Tracking Back: Pip Millett
We can’t get enough of the soulful Manchester native. With an incredible voice lacing intimate lyricism, Pip’s songs are open and honest, giving us the perfect opportunity to delve and find out what formed her sound. Let’s track back with Pip Millett.
1. What is your earliest memory of music as a child? We’re talking nursery rhyme early.
If we’re talking nursery rhymes, it was probs my mum singing ‘Round and round the garden, like a teddy bear’.
2. What music were your parents/guardians into? What was played around the house growing up?
They liked all kinds of music tbh, it ranged from The Fugees to John Martyn to Chic.
3. Did you have any tapes or records bought for you?
I’m not that old, CD’s were my time. My Nan bought me a Christina Aguilera CD one year and that’s my first memory of getting a CD as a gift. I loved it, kinda made me feel a little more grown up.
4. What is the first music video you can remember?
I really don’t remember the first, as we had the music channel on all the time! I remember slut dropping to an Anastasia video when I was pretty young and my sister laughing at me, so that one is quite strong in my memory.
5. What was the first record/tape/CD you bought for yourself? It can be a single or album.
I think the first album I bought myself was on my iPod nano, and I’m pretty certain it was Paolo Nutini’s first album.
6. What music were you into in the early days at school? Were your friends into the same thing?
Often my friends weren’t really into the same music I was. During primary I loved Bob Marley, Kings Of Leon, Jack Johnson, Kelly Rowland, Beyoncé. I just listened to the people my older brother and sister listened to.
7. As a teenager did this change?
Yea, I moved away from the rock and indie music. I really liked LionBabe, Ari Lennox, Leon Bridges, Damian Marley, Sean Paul.
8. Did you play an instrument at school and can you still play it?
I play guitar now. I started playing bass guitar when I was 13 and then moved over to electric guitar to make it easier for me to sing and play.
9. Give us a fond memory of one track at high school/college. Any house parties, road trips, holidays…
I remember going to a festival when I was around 13 with my mum, sister and cousins. My mum was working at the festival so wasn’t around all the time, so we’d sit in the car whilst she was gone because it was freezing. The whole time we had a Destiny’s Child CD on repeat. Essentially, it was our own little party in the car, eating Aldi crisps and those fake mars bars.
10. What was your first experience of rap music? How did it make you feel?
My first experience of rap music was probably The Fugees. I remember being at my Dad’s house and he had the CD in the DVD player, you know where you can see the artwork on the TV. It felt classic, like I was being told some sacred story and I was really cool and lucky for hearing it.
11. What’s the earliest rap music video you remember?
Does '21 Seconds' count?
12. After discovering rap, which artists did you listen to the most?
I guess The Fugees, 50 Cent, Kanye, J Cole
13. What gave you the confidence to start to compose music yourself?
I still don’t have much confidence in that tbh. I just liked the thought of writing something deep. I was a bit of a gimp and pretty buried in my feelings when I was younger.
14. Would you say your sound today carries influences from your childhood?
Definitely! I think every part of my sound has been carried over from back then.
15. Do you have any idols in music? Have you met any?
Damian Marley, Joni Mitchell, and the rest have died. Nah, I’ve never made the effort because I know I’d never go up to any of them. I’d find it all a bit too much I think.
16. Finally let’s end on an embarrassing question. What is your guilty pleasure today in modern music?
I don’t actually know. I’m really shit at listening to modern music. I need to put the radio on more - or maybe I don’t.
You really don’t
Keep an eye out for Pip Millet this year and make sure you check out her latest video Deeper Dark (live from RAK Studios.)
Follow @pipmillett
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