FEATURE: Spotlight: Mimi Webb — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Fieber

Mimi Webb

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I am taking a slightly different direction…

PHOTO CREDIT: Parri Thomas for The Line of Best Fit

when it comes to this Spotlight. Mimi Webb is a rising Pop artist who is among the most distinct and hard-working around. There are some very different and interesting young Pop artists coming through. Next time, I am spotlighting another: Willow Kayne. Today, I am going to give as much information as I can regarding Mimi Webb. Apologies if they are not in chronological order. I have grabbed a few that caught my eye. Before that. Here is some biography regarding a bright young talent:

“Originally hailing from Canterbury, pop singer and songwriter Mimi Webb turns up the volume on every emotion – with skyscraping runs and open-heart honesty.

Inspired by the likes of Amy Winehouse, Emelie Sandé and Sam Smith, she started writing songs of her own at 13 years old before eventually learning guitar. Around the same time, she enrolled in The BRIT School — known for alumni such as Adele, Amy Winehouse, Jessie J and more. Three years later, she left home, moved in with a host family and attended the prestigious BIMM [British Institute of Modern Music].

In 2019, she uploaded a handful of early compositions and collaborations online, landed management, and inked a deal with Epic Records in the US and RCA in the UK.

An impromptu a cappella performance from Mimi later that year exploded with over 20 million views on TikTok, paving the way for a string of original fan favourites such as ‘Before I Go’, ‘I’ll Break My Heart Again’, ‘Reasons’ and ‘Good Without’.

On 22nd October, Webb releases her E.P., Seven Shades of Heartbreak. It will definitely bring Webb’s music to a new audience. The first interview that I want to source is from The Line of Best Fit. They featured her back in June:

“At sixteen she had a choice between going full-time at BRIT or moving to Brighton to attend BIMM. She chose the seaside music college, as it offered songwriting courses, as well as performance-based modules. Webb left home and moved in with a host family. “For those two years I really evolved and grew off of my own back,” she explains. “You’re out there in the world on your own. You're living and breathing the kind of atmosphere of music and the environment, so you’re really driven.”

Through BIMM and the opportunities her attendance created she met management company Best Friends - the same people behind Billie Eilish, Finneas and Ashe - and signed with Epic Records at eighteen. As they were readying her first single, she took a trip to New York for meetings where she was introduced to Charli D’Amelio. The two went for dinner and showed TikTok to Webb: “I was like, I don't know what I could do on it!” she laughs. “So we did a video together and I just sang one of my songs that I'd written a few months before. It kind of just went crazy from there, like the reaction it had. And I just thought, this is crazy that this app does that. Can actually connect to that many people.”

What Webb fails to mention is that in the clips (she also covered Adele) she’s singing acapella and acoustic in a busy restaurant, perfectly in key and with a tone that’s velvety and sonorous. It’s a striking performance and one that puts pay to her years of tuition and hard work.

Last spring, Webb was gearing up for a writing trip to LA and the release of her debut single “Before I Go” when the pandemic struck. As reality began to set in, she wasted no time. “I remember three days before they put the national lockdown in, I quickly went and bought myself a new laptop because I knew I needed storage for Logic, a new MIDI, a new mic. I was just preparing for the worst,” she explains. “I said to my team, right guys, I'm not having this. I've waited two years to release music. I've been in and out of the studio. Let's just go and do it. Drop these songs, video or no video, artwork or no artwork. I was like, we've got to go, it’s go time.”

Webb resolutely released “Before I Go” in April of that year. An expansive piano ballad with a strident vocal delivery, it left no doubt to her natural talent. A run of singles followed, each more confident and striking than the last. Recent release “Good Without You” went silver after spending ten weeks in the UK Top Twenty. An honest and impactful piece of pop storytelling, it’s instant and relatable in the same breath, its chorus a euphoric lift of self-affirmation. While on new single “Dumb Love”, Webb weaves a familar story with a fresh dynamism, her impressive range close to take off.

But Webb’s success isn’t simply down to the music, it’s also the intelligence, creativity and sheer drive that she brings to the project. Only twenty-one, in conversation she’s articulate and engaged, with a developed understanding of the industry she’s entered. “Every single week, every single day, I was in my little studio. I was in there every day recording, doing Zoom sessions, TikToks, covers, anything just to feel like I'm actually doing something, like moving it along,” she says of the past fifteen months. “My introduction to the industry was just full on Zoom in your room.”

