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Pip Millett Covers New Wave Transcendence Issue
Pip Millett, born and raised in Manchester has been serenading the ears of many over the last two years. Fusing her soft, sultry vocals with crisp Soul, R&B and Neo-Soul backdrops, the 22-year old songstress is proving to be one of the most exciting acts to emerge from the UK.
The Manchester native was always dubbed alongside her sister as ‘the silent twins’ due to their quiet nature, “I was always quietly confident” Pip explained. If you listen to Pip’s catalogue right back to 2018 you will notice calmness runs through her music. Pip’s lyrical ability speaks for itself, growing up listening to the likes of Bob Marley, Joni Mitchell and Lauryn Hill its evident her ability to story tell has come from listening to the best. All of these artists were fixtures in her life from a young age and her love affair with music really started to blossom back in school when she received guitar lessons from her mum as a present.
Pip moved out of the city life in Manchester to the peaceful countryside as a child due to her parents split. Around that same time Pip tragically lost her father, in going through such a difficult time Pip stated this was a key part of her determined outlook on life, “I was self-assured but always a bit weird, To be honest I don’t think I ever wanted to fit in. I never tried”. Moving to the big city of London to study music was the first step Pip took into the limelight whilst still refusing to conform.
Cover Star: Pip Millett
Journalist: Elle Evans & Rehana Harmony
Creative Directors: Derrick Odafi, Zek Snaps
Photographer: Elise Michely
Stylist: Gina Corrieri
Make Up: Jessica Niore
Hair: Blessing Kambanga
Visual Director: Azeez Bello
Project Manager: Yasmin Hadr
2018 was the year that everything started to change. With the release of her debut single “Make Me Cry” which has now amassed over 5 million streams on Spotify alone, Pip was also flown out to Berlin for what’s now an iconic ‘COLORS’ performance and soon started garnering a fan base including the likes of Jorja Smith. The raw honesty and realness scream through Pip’s wordsmith, having now released a slew of songs and an EP, tracks like “Make Me Cry”, “Ava” and “Talk About It’ are all raw moments that only prove this, “My first song, the one that’s done the best, is about being depressed” Pip explains “Make Me Cry, it’s a breakup song but I’m breaking up with depression”.
Setting herself aside from the abundance of budding musicians currently flourishing through the UK R&B scene, Pip’s future is looking incredibly bright. We got the opportunity to sit down with the rising star to discuss her growth musically, a further look into her creative process and more.
Pip’s lyrical abilities delve into an internal monologue that spouts vulnerable tales of struggling with solitude, dancing with depression and the trials and tribulations of her long-distance relationship. All topics that are evident throughout the work of a long list of influences including Bob Marley, Joni Mitchell, Lauryn Hill, James Blake, Otis Reading, Amy Winehouse, and Erykah Badu.
Following in the footsteps of these phenomenal storytellers whom she remembers as prominent fixtures in her musical background, Pip has since drawn to them for inspiration throughout her love affair with music. In the early stages of school life, Pip’s musical talent started to bloom when she began receiving guitar lessons which came as a birthday present from her mother.
Pink Blazer, Vintage
Red Leather Trousers, Vintage
Printed Mesh Top, Zara
Red Marble Link Earrings, South Beath
Brown Mixed Leather Boots, Vintage
“Often I do this thing where I just go along with everything and in doing that, it helps me keep quite calm. I reflect at some point in the year and I’m like ‘Oh! Thats good!”
Speaking of sharpening your tools, “Make Me Cry” is your biggest song. You did a ‘COLORS’ performance to that, was that a transitional moment for you? Maybe even writing the song itself?
Writing the song, no, because I didn’t know that it was going to do that well! With ‘COLORS’, I though it was cool but often I do this thing where I just go along with everything and in doing that it helps me keep quite calm. I reflect at some point in the year and I’m like ‘Oh! Thats good!’
So do you feel like that maybe stops you from getting disappointed when things don’t work out?
Probably, I like writing and the rest flows, I didn’t really have any expectations.
Even with the ‘COLORS’ performance, you mentioned reading the comments on the video, asking you to smile while singing a sad song - What makes you smile?
I’m usually quite smiley! What makes me smile? Being with the dog. *laughs*, being in the countryside, being in the sun but also being in the snow. I’m very effected by my environment. It’s just the stupid small things that make me happy, if I wake up early on the weekends that makes me feel like ‘Oh yeah sick!’ and washing my hair *laughs*, just normal things that make you feel on top of shit!
