INTERVIEW
Cerys | 30/09/2024
Skyrocketing to success since releasing her debut single “Before I Go” in 2020, Mimi Webb has just dropped her fresh single “Erase You” this August. It’s raw, vulnerable, and determined to overcome. The twenty-four-year-old vocal powerhouse is no stranger to heartbreak, and as we catch up, she explains how she channels intense emotions into her songwriting.
“I think the number one step, which is hard, is living and going through different situations. And it can be so painful in the moment. But it is so important to be able to go through those times and write about them. I remember when I was eighteen and I had just signed, my label was like, “Mimi, go off live life, figure things out a little bit, and then get in the studio and write all about it.”
In many ways it's magical but at the same time, it can be super tough to relive it in the studio. When something happens, you want to move on; forget about it. So, for me, it is about being able to get to the studio and being able to open up and express all those emotions. It is also about being able to tell a story in a way that someone else can connect to, especially if it is a very specific and detailed story; you want to be able to connect it to other people’s lives as well.”
I agree. Going over these emotions is like therapy, and Mimi shares how songwriting as a form of storytelling helps her process these experiences. “You open up about everything; you start to connect the dots. You must make sure those emotions come across for the whole story to link up. That is definitely therapeutic. As a songwriter, your job is to tell a story in music.”
As a listener, the beauty of the music is when someone else can vocalise something you have not been able to. It is such a gift for fans to resonate with an artist’s lyrics.
Mimi highlights the importance of mental health in her personal and professional life. “My dream was always to be a pop star and to be out there on stage. It feels so great, but it can also feel difficult at times as well, when you are sitting around waiting for that next song to drop, waiting to get the last mix from your album, or when things are not moving as fast as they did before.” She stresses the importance of finding happiness in other things, not only in your music’s success. “Having these amazing fans cheering you on is one of the best feelings, but you end up living off that. I remember hearing on Taylor Swift’s documentary that she was talking about how you end up finding happiness in other people’s approval and opinions of you and relating to that.”
A key aspect of mental wellness for Mimi is her quiet time, when she feels she experiences the greatest character building, realising lately she's not been giving herself enough time, love and self-care. “I realised that for my mental health, I had to sit down and really process things, and I never did give myself that time before.”
Mimi also says an integral part of looking after her mental health is accepting the cocktail of simultaneous emotions that just comes with being human. “I wrote this song recently called ‘Mixed Emotions.’ It is about this reality that you can feel so great, but then there is also something so painful at the back of your mind, and it is constantly living there. Life is not just one thing, and feelings are not just one thing; there’s not always one thing going on; there can be many different things. I found that soothing, and it made me feel comfortable in my own space.”
Quoting author Jay Shetty, Mimi says we average over 60,000 thoughts daily. “It made me realise that we go through so many different thoughts every day. That is why sometimes you must sit and think, ‘Okay, this is just a thought. I need to let this one go.’”
I ask Mimi how she finds stable ground and deals with the adrenaline shifts of a performing lifestyle. She explains that it is a marathon without a clear finishing line. She finds herself constantly growing, changing and rebuilding as part of that process. “One year, I could be that person. The next year, I am like, ‘Oh, I’ve grown,’ and you have to relearn something completely different. It is an ongoing progress. Everyone moves at different paces, which is so important.”
Mimi’s mum often appears in her TikTok videos. I love the way she talks about her family and involves them online. Of course, social media offers fans some transparency on artists’ day-to-day lives. I ask Mimi whether she finds this beneficial, being able to open up about the realities of her life to fans via social media platforms.
“One hundred per cent. I have always wanted to make sure my fans see me as who I am, which is approachable and genuine. Everything around me is very normal: a normal day-to-day routine life, as well as being on stage and able to do all these incredibly different things and meet all these incredibly different people. I’ve always been transparent with that, but for me, the turning point was in 2022, and I do think it’s important to talk about because it’s very much about mental health and about when you’re at rock bottom. And that is not spoken about enough because social media shows the best things and the most perfect stuff that is going on.”
In the autumn of 2022, Mimi found herself experiencing a severe panic attack for the first time. “I was just on medication, and they were confused because they were like, ‘This is not a normal panic attack. It feels very extra.’ And I remember sharing a story and letting my fans know to look after themselves and that taking time out to fill your cup is so important. That was a turning point for me, and I felt more connected with my fans than I ever did because I just got real with them.”
