In the Making Artist Q&A | Millie Gibson

Sponsored by Flare Audio

 

 

Style of Music: Soulful, jazzy, bluesy vibes.

I listen to whole range of different genres and styles. I think as songwriter it is important to expose yourself to all different types of music so you have a rich musical bank to take inspiration from. Growing up my dad played a lot of blues and guitar music and he taught me to play guitar and that’s when I started writing songs. I started singing in church and I take a-lot of inspiration in my vocal arrangements and harmonies from gospel music.

I discovered Lauryn Hill after seeing her in Sister Act 2 and fell in love with her voice and writing style, she is one of my biggest influences. I am very influenced vocally by the great soul powerhouses like Aretha, Etta James and Gladys Knight. I also love the classic Motown groups like the Marvelettes and the Ronettes. Some of my other influences are Prince, D’angelo, Erykah Badu, Billie Holiday, Al Green, Donny Hathaway, Sade. A writing influence that I really love is Alex Turner.

 

I heard about in the making through being a member of the Ivor’s academy and receiving a newsletter which had information about the programme.

 

I have been on my musical journey for a long time! I started gigging in bands in my teens, and then ventured into working as a solo artist. I have recorded various different projects over the years and also write and top line for other artists. I have featured as a vocalist on various projects.

 

So, the first time I met the ITM team was in January when we did a photo shoot, I was quite nervous as I’m not a fan of cameras but everyone was really sweet and we all jelled really well! It was amazing working with Natasha the stylist, she had put together a beautiful collection of garms for us to choose from. The shoot was fun and the pictures came out looking lush.

Then in February I spent a week in the studio with Cass which was an amazing experience! I was very lucky to work with Liam Bailey and together we wrote the two tracks. Liam was a lot of fun to work with and he bought a great energy to the room! Once we had written the tracks, we spent a few days getting the vocals and backing down, I had the pleasure of working with Joy Ferruk who is an amazing vocalist and songwriter, she really helped me with the vocal arrangement and harmonies and I defiantly needed her input as some of the harmonies we were recording were quite complex and confusing!

We also were very lucky to attend the 2023 Ivor’s Awards which was a lot of fun. Overall, the opportunity has been such a special experience that I I’ll cherish in years to come, I’ve met some amazing people and hope to keep working with them in the future.

 

In the making has defiantly opened my mind to new possibilities and ideas as an artist. One of the songs we made is unlike anything I’ve made before and is not my usual style but I’m really happy I’ve made something different as it pushed me out my comfort zone and I proved to myself that my voice is more versatile than I thought. The song will also cater to a wider listening audience which will be beneficial to grow my listeners.

 

The programme has helped me believe in myself, my voice and my ideas, Cass and the team have been so supportive in a time in my musical journey where I really needed a boost!

My favourite track I am working on is ‘peace of mind’ I love to sing the song; it feels so good. I am really happy with the track, the beat and the vibe you can’t help but move too it! The song takes you on a journey and I can’t wait for people to hear it!

 

Something people don’t know about me is alongside music I work as a nursing assistant in A&E. I never thought I’d work in health care but at the start of the pandemic the job I had fell through and I got into working as a carer for adults with mental health and learning disabilities and now I’m working in hospital.

 

In two years, I would like to be working in music full time, I would like to have recorded an album and I would like to have gigged internationally.

 

I would say to always go with your gut instinct; the industry is full of people who care more about making a quick buck off your talent than you having a sustainable music career so don’t jump at the first person to show interest. Patience and persistence will get you further.

 

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