If we’re going to be real, SoundCloud is the number one place for those underground bedroom pop stars that are brimming with potential, and without it we wouldn’t have come across smooth-sailing singer Mimi Bay. Located between the likes of Jorja Smith and singer QUIN, Mimi fuses dream-pop sensibilities with a euphonic production for her latest single with fellow singer and multi-talented Australian producer Stevan, effortlessly creating a dreamy lo-fi soundscape. Adding a more mature twist to her signature delicate sound, the Gothenburg-hailed singer delivers a more intimate and in-depth production for “pick me up”, using Stevan’s verse and backing vocals as a male perspective.

“’pick me up’ is about when things keep getting in-between and creates distance between two people who want to be together,” Mimi revealed. “I wanted to capture the confusion and frustration that comes with the lack of communication. I’ve known Stevan since 2018 when we first made a song together and I knew he would add so much to the track and really take it where it needed to go.”

Having released her first project rightly titled “daydreams” back in 2019, Mimi has been using her time to really sit down and focus on her music for the upcoming year. Due to drop another project this coming summer, we sat down with Mimi talking her performance at SXSW, how she describes her mellow vibe and why the likes of Frank Ocean and SZA inspire her.

Check out the single and interview below…

How’s this past year been for you? Has it affected your creativity in anyway?
It has definitely made me more creative. Making music has been my escape now more than ever and I’ve evolved so much because I’ve had the time to really sit down and just focus on making music.

How did you first get into music?
My mom is a musician and so music has always been a huge part of my life. I’ve been singing and writing songs for as long as I can remember. Music has always been everything to me.

What is your earliest memory?
I’m not sure whenever I got sick as a child I would watch our home videos from when I was little so I know me and my brother’s childhood like the palm of my hand which makes it difficult to separate what I’ve watched and what I actually remember. I can’t decide if that’s sad or not.

You grew up in Sweden, do you think growing up here impacted your sound in anyway?
The indie/bedroom pop stage is almost nonexistent in Sweden so I found that type of sound on the internet. Speaking Swedish and writing in English definitely impacts the way I write lyrics but I don’t know if it has impacted my sound. Maybe, Swedish artists like Veronica Maggio and Bo Kaspers orkester has always been with me.

You performed at SXSW which is incredible! What was this experience like?
It was a great experience and I didn’t know what to expect since we prerecorded the performance. I really enjoyed putting together the set and adjusting no doubt to a live scenario. We had a lot of fun putting everything together and it was really cool to see our set in the ”live feed” on the site.

Congrats on your latest single! Take us through the production process and collaborating with Stevan?
Thank you! I had been working on the project for only a couple of days and I had the piano loop, some synth harmonies, vocals and some very strange drums. The project had potential but I felt kinda stuck in the production. I was talking to Stevan over Instagram and I realized this song needed him and I knew he could take it to the next level which he did. I sent it over and he added his production and vocals and when I got it back I kind of puzzled things together and worked off of that.

The song really captures that loss of communication between two people, what made you want to tell this story?
This was something I experienced last spring when I first started this project and so the lyrics came naturally with the music. When I sent it over to Stevan the verse sounded completely different because I was going through feelings that I didn’t know how to describe. Some time passed and my situation changed so when Stevan sent over his version of the project late that summer everything fell into place.

It’s got a dreamy mellow vibe, how would you describe your sound?
I find it hard to pin down the sound I usually focus on the feeling of the song when I’m producing and build on that which leads to some type of sound. But I love when it sounds dreamy and leaves you room to float away and I live for sweet, sad chords and pretty, soft synths.

Who would you cite as your inspirations?
So many different things and people. Books, nature, music that makes you feel like you’re floating. Some people who I always come back to for inspiration are Frank Ocean, SZA, Sandy Alex G, Solange and Zack Villere.

The single is taken from your upcoming project, talk us through what we can expect?
It’s like my diary from 2018-2020. It is rooted in nostalgia and wondering where you belong when your home turns into your parent’s house. All the songs are fragments of things I’ve been going through or learnt going from childhood into young adulthood. I love this project and I think it’s a nice mix of sad and upbeat songs.

Who would you love to work with?
So many people but maybe Cehryl I love her take on production and lyrics.

What are you most excited about this year?
My EP coming out soon and working on new music. I’m excited to finally have room to create since this project has taken up so much space in my brain and so I can’t wait to hand it over to those who want to bring it into their lives.