In a city teeming with overly polished productions and carefully curated collaborations, Phiz emerged from something far more precious: genuine friendship and spontaneous creation. Nashville artists Cortney Tidwell and Tristen Gaspadarek have been in each other’s orbits for years, often spending time surrounded by family, friends and music. They found musical chemistry during informal jam sessions where the only rule was to keep it simple — "Two chords!" became their rallying cry as they traded instruments and explored sonic spaces.
The project, which Tristen dubbed "attic jams and friendship", captures the rare magic of two accomplished musicians creating purely for creation's sake. Their improvisational sessions yielded a treasure trove of material, much of it preserved in unfinished bootleg recordings and voice memos. These two tracks, unearthed from an ancient harddrive, maintain the raw energy of their origin — snapshots of artistic spontaneity. They are simple but they are filled with real pathos, talent and fundamental joy of being together.
While Phiz remains a moment in time rather than an ongoing project, these recordings stand as testament to the power of unplanned creativity and the musical possibilities that emerge when friendship leads the way.
