In Conversation with Miynt
Photo by Marcus Palmqvist
Welcome to Miynt’s Lonely Beach. Miynt’s second LP is lush and layered, drawing from a diverse array of influences sonicallyー funk, psychedelia, and grungeー as well as in her storytelling, exploring songwriting across geographical space and the progression of seasons. We had the opportunity to chat online with Miynt about her creative process and latest album.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How did you get your start in singing and songwriting? Can you share a memory that shaped your identity as a musician?
[MIYNT]: I think that I have always been making melodies in a way. Recently, I found a tape from when I was around four-years-old which is about two hours of self-made songs about Donald Duck and Daisy Duck. But I have never been schooled in music. When I started playing guitar at fifteen, I felt like it was too late so I just made songs for fun. I felt like I had a horrible voice so I couldn’t really see it as something serious. It took a while for me to understand and trust my ability.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Tell me more about Stockholm. How did the environment you surrounded yourself in effect your writing and recording process?
[MIYNT]: I have this love-hate relationship with Stockholm, it can be amazing but it can also make you feel low. When things are good here, it’s an amazing city to be in. Though I usually write most songs in the winter, it’s easier to be productive when it’s cloudy.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What is it like navigating a music industry that is biased towards native English speakers? How do you find ways to preserve your heritage through music?
[MIYNT]: It suits me well because I never felt comfortable writing songs in Swedish. English feels easier… maybe because Swedish is closer to me and therefore feels scary to write in.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You mentioned in an earlier interview that you traveled to Brazil to shoot a music video. What was the experience like? How did being in such a drastically different environment influence your creative process?
[MIYNT]: Oh my God, I loved Brazil. It was absolutely amazing, both the nature and the people. The vibe was very different to Sweden, it felt like a more genuine place. The surrounding beauty made it almost impossible to struggle with anything. The only thing you wanted to do was to drink a coconut at the beach and just enjoy yourself. I loved how the rhythm is such a big part of the county, it felt like you could buy percussion in almost every corner.
[UNPUBLISHED]: I'm interested in the juxtaposition between the lyrical world and the visual world in the music video for 'Of the sun." In what ways is your music a form of escapism. In what ways does it mirror your own life?
[MIYNT]: I think that the most fun part about songwriting is to build something that didn’t exist before. To make a groovy tropical song in the darkness of late November is definitely flirting with some sort of inner escape. If it was sunny outside I’d probably rather go out in the sun than be in the studio writing about it.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How do you use songwriting to explore personal and collective storytelling? What is the story that Lonely Beach is telling?
[MIYNT]: I think the songs are very much questions or thoughts that I think about. I feel like people have never been as lonely as they are today but never been this good at hiding it before, thanks to social media and the general state of culture I guess. I’m fascinated by relationships in general, and I think my writing usually surrounds that, with my own relationship to people, love, and the world as a general theme.
[UNPUBLISHED]: I find that your music has evolved from a heavier tone to becoming groovier and more laid-back. Do you think that this change in musical styles reflects a personal transformation?
[MIYNT]: Yes I definitely think that it correlates with my personal transformation. I feel more relaxed in general when it comes to my artistic expression but also my existence in a way. It probably has to do with age. When I began putting out music I felt super anxious to take that space, and to sort of live up to my own expectations. Now I just feel like it is fun to put out music but also not that big of a deal, like, you make a record, and then it comes out and then you work on the next one and life continues.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What are your emotions surrounding the release of the new album?
[MIYNT]: I feel excited! I hope to play a lot and then I look forward to finishing the new demos that I’m working on.
