Happy’s Sam Bowmer met up with British recording artist Pip Millett ahead of her headlining show in Sydney to discuss her debut album and tour of Australia.
I first met Pip Millett in the dimly lit entrance hall of the Sydney Metro Theatre. Within a few hours, the hall will be packed with an eclectic mix of fans eagerly awaiting to see her perform live; For now, though, our only company is the hum of the nearby fridges and the blare of drums from soundcheck next door.
Given Millett’s light-hearted attitude, you couldn’t tell, but tonight will be his third show in a row, in his third city in a row, in a completely different time zone than his hometown of Manchester.
“I don’t know who planned that… I’m going to hunt them down and have some words!”, he jokes.
It’s a whirlwind Australian tour to cap off a heady few months for the artist, who released her debut album. When everything is better, I’ll let you know. in October of last year.
“I found it really stressful. I felt that there is more pressure around an album,says Millett.
Yet now that her debut album is out, Millett is feeling nothing but excitement and relief, and with good reason. When everything is better, I’ll let you know. it’s a phenomenal record; combining the British artist’s trademark intelligent lyricism and incredible voice with deft production that consistently manages to thrill and surprise throughout the album’s seventeen tracks.
The record’s production plunges into new electronic territories for Millett, drawing from a variety of genres too numerous to list.
“I didn’t go in thinking ‘oh yeah, I’m going to change the direction of the sound’,explains Millett, “but what I did know is that I wanted a complete collection of sounds on the entire album, and I feel like every song sounds quite different.”
When everything is better, I’ll let you know’Her biggest triumph, however, is how she manages to explore so many sonic territories while maintaining a cohesive identity as distinctive as Pip Millett; with the artist’s unique brand of genre-bending British neo-soul and heartfelt, often heartbreaking lyricism shining just as brightly on the LP as on her previous EPs.
“It’s scary to be so vulnerable, it takes courage,Millett says about sharing his darkest moments through song.but I feel lucky to be able to do that, and it feels liberating.”
“It’s so lovely to see people moving with it and feeling it, you know?”
Pip Millet’s live show is as mesmerizing as her recorded works, with the artist’s voice as powerful and flawless on stage as it is in the studio, backed by a talented live band that doesn’t miss a beat.
It is an experience that is both joyous and moving. On stage, Millett exudes confidence and untouchability, yet is still able to form deeply human connections with her audience.
It is this deft balance of apparent contradictions that I think best describes Pip Millett as an artist and performer: she is confident yet humble, untouchable yet affable, and surprising yet familiar.
Pip Millett’s debut album When everything is better, I’ll let you know. is out now
