Taken from the SS21 issue of Rollacoaster. Order your copy now.

Exciting young artist and TikTok sensation Mimi Webb has arrived. After releasing her first single, “Before I Go,” a year ago, Mimi has steadily grown her fanbase and into herself as an artist. Her most recent release, “Good Without,” showcases an incredible voice coupled with powerful lyrics. Mimi Webb sat down with Rollacoaster to discuss the meaning behind “Good Without,” adapting to the industry, and her strategy for the future. With a better sense of self and clearer understanding of her sound, Mimi is ready to build on her success as one of the most promising young voices in music. One thing’s for certain, there’s a lot more music from her on the way.

How has the last year affected you as a new artist trying to establish themselves in the industry?
It pretty was crazy at the start. I remember thinking to myself, how am I going to be able to record my vocals? How am I going to write music? And I had become so reliant on being in a studio and having the equipment there. But I was able to adapt and learn how to use the equipment I had at home and get used to Zoom sessions to keep making music during lockdown. And now my most recent single is a total product of quarantine. Personally, I think I’ve come out of this time as a completely different person. My look has changed, I’ve become a stronger artist because I had time to reflect and work out the details of who I am.

You released your first single, “Before I Go,” a month into lockdown – what was it like to try to start your career in these circumstances?
It was definitely a real stress. We were able to finish the song and the music video right before lockdown started. But there was a sense after that release of where do we go from here? We’ve managed to find ways to work through it. This time has also given people a chance to really listen to music. TikTok has been really amazing for my career in that way, because the platform has been such a big part of people hearing my music and following me as an artist.

How has the time you’ve been able to reflect impacted you as an artist?
2020 was a very strange one for me. I was going through a moment where I was trying to find my feet in the industry. I was trying to find my sound. I was trying to have my own lane that no one else had because that really is a pressure when you are a new artist. But as time has gone on, I have definitely realized that you can really just put out whatever you want as long as the song is really strong, and you believe in it. I’ve been able to drop the pressures of all of those side of thoughts. I feel like an artist now, I feel like I have only just become an artist because of this period of experimentation and finding my sound.

Could you tell us about the meaning behind your latest single, “Good Without”?
The song deals with something I went through a long time ago and I haven’t been able to write a song about it before. We wrote this at the start of the year over Zoom with two of my really good friends where we were able to talk through this experience that I’ve never been able to put words to. The song reflects my own feelings of blaming myself for what went wrong in that relationship to understanding that I am so much better on my own. It’s a powerfully emotional and raw song about a toxic relationship, but making the song was such an awakening for me that helped me process.

As someone that has really exploded on TikTok, what is your relationship with the app?
It definitely started when Charlie D’Amelio shared my song on her videos. She was making a bunch of videos to it. It was a bit of a crazy moment
because I had never really got my head around TikTok at that point. From there, I just got the app and saw the reactions on Instagram, I was getting the followers coming in, the streamings were going up. I was just like, ‘wow’, how does this work?I ended up seeing a lot of artists using their own music for their own songs but doing it in ways where they’re connecting with the audience and getting their personalities across. And seeing smaller artists able to use the app to grow, so I started using the app and putting my own spin on it, and getting my family involved. I’ve really loved using it to let people get to know me and get to know my music.

You attended the Brighton College of Music – what was the most surprising reality of working in the industry compared to your experience in school?
In that school environment, we were all so supportive of each other and of each other’s work. I think going into the professional side of things was
realizing that the industry is a business. People want to get you going, and part of that is comparing you and competing against others. That was something that I was not really prepared for when I started out. It was a lot of pressure to have the constant external evaluation of you and your work when you’re still trying to figure it out yourself as a young artist. And you learn what to listen to and not to listen to, what to brush off or what to take into consideration. But I’ve gotten through that and now I am so confident and comfortable in who I am as an artist.

What are you working on now and your strategy going forward?
I don’t know how it’s going to go exactly. At the moment, we’re just doing singles. We’re going to keep building and building up. I’d love to do an EP once there’s more momentum behind my music. Right now, I’m really enjoying the process of making music and making videos. I have a few more singles lined up, so there’s a lot more on the way.