“Make Me Cry” had a big impact, what was one moment that thought ‘Woah!’ this is actually something different that I’ve not experienced before?
I think that was the big one. That was strange, I doubted it I was thinking ‘Is this a fake account? What is gong on!’ *laughs*. It was also when I started getting loads of messages from people that I didn’t know, that was probably a bit more like ‘Oh shit, there’s people everywhere listening wanting to message me that’s really cool!’ that was a moment where I took it all in and was like this is going okay.
The raw honesty and realness screams through Pip’s wordsmith, having now released a slew of songs and an EP with tracks like “Do Well” - the title track of her EP, a timeless and sentimental offering which evokes memories of her childhood and pays homage to her hardworking family. “Make Me Cry”, a single Pip describes as a “breakup song” in which contrary to popular assumption she confesses is about “breaking up with depression”, she reflects “My first song, the one that’s done the best, is about being depressed”. “Ava” and “Talk About It” are all raw moments that only prove this.
At her tender age, Pip’s wisdom defies her years through displaying her maturity in spurs, letting her audience in on her darkest moments and taking on heavy subjects like mental health something she acknowledges as a “thing that is very present in many lives.”
Red Leather Jacket, Vintage
Ruched Top. H&M
Red Leather Trousers, Vintage
Pearl Earrings, Zara
Black Leather Boots, Vintage
“I only write about what I felt. I go through something, I wait a bit to look back on it and once I’m past it I write about it.”
Why did you decide to create a visual for the whole EP rather than a single?
Originally we had that idea and we were like ‘Oh fuck that’s very expensive!’ and then we said we’ll choose one song to do. This guy KC LOCKE got in touch with me on Instagram, so we asked him about it and he put the idea forward about doing four videos. That’s how that came about. We let him have free rein, he just asked about locations and I put them forward. The first part of that video is filmed in my old high school and I thought that it would be quite good because “Something About The Rain” is a song that is based around my grieving and that was mainly in high school.
What message did you aim to send to the viewer with each visual?
Yes! The second one was more happy, free, clear and less cluttered which is the opposite of most people’s lives!. It’s just one of those feel-good ones, we needed it to be light and clear and that’s what it is. The one after that is “Contact” and that’s filmed in my bedroom I think for obvious reasons *laughs*. “Do Well” is in my family home, that song is a homing one it’s about your parents pushing you to do whatever the fuck you want to do and being supportive!
How do you hope to transcend in music and creatively?
I find that a hard question just because when I look far ahead into the future I’m still writing but a lot of my goals aren’t even musically based. I look to being a better person.
So transcending as a human being then?
Yeah! Whereas with music, I’m good with whatever happens to be honest. It doesn’t sound very ambitious but I work hard and I just hope that it pays off.
There’s a separation between being content and being satisfied. The definition can change depending on the person, but for some being content means that you are happy with where you are at but you are striving for more and satisfied being you are happy with where you’re at.
Yeah, I’m not satisfied but just not all of my things are musically based. Sometimes I think my link to music is a bit strange and don’t view myself as that much of an artist. I know I am but there are people out there that are way more technical with it and sometimes I feel like I’m a fraud *laughs*. If I don’t do music I should be a therapist or something *laughs* because I do feel like I blab around about shit and other people really know exactly what they want and what they’re doing. But do you know what! I’m 22 and we’ll figure it out at some point! But for now, I’m just going with it.
White Leather Coat, Vintage
Strapless Dress. Vintage
Brown Wide Leg Trousers, ASOS Design
Cow Print Pony Hair Boots, Vintage
Gold Chain Shell Necklace, Kristie V Sheryn
Gold Hoop Earrings, And Other Stories
Gold Hoop With Pearl Decoration, ASOS
All that being said, Pip sets herself aside from the abundance of budding musicians currently flourishing throughout the UK R&B scene, she sees herself as bringing a vintage perspective to new R&B/Soul coming from the new generation, which is a necessary sound in the current climate. Pip’s future is looking incredibly promising with a new project scheduled to release very soon and a string of new releases that showcase her consistency in her sound, lyrical ability, and vocal performances. purchase Issue VIII via the link below for our full exclusive interview with the future global star.