Hello Rockstars!
Today I’m going to be talking about Artist of the Week, Singer-Songwriter MIMI!
In this article we talk about her beginnings, writing process, and her new 2024 EP “B2B:The Experience.”
Enjoy!
MIMI’s Photo done by Photographer Alex Valbuena. 😉
VMS:
“When did you start writing and performing your music. What’s your backstory.”
MIMI:
“Well I’ve been playing music my whole life, started with guitar at the age of 8, I was also in band from 5th-12th grade so music was all around me. I didn’t actually start writing or performing till 2022 after covid. I met my current producers and they helped me find my sound which helped a lot with my confidence on and off the stage.”
VMS:
“What artist or bands inspire you and your sound.”
MIMI:
“I take a lot of inspiration from people like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Justin Bieber. Sometimes I’m embarrassed to say it but Justin Bieber is the whole reason I started making music. I used to love to mimic him as a kid so I kinda just took his sound and made it my own lol. He also has a lot of Usher and Chris Brown influence so I feel like you can kinda hear it in me too.”
VMS:
“What’s your writing process and inspiration for your lyrics.”
MIMI:
“My writing process is nothing crazy. I normally love to write with my engineer Shadow, and we kinda bounce ideas back and forth. He’ll have me sit there with a mic and I’ll kinda just freestyle until we find something we like. Normally a lot of songs tend to be about girls, I’m kind of a simp and it’s the easiest way for me to communicate my feelings without worrying about being too vulnerable.”
VMS:
“”I love your songs: “The One”, “Issues” and “Not Sober”. What is the inspiration or story behind these songs.”
MIMI:
“Well “Not Sober” is actually kinda funny. I had just met my producer Josh and he invited me over to his studio to record some demos. (Let’s just say I had a really long night out the night prior so I wasn’t feeling my best lol) but he played the beat, I had never really wrote over any beats like it before and I didn’t wanna do it. But I ended up singing the “she told me to come over, I told her I’m not sober, she told me to call a Uber” and then immediately told him to give me another beat cause I couldn’t think of anything. After months of begging me to finish the song I finally listened to him and did. And man was I happy he pushed me to do it because it’s one of my favorites now.
When it came to “Issues” and “The One”, we were at the end of finishing my album. I was so happy because it was finally done… or so I thought. I woke up to a call from both Josh and Shadow (my engineer and my producer) saying they needed two more songs.
So they sent me the beats and I sat there for hours trying to give them something I know they would like. It was extremely stressful but I feel like I make my best stuff under pressure so it all worked out.”
Listen to MIMI on Spotify:
VMS:
“Tell me about your 2024 EP: “B2B:The Experience”.
What was the inspiration and process of writing your music.”
MIMI:
“So when it came to the album it started as just a me and Josh thing. We both really love the early Y2K music and we kept talking about how no one makes that kind of music anymore. We were both listening to the B2K album just thinking how cool it would be if we could bring that sound back.
So Josh starts hunting for the beats, and I start writing. As we’re working on the project we meet Shadow, who ended up falling in love with the project and says he wants to join in on the work and help it be the best it can. He ended up mixing and mastering the project.
Man it was a lot of work too. Josh lives in La so it was a lot of traveling to and from La for the studio sessions, photos and videos for the project. Josh even flew out to Miami with me to record some content. We just wanted to bring old music back and give something the people could have fun with. We want people to feel like they stepped into a Time Machine listening to this album.”
Listen to “B2B: The Experience” on Spotify:
VMS:
“Which local artist would you like to work with and why.”
MIMI:
“Oooo this is a hard one because there are so many talented artists in Vegas. I’ve worked with her once but nothing has really came out of it because of how busy we both are, but I would really love to make a song with Kami Kehoe. She’s a great friend and such a talented well rounded person. Really proud of her for everything she’s been up to lately. It’s really cool seeing another woman from Vegas doing her thing.”
VMS:
“What’s your overall theme or message of your music.”
MIMI:
“I think the over all theme is heart break. But also knowing that you aren’t alone, we all feel these things. Sometimes finding a song with the right words can make you feel seen.”
VMS:
“Do you have a favorite song that you like to perform.”
MIMI:
“My favorite song to perform is “Say Goodbye”. Anytime I sing it on stage I can hear the audience singing along and it heals my inner child LOL.”
VMS:
“Do you have any crazy or interesting stories from working in the music scene.”
MIMI:
“I think my most interesting story is just the people I’ve gotten to meet from music. I met both my best friends because of music and that’s something I’ll always be thankful for. My music wouldn’t be what it is today without them.
Shadow and Josh have given me the confidence to keep going. Also they’re both so talented it pushes me to be just as good as they are. Josh handles the creative direction, Shadow makes me sound pretty, and I write them a song I know they’ll be proud to put their name on. We all just push each other and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
VMS:
“What do you want your audience to feel and experience at one of your live shows.”
MIMI:
“I want them to feel submerged in the music. I just like seeing people have a good time when I’m on stage. Whether that’s them singing, dancing or laughing. So I try to throw a couple jokes out there every performance. I just want people to feel like the money they spent on the ticket is worth it. When I perform I’m in my element, that’s when I turn into the Mimi I want to be in 10 years so I take it pretty serious. Performing is my favorite part of this whole music thing so show days are always exciting.”
VMS:
“What does the future hold for Mimi.”
MIMI:
“Well, right now I have no set plans. So I’m just going to keep writing, keep singing and keep performing until something gives. I’m at the point where I’m not writing everything thinking “oh this is gonna be the one “ I’m just writing to perfect my craft and have fun with it. Everything else will fall into place when I’m ready.”
VMS Thoughts:
I remember when I first heard MIMI’s music the first thing I noticed is what a expertly crafted world she has created. Her lyrics are very sharp, self aware, reflective, and feel timeless, and with her complimenting melodies that give nod to music’s past and future and melds them into something special and uniquely MIMI.
I love that MIMI and her Collaborators Josh and Shadow play with mixes of 90s / 2000s R&B on the “B2B: The Experience”, all while making sure they stay true to her vibe and always making sure MIMI is at the forefront of the journey. My favorite stand out tracks are “Throw It” and “Fussin’ “, they both have a wonderful effortlessly cool and fun vibe, with “Throw It” making me wanna get up and dance, and “Fussin’ ” gets me in my bad bitch mode (lol), I could see them both being very big hits.
It’s incredibly exciting watching MIMI ‘s musical journey. You can tell she genuinely loves to explore and play with her lyrics, music and she clearly has a vision for what she wants to accomplish with her sound. That’s what separates the good artists from the great ones, the need to constantly evolve and push themselves to next level of what they can do.
That’s why I feel MIMI is definitely the one to watch out for, her passion is evident and her story is a beautifully fascinating melodic landscape of joy, love, heart break, self awareness, and staying true to the heart of MIMI.
—–VMS.
For More information about MIMI, please visit her on Instagram.