Pip Millett Tickets

Unconsciously cherry-picking from the great soul, jazz, and R&B icons of yesteryear, Pip Millett’s textured take on neo-soul is likely testament to her informal education in the classics. From her parents that is. Often designated as the YouTube DJ during weekend get-togethers with family and friends, when the grown-ups were unwinding an 11-year old Pip would absorb requests for Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Gil Scott-Heron, and Bobby Womack, which would go on to provide the basis for her confidently confessional approach to songwriting and soul-bearing.

With these influences cascading through her, Pip’s mum paid for guitar lessons and she spent her teenage years putting the hours in. She already appreciated the power of music bringing people together, but now she could put it into practice. 

Her aspirations were clear, which inspired a relocation from the Manchester suburb of Marple, where she’d grown up, to London, where she studied music. But she met early resistance with her songwriting credentials, particularly ‘Make Me Cry’: “I played the song at uni and my tutors said it wasn’t that catchy,” Pip admitted. Ironically, this wasn’t the opinion of global tastemakers and music discovery channel COLORS who selected Pip for a performance on their YouTube channel having discovered her via the platform themselves. 

It certainly got the ball well and truly rolling – which over five million views and counting would attest to – all whilst she was still studying. A song that sees Pip confront her depression with candour and maturity beyond her years would open the door for her career, winning plaudits for her poise and rich, silky vocals. Understandably then came comparisons to peers like Jorja Smith – this all while she continued to juggle her studies with her burgeoning star.  

With three EPs out in the world she’s evolved considerably in a short space of time, and her stock has risen steadily. Pip’s debut EP, Do Well, indicated her refreshing sense of vulnerability. Her second EP, Lost In June, saw her assemble the melange of influences she’s collated and begin to configure her sound. Her most streamed track to date, ‘Heavenly Mother’, interweaves Pip’s penchant for retro rhythms with her heart-wrenching delivery in a composition which could comfortably nestle amongst the casual, finger-clicking R&B of Amy Winehouse’s Frank.

Motion Sick, however, is truly where Pip Millett stakes her claim as one of the UK’s most singular soul talents. Sultrily blending jazz, gospel, hip-hop, and soul, Motion Sick is a transitional body of work for the Mancunian, which sees her boldly express how she understands her identity and the Black experience in Britain. A collaboration with heavy-hitter Ghetts on ‘Running’ added clout to her newfound empowerment, and the stern production elevates her position further.

It’s been a gradual process for Pip Millett, who’s been etching away at her seemingly detached persona as she tackles numerous raw and personal subjects in her songwriting. But over time it’s been replaced by a resilience and distinct absence of artifice that now characterises her craft.