aaamusic | On 15, Dec 2014

Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Mimi and I grew up in London but I now live in Berlin. My band the Mad Noise Factory are a group of best friends from London, Berlin and Hamburg making music together. I write the songs as little thoughts and ideas about what’s going on in my life at the moment. I draw pictures that go along side what we do and make clothes printed with my drawings. We want to create a whole world to escape to.

What inspired you to get into music?

I started writing songs when I was seven. A very close friend of my mum’s had taught me a few guitar chords and it felt very natural to write down what I was thinking. Music was a way of having someone to talk to and still is now. I grew up without TV so my mum and I used to draw and make things to have fun. I love the idea that you can communicate with these things.

What have you done?

I have had a song called ‘Dont You Mourn the Sun’ on the Twilight Eclipse soundtrack in Europe and my song ‘Get Me Back’ is the single for the new film Love Rosie. My proudest moment is that we got to work with my hero, producer Stephen Street on our recent recordings.

What are you like live?

My band and I have supported Imagine Dragons, Biffy Clyro and The Kaiser Chiefs. We play in many different set-ups, from the whole band to just me on my own but it’s always all about conveying emotion and communicating with the people there. We wear fabrics with my drawings on and most of the instruments are painted by me…. I’ve even painted the band’s faces after we got bored waiting to go on stage. I also think you can tell we’ve been friends for so many years and some of us have been playing together since we were kids.

What makes you different?

People in Berlin have taken a shine to our home-made clothing. I started printing my drawings onto fabric a while back and made the band clothes with my paisley covered owls, shouting foxes, brightly coloured birds and wolves. I make everything myself – the artwork is hand drawn and put together by hand. My songs are personal hand-made little chats and I wanted the artwork to feel the same so no typing – hand-written lyrics with a little painting for each song felt exactly what was needed…..and it was pretty fun to do.

Physical vs Downloading vs Streaming…How do you listen to music?

A big question. I’m old-fashioned and love a physical, beautiful thing to hold in my hands. The way I see an album or an EP is a whole piece of work. The songs, the sound, the artwork, the lyrics and even the order the songs are in and how many seconds of silence you hear between. This gets lost on a lot of newer formats and I’m really not offended. However, it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop thinking about those things because I enjoy them. Details make me smile, even if I’m smiling to myself.

What have you been listening to?

I’ve recently been listening to Drew McConnell’s Helsinki – lovely little songs that sound like secret not meant for anyone to hear. (My cat, Gomez also finds his music very calming). I still love everything The Be Good Tanyas do too.

What are your aspirations for the future?

More music! New songs recordings, creations and shows. I’m always looking for new ways to make friends with strangers by making noise and painting pictures.

Questions answered by: Mimi…