“I don’t want this to be the end”: Busselton songstress Phoebe Stewart reveals what's next after Idol stardom

After a whirlwind two months of Australian Idol fame put her name into every house in Australia, Busselton starlet Phoebe Stewart has returned to her home town, sitting down with the South Western Times to discuss what’s next.

Touching down in WA last week after being named runner-up of the nationwide singing competition, the 15-year-old is glad to be back on western soil, but is can’t believe everything that has happened.

“I’m still in shock about the whole experience,” she said.

“It was such a big thing for me at 15 but it was also so much fun and I learned so much from the whole experience.

“I’m just excited to see what happens next, and what opportunities I might be given and keep working on music.”

Now returning to a somewhat normal life, she said it had been quite a culture shock coming down from the adrenaline high of the show’s busy schedule.

“I’m happy to be home but you also kind of get a bit of low after doing something so big,” she said.

“I’m excited to have a rest but I also I miss being super busy and going up on the stage every week and singing and all the little extra things like the costumes, and rehearsals and the help I would get from professionals. It was just amazing.”

Eager explore her options in the music industry, she said she’s hoping to soon release music of her own while also continuing to build experience performing locally.

“I’m going start singing at places and get my name out there a little bit more,” she said.

“I also want to start getting in the studio, and maybe start recording some of my songs or covers and things like that and then just see what happens from there.”

Hoping to take up an instrument to accompany her powerhouse vocals, she said she revelled in the Idol environment surrounded by so many like-minded talents who helped improve her songwriting skills.

“I have lots of original bits, but not a lot of whole songs,” she said.

“I sat down and sang with Josh (Hannan), one of the other contestants, he played guitar and we wrote together and it was really great.

“When you come together with someone who’s also at that same level as you, we can actually do some amazing stuff so I’m excited to keep working and collaborating with others.”

Still just a high school student, the teen is in two minds about returning to Year 11, admitting she has never been the academic type.

“School’s never really been a thing I’m good at, I didn’t really click with it,” she said.

“I would like to try and do some kind of study because it is important, but I don’t think you have to finish high school to be successful and I know music is what I want to do, so I just want to focus on that.

She opened up about feeling quite lost after the show wrapped up, not wanting her musical opportunities to fade.

“I really don’t want this to be the end and it fizzle out,” she said.

“I really want something to come out of this, bigger than the show.

“I set very high standards for myself and I’ve keep raising the bar — second place is great, but I’d love to go bigger.

“I have the determination, I know I can go places if I work hard.”