Webb did have some trepidation about investing too much in TikTok, but with care and thought she successfully navigated the app. “There's so many different slots that you can be put into when it comes to using TikTok for your music,” she explains. “For me, it was very much like, right, let's do these videos, make it really organic with my family, be ourselves just to tease the songs. It’s so nice to see it work the way I really wanted it to, and be able to resonate through the app, but also off the app. I think that was something I was nervous about, just in case it didn't go like that. But I was really happy with the way that it’s translated. I think it depends on the content and making sure you're really sticking to your brand and the way you want to be viewed.”

And now as the world begins to slowly open again and we look up from our screens, Webb’s looking forward to experiencing her success in real life. “I'm excited just to actually, like, do more shows and meet more people and see the outcome of everything, compared to watching it all on my phone,” she smiles”.

There are a few other interviews that are worth exploring. One interesting one is from MTV. They were eager to spotlight an artist who, despite coming to prominence through TikTok, is one of the most talented and tireless artists around:

“20-year-old singer songwriter Mimi Webb has her school piano teacher to thank for pushing her into a music career. Influenced by Adele and Amy Winehouse, Mimi says she was inspired by their originality and ability to stay true to themselves with their music.

You may recognize Mimi’s voice from her viral track ‘Before I Go’ on TikTok. Speaking about this she says it’s definitely been one of her career highlights, and seeing "Charli D’Amelio doing her thing to it and seeing people react the way they did" was amazing. To date, the song has been streamed over 5.6 million times on Spotify and Charli’s video has been viewed over 40.8 million times on TikTok!

Mimi’s vocals are beautiful and distinct, complimenting her euphoric ballads perfectly. On her live shows she says "I want it be an intimate atmosphere! I want to keep it slightly stripped back so I can get a really build a strong connection with the audience. or certain songs there will be lots of lights and visuals but I want to make sure I can connect with the crowd and people can really get to know me through the performance." It sounds like a perfect way to experience her songs live, and we can’t until we’re able to!

1) for those who don’t know about you and your music, tell us a little bit about who you are and where you’re from…

My name’s Mimi Webb and I am a singer and songwriter from Canterbury, Kent in the UK. I’m 20 years old and have been writing music for five years now. I’m super family orientated and love my friends, and I am constantly cracking jokes!

2) describe your sound in three words…

Moody, emotional, and fun.

3) who inspired you to start a career in music?

Definitely my piano teacher at school when I was 15. I already knew how to play ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele on the piano, so at my first ever lesson, I played it for him and he immediately told me that I needed to pursue music as a career and fight for it.

4) who are your biggest musical influences?

Definitely Adele and Amy Winehouse. I’ve always felt really inspired by them both, and the fact they never ‘followed the crowd’ and always created what they believed in”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Yoshitaka Kono for EUPHORIA.

One of Mimi Webb’s biggest and most-popular songs to date is Good Without. Released back in April, it is a memorable track with a terrific video! There is the mixture of emotional and raw with something long-lasting and catchy. It is a skill not all artists can master. EUPHORIA. spoke with Webb about the song’s success and her musical influences:

“Following in the footsteps of Webb’s influences — Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Sam Smith — she knows how to write a heartfelt song that will contain a chorus that will be ingrained in your head. So far, her material has consisted of ballads about love and breakups. However, Webb informs us that fans can definitely expect more sounds and sides to her personality in the near future.

With another hit song under her belt and a completely sold-out tour across the UK and Ireland, it’s safe to say that Webb is living the dream and on her way to superstardom. EUPHORIA. got the chance to talk to Webb on Zoom to discuss the incredible year she’s been having while she was on her way to London. The talented songstress opened up about the overnight success of “Good Without,” her new single, “Dumb Love,” what listeners can expect next, and what she has planned for her upcoming live concerts.

Congratulations on “Good Without”! The song took off pretty instantly. Is the success it’s having taken you by surprise?

Oh my god, 100 percent! It was so crazy, especially being my fourth ever release. Seeing the reaction that it had, especially through TikTok and of the social media platforms I’ve used, it’s really taken me by surprise. I think as well the fact that we’ve been in a pandemic, you really don’t expect anything like that to happen.

What motivated you to write the song and how long had you been waiting to release it?

