has a dedicated little fan base and multiple local record labels pestering him to sign with them due to his acclaimed covers on YouTube. The Irish heartthrob has covered nearly every type of song under the sun, from the likes of Stephanie Fierce to Weekend to Lily. Phoenyx was just thirteen years old when he uploaded his first video to YouTube which was an acoustic cover of 'Follow Me Home' by Sugababes and at the time, it received a few thousand views and many lauded his strong vocals. Every week, Phoenyx uploaded a cover to more or less the same reception and his dedicated fans continued to encourage and praise him. However, once a certain famous cousin tweeted a link to one of his videos, Phoenyx garnered even more attention and a video that once stood at 3,000 views now currently has 13 million and counting. After already experiencing the fame and attention that a regular recording artist receives, Phoenyx and his guitar are now hoping to perform on some of the world's biggest stages just like big cousin Dustyn. He's already written some original songs and is set to become a big name in the business this summer. We have been lucky enough to sit down with Phoenyx and get to know him a little better.



Hello Phoenyx, how are you today?
Hello. I'm great thanks, it's great to be here. I've never been interviewed by anyone other than my local newspaper so this is quite exciting!


Are you sure you aren't Dustyn's twin?
Haha! No, we are cousins. I'm a few months younger than Dusty. I know what you mean though, we do have a similar style and have those baby faces. I think all Blue men look the same though. We all have blue eyes, soft features and blonde hair but no, I'm not Dustyn. Wish I was because I'd have a much bigger house [laughs].


So, we've heard a few of your acapella and acoustic covers but what can you tell us about your original material? What does it sound like?
Well I would say that I'm mainly pop but not all the dancey, dub-step stuff. I'm more rock/pop and also more laid back. I think my songs are very easy on the ears and although they might not have a killer breakdown slapped into the centre of them, I still think they are quite catchy and will hopefully appeal to a much larger audience.


When did you realise that you wanted to have a career in music?
Well it's always been something I've dreamed of. I think most children want to be either an actor or singer when they are younger and I had that dream too. However, when I thought that it wouldn't be a possibility since I live in quite poor family and a small, nondescript town I set my sights on becoming a dentist. Even when my mum bought me my first guitar, which I still have, I still had (what my teacher called) 'my sensible head' on and focused on a 'real' career and I had it drilled into my head that I was going to be a dentist. But, when I realised that I could actually carry a tune and put together my own lyrics, my love for music was rekindled. I was around thirteen at the time and I remember telling my careers advisor at school that she's just wasting her time because I had my heart set on being a musician. Then when I saw what Dustyn was starting to achieve, I was spurred on even more.


Do you fear that you'll live in Dustyn's shadow?
Not really. I love Dustyn and there will never be a jealousy factor involved. Of course, I would love to be known for my work and not just because I'm related to someone famous. However, I already have a nice little group of fans that support me so I'm happy with that. Being in the public eye is just a bonus for me, the real reason I'm in the industry is just to do something I love so as long as I get to do that then I'm fine with Dustyn being bigger than me.


Many record labels have been dying to sign you. Why have you turned them down?
I didn't like their deals and I knew that they were only thinking about the money. I want a label that appreciates my music and will let me do my own thing. I hadn't even started writing original material and I had two labels chasing me and I knew that they were just going to mould me into something I don't want to be. I also told Dustyn not to sign me to Weekend's label, Five Pesky Kids, because I don't want to rely on him. I want to do this for me and by myself. I could take the easy route but that's just not how I do things. I like a challenge.


How do your parents feel about you slowly making your way into the public eye?
My mum is actually more excited about it than I am. I'm her 'little star' and she couldn't be more proud. She does worry a little because she knows how stressful it can get but my mum knows that I'm a level headed person and she has a lot of trust and faith in me. Unfortunately, my father passed away last year but I'm sure he'd be just as proud.


You're still at school. Has your music career taken over your studying? Also, will you turn your back on education as soon as your signed?
Like I said, music is the only career for me. I'm not saying that education isn't important because it is and I encourage people to stay in education for as long as possible until they find something they really want to do in life. I'm a dreamer and I chase my dreams so no matter how many qualifications I get, I will still always try to get into the music business. I'm staying in school for the rest of this year.

