Mimi Webb in advance of Marquee gig: 'I’ve been through tough times'

The British popstar has a new album, and is on her way to play in Cork

Mon, 27 Mar, 2023 - 21:00

Ed Power

Like most 21-year-olds, pop star Mimi Webb is deeply attached to her phone. Unlike her friends, the singer has a team to keep any social media negativity at arm's length. That’s the price of being young and famous in 2023.

“Sometimes people can react to things and get the wrong end of the stick,” says Webb, an effervescent presence in the charts with singles such as Red Flag and Ghost Of You and who plays Cork’s Live at the Marquee this June.

“That’s the way the internet works. It’s the dark side of the job. You’ll never find me looking at any hate on Twitter. I am really happy with the way people follow me on the internet. I protect myself. I make sure management filter things for me, if there’s anything nasty going on.”

Despite her repeated insistence that she has no interest in singing at this year’s Eurovision in Liverpool, Webb has been part of the rumour mill since the start of the year.

“Mae Muller has been announced. I don’t know where it came from [that Webb would represent the UK]. Obviously I’m a massive fan of Mae. I’m so excited to support my girl. I don’t know where it came from: I’ve a lot going on.”

The Eurovision rumours were a distraction – particularly with Webb ruling herself out again and again. Otherwise, though, all is positive. Her debut album – named Amelia after her real name – is a top 10 hit across Europe (peaking at four in her native UK). The past 12 months have also seen her shortlisted for a Best New Talent Brit Award and invited to kick off the BBC’s Children in Need telethon. Years of sweat and toil are finally paying off.

“I can't believe it. So far it's been a crazy. We've been doing lots of in-stores,” she says, slightly breathless over Zoom. “Every step of the way, it's been amazing.”

Amelia is a concept album, though not in the Pink Floyd, rock-opera sense. It’s about makes-ups and break-ups and draws on several years of romantic upheaval in her life.

“I keep on runnin' through these red flags, I’ll see the signs, but I'll still come back,” she sings on the Sigrid-esque Red Flags, an early hit that serves as short-hand for the record in its entirety. It’s a first-hand account of being young and vulnerable and how that phase of life can be both thrilling and challenging.

“It’s about putting all those emotions into it. As I always say, how would I be an artist if I didn’t go through those emotional times?,” she says. “I wouldn’t be able to be me. As much as it’s tough to go through those times and write about, it’s also part-and-parcel of my career and of me as a person. Life in the end always figures a way out. Things always happen for a reason. I’m very much about enjoying life every day – not worrying about the future.”

She adds: “It’s been emotional. I love to be vulnerable. I feel like it’s the way people really connect with my music. I’m grateful to have the opportunities to write that all down and get that out there – for my sake as well. It’s very therapeutic. It helps me process things.”

Webb was born in Canterbury in Kent in July 2000. She studied guitar and piano at school and grew up a fan of Amy Winehouse and Adele. At 16, she moved to Brighton to attend BIMM, the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (making her a classmate of sorts of Fontaines DC, who attended BIMM Dublin). That she would move to a new city in her teens is a testament to her ambition. It was a wrench to go, she said. Part of her heart will always be at home.

“Canterbury was amazing. I lived near the beach. The summer of 2016 was the best ever. It’s memories I’ll always remember. Those really sweet moments that you have as a kid that I’ll always hold dear. It was just before I went to Brighton. At that time, I was very driven.”

Her talents as a vocalist were clear as soon as she set foot in BIMM. By the time she was 18, she had a manager, with whom she flew to LA to meet record executives. This led to a deal with Epic, Michael Jackson’s old label. Eighteen months later she released her debut single, Before I Go, which blew up on TikTok where it received 85 million plays.

“I’ve always known what I wanted to do, even as a kid. I put all my ‘kid years’ into it. I was rearing to go and to get into that place. It really built me into becoming who I am now and dealing with all the challenges that come my way.”

TikTok has been useful in other ways. She’s a frequent poster on the platform, where she shares not just music but also heartfelt messages with her fans.

“TikTok is so, so helpful,” she says. “People have been inspired by my journey. They know I’ve been through tough times. They’ve been able to relate to me. It shows that I haven’t got it easy. I work at what I do.”

Having barely paused to toast her success, now she is preparing for her biggest tour to date. In June she will be in Ireland for a date at Live At the Marquee in Cork. She has family in Ireland and is looking forward to catching up.

“My nan’s from Ireland, about an hour from Cork. We have a family fish and chip shop. All my dad’s uncles, aunties and cousins are still there. They come to every gig that I have in Ireland. There are about 25 of them. They all come over.

Her tour kicks off in Madrid and will conclude at that Live at the Marquee concert. It comes on top of a busy year of promotional performances and meet-and-greets with fans. She’s young and enthusiastic. At the same time, the music industry is notorious for working artists until they drop. Does she ever worry she’s being pushed too hard?

“It’s tough at times. Sometimes when you’re so busy and going from one place to another you forgot you’ve got to be human. There are times you’re tired. You’re a bit moodier. You don’t want to talk to people. You feel down. But that’s about being human. And it keeps you humble.”