I wrote this song right at the start of the year, so it was the first song I wrote in 2021. I wrote it on Zoom with two of my friends and as soon as we wrote it, we knew it was definitely going to be a single. I hadn’t been able to write for such a long time; it was kind of that moment where everything came at once. It was inspired by a past situation I had been through and I felt like I hadn’t said all that I had wanted to say, so it was kind of like a chapter closure for me.

Where was the music video shot and how was that experience?

We rented out a building in London, there were so many dream rooms in there, very girly. I just loved it! I wanted to bring the whole girl power to it and the support system from your friends and the family that you have. The song is an emotional breakup song, but there is also that empowerment in the chorus of “I’m so good without” so I really wanted to capture that in the video.

Has there been any added pressure releasing a new single after “Good Without”? Or was the plan to always follow up the song with “Dumb Love”?

Yeah, there was definitely a worry of wanting to make sure it does super well, especially following up from “Good Without,” but we always knew it would be “Dumb Love” next. I’m SO happy with the reaction it’s had on its first week. I’ve always made sure to stay as chill and humble for each single to bring the positivity into each one.

PHOTO CREDIT: Yoshitaka Kono for EUPHORIA.

There seems to be a Sam Smith influence on this one — would you agree?

Yes definitely, I’m so inspired by Sam Smith’s music and just love the goosebumps feeling I’ve always got from their music so I’ve definitely brought in my own twist on it”.

So far, your songs have been very cohesive. Is the EP going to be a continuation of that sound or can your fans expect you experimenting with more sounds?

Yeah, there are a few darker pop sounds. It will cover the different chapters of the heartbreak. It’s all very emotional and big and powerful but there will definitely be more elements of pop where it’s a little bit more fun or dark, depending on where I’m at in life.

Are there any collaborations in the works or are you happy just releasing on your own for now?

I’m just releasing songs by me at the moment. I’m loving just being able to have that time. I would love to do some collaborations, that would be amazing. It’s just making sure I do at the right time and right place.

Has there been anyone’s music that has helped you get through the pandemic? Who have you been listening to this past year?

Lots of Olivia Rodrigo, love her! Tate McRae, she’s completely smashed it in lockdown. She was definitely a massive inspiration, especially with TikTok, she’s absolutely smashed it on there”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Talie Eigeland for NOTION

There are so many great songs from Webb. I will try and put in as many of them as I can. The interviews are really interesting. NOTION spoke with Webb back in May. They were keen to look back at her start and see how far she has come. The pandemic would have been a huge obstacle for someone who was building momentum early last year:

“On the other hand, you only started releasing music last year (which I do not believe), but especially in a time of such chaos, did you ever think I might have to put music on pause or was it just full steam ahead?

I was not putting anything on pause. I remember at the start of the pandemic, I was like, right guys, I’m getting my setup, I’m learning how to do my vocals and how to record it all. We’re just not stopping like this because last year as well, 2020 was very much a year of right here we go. Let’s kick it all off. When we all went into the pandemic, I just thought to myself, no, not having it, I’m still going to do what I can do at home. It’s a very, full gun ahead, whatever the saying is full speed ahead – just very passionate about getting everything going. Every day I was up straight into work, I’ve got my little studio set up at home, and then it’s just back and forth.

At the time, still being new to the music scene and just finished Brighton Music College – was there any time you thought this could not go right, and as a rising artist within such a demanding music industry, how do you overcome those challenges?

There are those times where you end up getting a bit worried, releasing, the time span of how you’re going to do things and, there are so many amazing artists but, I think to believe in yourself and surround the whole thing with love and support for your peers and be happy and great – allowing the love of the industry in. I think that is where I learned, wow this is how it works. But there are definitely loads of times where you sit there and think, oh, and I think that happens with everyone, doesn’t it with anything you do. You’ve just got to be able to filter it all through and go with the things that make you feel good and happy.

As we speak about pursuing music, your first release was “Before I Go” – which caught the attention of millions. Did you ever see it going that far at, and what were those feelings running through your mind?

It’s so crazy to think back then, first of all, because it’s just nuts. I mean, I released that last year, April time and I remember that was my first music video. And I watched it yesterday because I’ve been quite unwell the last few days on my bed, looking through YouTube. It’s just crazy to think back to that. But “Before I Go” started kicking off on TikTok, and it was these influences and amazing people that were very into it. They were all wanting to do these videos and to see everyone’s reaction was insane. I couldn’t have wished for a better start for my first song. Then obviously, we went through to the next song, and every time I got better at knowing how to do it and what to do, and how to prepare for the release date – all that kind of stuff. “Before I Go” was the first lesson, and I’m grateful for the way that went. Because, like I said, being at the start of the pandemic, it was intense. At that point, I was thinking, Oh, God, what’s going to happen?