Are you a bit of a celebrity in your little home town?
Haha, yeah a little. We live in a small town and everyone knows each other. My videos on YouTube are being streamed throughout the world and everyone in my town thinks that's amazing so you could say I'm a local celebrity, with Dustyn being the other one but he's moved away. I'm a friendly face though. Even before I became known, I was still very chatty and sociable with almost everyone. The local paper goes crazy for me because I'm like the only thing to write about.

What will you spend your first big paycheck on?
I'm not lying when I say this but I'm definitely going to spend the majority of it on my family. We aren't that well off and my mum can't find work so the money that I earn will be put to good use. My mum will probably reject my money but that's just tough luck because she's going to get it anyway. Anything that's left over will probably go to clothes. I'm worse than a girl, honestly, I love clothes shopping and I could spend all day in just one shop.


You're looking very trendy today. Who do you model your style on?
Why thank you. I don't really try to dress like anyone because most celebrities wear all of this designer stuff and I definitely can't afford that at all! One person who I do take inspiration from though is Scott Wellington from Weekend. When he's not on the red carpet or at a photo shoot, the clothes he wears are really colourful which I love. I get a lot of my stuff from Topman just like he does. In fact, it makes up like 95% of my wardrobe!


What type of music did you listen to as a child?
When I was growing up, around the ages of 1 to 5 the charts were filled with a lot of cheesy pop songs but I enjoyed them and still do. I might laugh at how stupid they may sound but they'll forever hold a personal, nostalgic feel to them. I used to listen to a lot of S Club 7, Steps, B*Witched, Daphne & Celeste and even those creepy Fast Food Rockers but as I got older and started to listen to more than just the one music station, I slowly developed a love for R&B and I still love it to this day. I listen to a lot of my mum's Motown records and I remember having an obsession with The Supremes and The Jackson 5. Around 2006/2007, I got into pop music again and I still am. It became less gimmicky at that time and less cheesy. A lot of boys my age have this very Avant Garde attitude where everything that is mainstream is like the work of the Devil and if a guy were to sing even a line from a Weekend song, he's stoned to death. I hold my hands up though, I'm a sucker for a good pop tune. Arrest me.


Who do you think will be your biggest rivals in the industry?
Well I don't think my music can really rival anybody else as my material is different to most artists in the charts right now. I do think that I will be compared to other artists due to my age and look. I know that there is going to be the inevitable Dustyn and Weekend comparisons which I'm fine with, I'm not offended in any way. I also think that I might be compared to Kato since we're both teenage male singers but again, we are completely different. I'll see it as a compliment to be compared to some of the biggest stars in the world right now but I'm not setting out to purposely be like them. I'm Phoenyx Blue and that's who I'll always be.


There are lots of new artists coming out this year. Who's your favourite so far?
I really like SYNCO. I think those girls are really cool and it's been a while since any girlband have had as much success as those five are currently experiencing. I also think that Rum & Coke are pretty cool too. I like their sound and their image really stands out. Although she's been around for a while now, I still think that Pixie has a lot to offer this year too.


What sets you apart from everyone else in the music industry?
I'm not saying I'm the only one to do this but I play a few instruments and I write my own songs. I don't have outside help or any famous producers helping me. I don't even have the option to call them in to help but even if I did, I would much prefer to do it all alone. I've also not been to any auditions and tried to get any record deal just to see my name in lights. I don't want to be manufactured in any way, shape or form and I won't be changing my material just to fit in with current trends. I'm not accusing every artist of doing that and I don't want to give the impression that I'm out to get people because I'm not. I respect what everyone does but that lifestyle is not for me.


What's more important; the music or the fame?
Definitely the music. That's what I love in life. The only reason that I want to become a well known recording artist is to get my message across. I want to inspire people and get many messages across that can hopefully help someone in any given situation. If my first single fails to chart but the people who buy it really connect with the song and love it then I'm happy. Unlike a lot of artists, I don't count lots of sales as success. I mean, I know that plays a big part but it's not what I'm all about. I focus more on the connection my music makes to the fans.


