Pip Millett: "I Give All Of Myself To Music"
Pip Millett sounds ready - in her music, in the way she reflects on her career, and everything happening around her. It seems clear now that her path was never about rushing things, but rather about collecting experiences, sounds and life, and only then turning them into moving, delicate songs.
After two years, the Mancunian singer-songwriter has returned with a trilogy of singles, marking her first new music since her 2024 EP, 'Tell Jimmy I’m Fine'.
New singles 'Soon Enough' and 'Mad' are out now: two deeply personal songs in which vulnerability and sincerity feel like their greatest strengths. The production does a beautiful job of bringing these qualities to the forefront, taking a minimal approach that frames Pip’s voice and allows it to shine.
DMY caught up with Pip Millett to ask her about returning to releasing and performing, the experiences that have shaped this new chapter, and what's to come for the future.
Hi Pip! First of all, how are you? What's been going on recently?
Hello! Some days I'm good, some days I'm anxious and filled with dread. My brain likes to switch dramatically between the two. I've been releasing new music, finally, and preparing for my tour.
It's been two years since your last official release. You've been making music for several years now, throughout a period in which the way artists are expected to exist publicly has changed dramatically. How have you navigated the pressure to constantly explain, promote and perform yourself outside of the music?
I've struggled with it, if I'm honest. I think I can be quite an introverted person, and I don't think selling myself online in a way that others might like comes very naturally to me. I feel like this year I've just done whatever I wanted and hoped for the best. I think it's going well so far. It's too stressful trying to be something I'm definitely not, and perform in a way that feels nothing like me.
You've returned with 'Soon Enough', a beautiful song in which grief and tenderness take centre stage. Your music has always felt deeply personal, but how do you decide which parts of yourself can become a song, and which parts need to remain yours?
I give all of myself to music. There's likely not one part of my personal life that hasn't become a song. It took many years for me to find the courage to write 'Soon Enough,' but every bit of sadness, shame and joy comes out eventually, for me, anyway.
Sonically, 'Soon Enough' is a very rich track, produced by Dom Valentino. Did you seek him out yourself? What do you think he brought to your music and to the way you wanted this song to sound?
Dom and I first met when we were writing for Nia Smith. We got on super well, and then arranged a session to write for me. I'm so grateful for him, and he's super inspiring; he's definitely one of the best and most creative people I've worked with. He's also hilarious, which helps with good vibes in a studio where we're writing sad songs.
'Soon Enough' was the first of a trilogy of singles. Why did you choose to tell this story across three releases? What are you hoping to explore through this format?
I felt these three releases were the perfect reintroduction. I haven't released music for two years and I haven't toured in four. I'm so ready to be back, but I don't want to pour everything out without making sure people are properly tuned in.
There is something very physical about your voice - even when you're singing quietly, it feels like there is a lot happening underneath it. How has your relationship with your own voice changed as you've grown as an artist?
I think I've really settled into my voice. I sound incredibly young in the early releases, there's a maturity, and maybe a slightly weathered feel, to my voice now, in a good way. When I'm singing, I feel all the emotions of the story I'm telling. It does at times make me feel emotionally exhausted, but I'm grateful I can give so much to something I love.
What is your relationship with the UK neo-soul scene today? And, looking beyond London, which city do you feel is doing the most interesting things musically right now?
I'm not too sure. I don't live in the city, I live in the countryside of Manchester and commute to London most weeks to work. I feel a bit out of the scene, really; I don't think I've been physically present enough to feel like a proper member of it. Maybe one day, though. I think there are artists from all over creating some beautiful music right now. I don't think I could pinpoint one city.
When you revisit your older songs, do you still hear versions of yourself that you recognise, or is it difficult for you to go back to them and simply enjoy them?
Revisiting the older songs makes me emotional. I feel incredibly proud of my younger self, and wonder where she found the energy to go to uni, nanny, and write and release music. I feel like I'd benefit from a nap every day now. I hear the drive and belief in myself in those older releases. I still love them.
And finally, what does the future look like for you? What are you looking forward to?
I hope that the future looks deeply creative. It would be lovely to tap into other parts of creativity. Looking too far forward panics me at the moment, as mentally it's been a hard year, but I hope to pour more into my friendships and music, and find out where else on this planet might feel like home.
'Mad' is out now via Mixpak Records.
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