Following your debut, you also released “Reasons” and “I’ll Break My Heart Again” – both of which gained recognition from 4Music and Radio 1. What is it like to be recognised at such a big level nationally, and what is the next step you want to reach?

It’s crazy. I mean, I’ve been played on the radio, I’ve been getting DMS from people like you’re being played in Belgium right now, or you’re in Switzerland. It’s crazy because I’m like, wow, the fact I’m reaching all these different places is incredible for me. But I think the next chapter is very much releasing as much music as I can, people getting to know me, as much content I can do, and shows. Hopefully, a tour at some point, be able to get across to everyone and get everyone to see me in person. I think it’s going to be such an exciting time for that. And seeing that recognition, the way people react to that across the world is just incredible.

As an emerging artist who is continuously growing and exceeding expectations – do you believe there is pressure looming over you for this first project, and what advice would you give to someone who’s just starting music?

My advice would be organisation. I remember when I started, it’s quite a funny bit of advice. But when I was 16, I was at my music school. And that’s when I was like, I want to be an artist – this is where it starts for me. And every day, I write everything down – it might be the silliest little things, but I believe that if you feel on top of it, and you’re doing everything you can, that’s when you really can believe in yourself, and there’s hope there and, you feel like you’re moving towards something. I think if your brain feels you’re moving towards something, then that’s when it will happen. I’m such a believer in whatever you put in the universe; you’ll get back. Thinking about what you want to say, as an artist, what’s your message? What do you want to do for music? For me, I’ve always wanted to give people that goosebump feeling and connect with them and bring back that emotional music that sometimes can get hidden now and then, especially in the charts. Overall, I think it’s about what you want to say and fit in all the organisation as much as you can”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Talie Eigeland for NOTION

I am going to finish off in a second. The final interview is from Women in Pop. They highlight how Webb is among a series of musicians who are making music in their bedroom and are not synonymous with big studios. In the interview from August, Webb looked ahead to her tour in October:

“Your voice is just incredible. You're also a songwriter, and quite often songwriters go, 'oh, no, I just I write or I just play music' and but were you always aware that you had this magical bird living inside your body that needed to come out and sing to the world?

I've always had a really husky voice. My mum always knew that my voice was very husky. But I realised the last year or two that I like to go quite high [as well]. It was something new that I learned with my vocal coach and trying to get that in control was really fun.

What was it that made you want to learn the guitar, learn to sing, get onstage? Who were those artists that you pretended to be?

I loved Adele, I always got such goosebumps from her music. That was the reason I just always wanted to do music was having that goosebumps feeling - I wanted people to feel that from my music.

When you're writing, where do your inspirations come from?

It's definitely my stories. Something will happen and I'll create this big drama around it, and I'll just get in the studio and start jotting it down. It's all very much my personal experiences and what I go through.

You are part of a new generation of musicians like Tate McRae and Griff that started creating music in their bedrooms and they're now being heard. What is the best advice that you've been given, that you would then give to aspiring artists such as yourself?

Take everything in, let it soak in, be very organised, and do your best. Don't let anything get to you, try and just be really focused. And be around your family and friends, all those important things that matter in your life. You've got to make sure you keep those close to you, because that's how you can be happy.

And on your journey, who are the amazing mentors that have helped you on your journey?

My creative director, Cassandra Gracey, is incredible. She's an amazing creative queen and she's been in the industry for so long. She's been with Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora and just really helped the image and artistry come through within their project. It's just amazing having incredible people on your team who are such great guides in the industry to help you really understand how it works,

Beautiful. And lastly, what is on the horizon for you?

I've got my tour in October, I'm so so excited. It's going to be my first tour, and it's going to be around the UK. And then next year, lots of exciting stuff. I've got really exciting new music coming by the end of the year, something very big coming. I'm very excited to just get it all going”.

There is no doubt that Mimi Webb has the quality and determination to go far! Follow her if you are not yet familiar with her music. Although it is still pretty early in her career and there are years ahead, she is showing every sign of being…