You already have another claim to fame don't you?
Oh God, yeah....yeah I do. When I was fifteen, me and a group of friends were out in my back garden and messing around. It was a hot day so it was only natural that we would use the swimming pool. Anyway, we were all hyper and I was probably the most over excited so I decided to show off and do a backflip into the pool. So I get to the edge, thinking I'm amazing and then I do my backflip but instead of landing in the pool, I miss it by a few inches and land face down on the concrete. Little did I know that one of my mates was recording it with his phone and now that clip has become part of a 'fail video' compilation on YouTube and that's received like 40 million odd views and counting. Quite embarrassing really.


Will you still continue to upload covers or are you too big for that now?
Nah I will never be 'too big' for anything. I'll always remember how I started out and remember all my fans from the early days who loved me for my covers so I'll never turn my back on them. The gap between each cover may be longer because I will be busier but they will still be uploaded every so often. I enjoy it a lot and it makes me feel good so why stop?


Which song would you like to cover next?
Well there are quite a lot of great songs out at the moment so there's a lot of choice. I would love to cover a Jennifer Armstrong because I think that she has some of the best tracks. Her voice, the passion and the production in every single one of her songs are all amazing. She's also a wonderful lyricist too. I don't think I'll be able to match her strong vocals not just because she's female and I'm a male but the sheer power in her voice is hard to match. I would also like to do a male take on Victoria Black's 'Shut Your Pretty Little Mouth', I think that will be really cool.


We know from your videos that you play guitar and drums. Will they be present in your solo work?
Oh, definitely. If I ever get round to recording and finishing an album then I will try my best to incorporate live instruments played by myself as much as I can. Although, I don't want to have a whole album filled with the same sounding songs so I will try my best to mix up the production and even try to learn to play even more instruments along the way.


Is there a Phoenyx and Dustyn collaboration in the works?
Haha, I knew this would be asked. To be honest, I'm not really sure and I don't think that it would be a great idea to do a collaboration this early. I don't want to make it seem like I'm relying on him in order to get recognised. The music represents me and it's something that I want to do alone and if I were to bring in outside help so early on in my career then I would feel like it was being tampered with and being made into something it's not. Maybe in the future, who knows? For the time being though, I don't see a collaboration happening anytime soon. Plus, he's a busy guy anyway so I'm not even sure if he'd have the time.


Finally, when can we expect to hear even a snippet of your original work?
Well I would say that the earliest will be in around two weeks time and the latest will be ten weeks. I already have like seven songs all written down with a melody but I'm still trying to perfect them before I let anyone hear the songs. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I want my fans to hear my absolute best and I want to make a good first impression with my original material. I have written all the songs myself with no outside help so if the songs still sound a bit rough round the edges, I'm worried that people will attack my song writing skills. Yeah, I'm a bit sensitive.


Thank you for joining us, Phoenyx. We can't wait to hear your material and don't forget to come back soon!
Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure to be here and I'll make sure to pop by again.




10 QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

Would you rather be too hot or too cold?
Too cold. I can't take the heat plus I love the feeling of being cold and snuggling under my blankets to warm myself up. It's too much effort to cool down.

What's the best thing since sliced bread?
Cherry Coke. It's just heaven. God sent it, OK? It's....God juice....

Most played song on your iPod at the moment?
'Shut Me Out' by Kourtney. Love that song so much!

Who is your female celebrity crush?
Hmm...probably Mercedes Payne or Suzie.

Who is your male celebrity crush?
I would say that Erich Hess is a handsome guy.

How long is a piece of string?
As long as you want it to be. As long as you want.

What shoe size are you?
In the UK and Ireland, I'm a size 10...yeah, big feet. Although, I'm not sure if the shoe sizes are different elsewhere.

Who was your last text message from and what does it say?
It was from my mate James and it says 'Want to go bowling tomorrow?'.

Favourite swear word?
Cock chops. Sorry....I find it funny....

The most important question.....what is your favourite food?
Chicken enchilada!!