Millie Gibson accepts her journey
From Virginia to New York, Millie Gibson is taking over the world. You want jazz? She can sing it. How about funk? She’ll absolutely deliver. Musical theater? She majored in musical performance! Her music takes on Neo Soul/R&B vibes and is heavily influenced by Ella Fitzerald, Alicia Keys, Sade, NAO, and many more. The creativity from being so versatile generates the refined sound she produces today.
Abby Martinez: How did you get started with music?
Millie Gibson: I grew up in school choirs all throughout elementary school, middle school, and high school. I knew that I wanted to go to school for music when I was in 10th grade. I applied to go to a performing arts high school. I had like a whole plan set up. And so I've been singing for over 10 plus years and continue to sing. I went to college for music and got my degree. Now I'm here in New York.
AM: You were focusing on refining your sound for like the past few years. What were some of the ways that helped you achieve your sound?
MG: I would really consider myself a collaborator. I really love to work with other people and help cultivate this vision. So I honestly could not have done it without the help of others, without the help of other engineers, producers, my friends, my co-writers. They're really the ones who really kind of helped me bring my vision to life, then how to refine and craft my sound. It's all thanks to them for really helping me do that.
AM: Do you usually write music by yourself or collaborate with a creative team?
MG: It's kind of both. I start with writing the melody and the lyrics. I would get with someone who would kind of help write like the chords and the foundation. And then we kind of branch out and add some elements from there.
“Tell Me (It’s You)” music video directed by María Fernanda Díez
AM: There are artists out there who write music in really unconventional places like in a closet or under their desk, where do you usually write music?
MG: To be honest with you, I feel like the idea comes in my head while I'm walking. And then I'll record it on my phone. I'll go back to it later and I'll just be in my room. All of a sudden, it'll just come with inspiration of that melody then just kind of float from there. But I don't really have super intricate places. I would just say it kind of comes in random times. I know most artists, they put so much music out. Personally, I really like to focus on one song at a time. So it kind of takes a while. It's hard for me to write multiple songs at one time, because I like to just devote all of my attention to one project.
AM: If your life was a musical, what would it be like?
MG: I would say it would have to be a mash up between influences of That’s So Raven, Lion King, and Sister, Sister. These shows had such an influence on my character and my personality and who I am today. All of those combined.
AM: What are your goals for your music?
MG: To try and expose as much of it as possible. I feel like I'm at that point where I'm really looking for representation. Like I'm looking for a manager. I'm leaving to go to London this Sunday. And it's a whole music business trip. I'm literally just going out there to connect and network with as many people as possible. If I could set up some things with publishing companies and PR companies. I'm also thinking about a syncing agent, possibly getting an agent that would stick my music in TV shows and movies. Still trying to really think towards the next level. How do I find ways to expose my music to the masses? That's kind of where I'm at right now.
One of the biggest reasons I'm going to London is because I really like a lot of the artists that I listened to Jorja Smith, NAO, Lianne La Havas, Jordan Rakei, Tom Misch. They're all out of the UK. I love their music scene. I also feel like London obviously is very much on the map, but I feel like I get a sense it's not as big as New York. So it feels like the market doesn't seem as daunting to me to break into the scene and have some sort of establishment because that is definitely like this neo-soul alternative r&b, that's their thing. So I was like, “You know what, let me go straight here.” I would love to get to a point where, eventually, I'll kind of travel back and forth and expand my audience through there.
AM: If you could give your younger self advice or anything at all, music or non-music, what would you tell her?
MG: I feel like this is kind of an ongoing lesson, if this makes any sense. I'm trying to learn that everyone has their own journey. And that you can't compare your journey to someone else. We think about all the things that we want and how fast we want it up until now. Accepting that your journey is different from someone else's and that it will come in due time, and you just have to keep channeling that. Keep working towards what you want. It just takes time.
AM: Any future projects that you're working on currently?
MG: I'm trying to work on my EP, and I'm looking to releasing that spring of next year. And probably do like an EP release show. After that, we'll see what happens. But I definitely want to put out a bigger project more than just a single.
Follow Millie Gibson:
https://www.milliegibson.com/about
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