CITIZEN The Artist: Rare Interview with Phineas Peters & Grace Bennett - Building a Viral Independent Music Empire (From SLO) | Up+Adam
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Independent artist. Viral filmmaker. Social media strategist. Modern-day storyteller.
On this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with CITIZEN The Artist, also known as Phineas Peters, alongside creative collaborator and partner Grace Bennett, for a fascinating conversation about what it really takes to build a music career independently in 2026.
From the viral success of “TIME” and the now-iconic reverse-edit trend flooding social media, to the psychology behind audience engagement, visual storytelling, filmmaking, music production, and life without a label, this conversation goes deep into the creative machine behind one of the internet’s fastest-growing independent artist brands.
Adam and CITIZEN talk about:
• Building a loyal audience organically
• Why “No label, just me” became a philosophy
• The intentional rejection of AI-generated content
• The strategy behind creating trends fans actually WANT to recreate
• Balancing music, filmmaking, editing, touring, and branding
• The emotional reality of visibility and internet fame
• Why storytelling matters more than ever in music
• The relationship dynamic behind the videos millions of people watch online
• Whether radio still matters in the streaming, digital, and new media era
There’s also a full-circle moment as Grace Bennett, once an Up+Adam intern, shares what it’s like becoming part of one of social media’s most recognizable creative duos.
This is Part One of a two-part conversation.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
• Follow CITIZEN The Artist on Instagram: @citizen_theartist
• Follow CITIZEN The Artist on TikTok: @citizen_theartist
• Follow Grace Bennett on Instagram: @grace.norah.bennett
• Listen to CITIZEN The Artist on Spotify: CITIZEN The Artist Spotify
• Watch on YouTube: CITIZEN The Artist YouTube
• More links and music: CITIZEN The Artist Beacons Page
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