mimi bay
I love Swedish artists. They’ve always had this unique and refreshing sound. mimi bay is no exception. I am amazed at how vulnerable and emotional her new song is. “helium cowgirl” is pure and honest, and it perfectly highlights mimi’s magical vocals as well as her storytelling. She’s without a doubt an artist who truly has something to say, an artist who has a true vision and an artist who’s not afraid to be vulnerable.
Congrats mimi bay on this amazing song, and thank you for this conversation.
“helium cowgirl” is out now !!
Photo credit: Fredrika Eriksson
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is Mimi, I’m 21 years old, I write and produce songs and play guitar. I grew up in Sweden and I’ve always loved making little songs.
What did you grow up listening to?
A solid mix of things. I remember as a little girl my mom would play a lot of John Mayer in the car, really got into the Beatles and the Velvet Underground when I was around 14. Definitely grew up listening to Drake, Ariana Grande, a few Swedish artist like Veronica Maggio, Bo Kaspers Orkester and so many more. I also loved musicals as a kid like Hairspray, Rent and Wicked.
When did you know you had to be an artist and release your original music?
It has always been the dream for as long as I can remember. I started writing songs when I was around 8 years old and I haven’t been able to stop since.
What was the biggest challenge when you first started?
It’s hard to be satisfied with what you’ve created. there’s always things you can improve but you have to reach a point where you back off and let the song be what it is and call it finished otherwise you’ll be working on it forever and no one will ever hear it.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
My mom. She has always supported me as well as my dad but she was the one who convinced me to release my songs back when I was 15.
"helium cowgirl" is your latest single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
It’s about a close friend of mine. it’s the almost desperate feeling of trying to keep someone around and realizing there’s nothing you can say or do to change their mind, like gravity having no effect on helium.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? Who helped you create it?
I first wrote it on guitar in my studio apartment end of summer 2021 I had just started reading Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins and felt inspired by the whole cowgirl thing. A few weeks later my band and I were rehearsing for a show and my very talented friend and bandmate Leo Bengmark wanted to try to a live version of the song on piano. I fell in love with the piano version of it and later in the studio Leo added some new chords, I wrote a new verse and took it to Kevin Andersson. Kevin and I produced the track and Theo added some beautiful steel pedal.
What did you feel when writing this song?
Sad. I was feeling a bit helpless at the time. Listening now it makes me sad because it’s like a page straight out of my own diary.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
Brought my family’s old tiny digital camera from 2007 to the set when we shot the music video. My friend Vidar had come in that day to help us shoot some behind the scenes content and he casually took that picture that we later decided to use as the cover.
What do you want people to feel when listening to "helium cowgirl"?
Some kind of emotion. If it’s heartache, sadness or feeling at ease I’m not sure. I’m just glad if it moved you in any way.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
For me, the hardest part is feeling like I’m not good enough. I’m always doubting myself to a point where it gets in the way of creativity. The best part is I get to do what I love the most, create music.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I would like to see more women and people who aren’t men as music producers.
What advice would you give to artists out there?
Make art because it’s what you want. As long as it’s true to yourself opinions of others don’t matter.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
The world would be a better place if we were kinder to each other, the planet and ourselves.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Be open minded.
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