Mimi tells me this was following a tough breakup and personal things going on: “That was the tipping point, the icing on the cake, where the last two years of constant touring just hit me. And I was like, ‘Wait, where am I? Where is my base? Where is the ground for me right now?’ It was important to be able to speak to everyone about that.” Starting her career during the pandemic, Mimi also recognises that social media has always been fundamental to her interactions with fans. “It was all TikTok, and it was all based on seeing who I was across the screen. So, for them to see that more vulnerable side just made us all feel much more connected. Take us back to ten or fifteen years ago; it was all about the mystery of artists. That is cool on stage, but the whole world is growing; it is so important to connect even more and feel that connection.”
I agree that people, more than ever, are craving authenticity from artists, especially regarding mental health. It is important to have voices like Mimi’s in the industry, who will be genuine and honest with fans. It is a vulnerable place to be in and it will have helped many people. Mimi also tells me that as she has opened up about her mental health, she has spoken to so many people who have experienced similar issues, especially in their early twenties: “If you look into it scientifically, there is something in your brain and your body, there are slight chemical changes, as your body is growing and getting more used to the environment.”
I quiz Mimi on her recent collaboration with award-winning singer, writer, and producer Ryan Tedder on her latest releases, “Erase You” and “Mistake.”
How did working with him influence what she wanted to put out there? Did it help to have someone else on board who could rally back and forth with ideas?
“It was so amazing. I have been a huge fan of One Republic for as long as I can remember. I remember the first time I discovered them. It was this movie called The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and it was the song ‘The Secrets.’ It was such an amazing scene where these lightning bolts were all around the room, and the violins were playing. I had goosebumps. And I was like, ‘I love this band. They are incredible.’ It was amazing just to see how his whole artistry grew, and over the years, I loved it.”
Mimi was ecstatic at the opportunity to work with Ryan Tedder but joked that she tried not to “fangirl” around him. She describes him as “a creative genius” and “able to open up about stories” and explains he inspired her with his work ethic, good humour and ability to juggle multiple commitments. She also appreciated his vocal coaching and expert feedback: “Just to get his ideas and thoughts is amazing. Even when I am singing, he will sit and say, ‘why not sing it like this.’ He is such an incredible vocalist.”
When I ask Mimi what the biggest thing she has learnt about making and writing music is, she replies, “Give yourself as much time as you can, but have a cutoff date.” She talks to me about the importance of reviewing rather than continuing to write without stopping.
“I have friends that have written albums for years and years, and then you could go on forever, right? That was a big lesson, especially with this album. Now I am making my second album, and I can carry on writing, especially when I am in a flow of writing some great music back-to-back, but I also need to make sure I have that time to review.”
We also discuss boundaries. Mimi tells me one of the biggest pieces of advice she received when entering the industry was to say “no” more than “yes.”
Mimi has some big, exciting projects on the horizon, including performing with the Jonas Brothers on the European leg of their global tour. I want to know what she is excited about in this next chapter and how she envisages challenging herself creatively and riding the wave she is on.
“I am so excited for this new era that I am in. I feel I am coming into my own as a woman, feeling confident as a person, and bouncing back from things more than before. This album represents the whole growth that I have had, the independence and the self-love as a woman. I think I am in that chapter in my life.”
She loves the show they have built with the Jonas Brothers and describes it as powerful. Mimi tells me it is all starting to feel more like her: the shoots, the concepts, the content, and the creativity.
“I have always been a very confident person, happy to be the one to stand up for what I believe in and to be able to say what I want.” As a strong, independent woman, she also stresses the importance of surrounding herself with other strong “independent women.” She is inspired by her friends who have made bold life choices, like moving halfway across the world. She wants her music to reflect this side of her. “I feel like it is me now. It is becoming who I am and representing my personality traits. You are trying to figure out your place in the industry when making a first album and going into a second. It is that niche kind of moment.”
I love the way Mimi is embracing her bold, powerful female persona. Armed with exceptional talent, emotional maturity and constantly evolving creativity, the “House On Fire” and “Good Without” artist shows no sign of backing down. She has found her feet and is ready to run her marathon.
Photography Chloe Maylor
Fashion Director & Styling Chloe Oldridge
MUA & Hair Styling Maisie Boyd
Styling Assistant Amelia Connolly
Styling Assistant Annie Grace
Creative Alice Gee & Chloe Maylor
Look one, Jacket, Goldsmith vintage leather jacket. Shorts, Helen Anthony. Earrings, Ahkeke.
Look two, Jacket, Helen Anthony. Skirt, Joelle. Earrings, Ahkeke.
