Interview: Mim Jensen Speaks About New EP 'The Muse' - Touring In May

Ōtautahi rising star Mim Jensen sat down with Rose Muollo‑Gray (aka electronic pop diva missrosevalentina) at Coffee Culture in Ōhinehou Lyttelton for a chat all about her new The Muse EP. Jensen is embarking on a triple date release tour with band this coming May (NZ Music Month / Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa), performing her new songs in Tāmaki Makaurau, Ōtepoti and her garden city hometown. Also supporting Hudson Freeman at San Fran in the capital on 1st May and North Carolina countrygaze superstars Wednesday at Loons on 23rd May, dive into Jensen's world of The Muse and read onwards... 

Mim Jensen
The Muse EP Release Tour

Thursday 7th May - Whammy Bar, Auckland
Friday 29th May - Space Academy, Christchurch
Saturday 30th May - Pearl Diver, Dunedin

Tickets on sale HERE via UTR

Rose Muollo‑Gray: Congratulations on the EP. How are you feeling now that it's out in the world?

Mim Jensen: I feel relatively detached, I suppose. It has been mine for so long, and I feel like I had this little process where I was like releasing is so much about relinquishing control and just kind of accepting that it's not just mine anymore, it's everybody else's. I feel really, really good about that, because right now I'm not really thinking about it. Yeah, I'm really, really happy for it to be out in the world and for people to connect with it, hopefully, and for it to mean something to them because it's meant something to me.

Being an artist, you can kind of recluse yourself a bit when you're working away because it's such a personal experience, putting yourself into what you're doing. What components are most important when crafting your artistry?

Yes. Music for me is the lens that I see the world through and also understand the world and analyse the world through. Also, I recognise the parts that help me to recognise parts of myself. That's always been my processing tool for as long as I can remember. Because of that, what I hold true to myself is my honesty, and my vulnerability. And also, I suppose... That catharsis as well. I hope people resonate with that, that I'm just being myself. I'm just being true, and I suppose when you do that, it allows other people to feel that as well. See themselves through the art too. Which I think is what art is all about, right?

Yeah, I mean, it's a language. It’s really cool to like see someone focus so much of their artistry and that sort of space of who I am in a way as performance art.

Yeah, 100%. I just kind of look at my songs as individual parts of my soul, you know, and so of course it's going to be scary to show that. But at the same time… All I could hope for is that my music can be a friend to somebody. Because it's my best friend.

Well, I felt that listening to it, especially my favourite, was the closer.

Oh, 'To Love'?

Yes, to accept heartbreak. That one made me cry because it was so intimate, because it's just piano, but then there's a little bit of soundscape behind it. It's bare, it's so minimal.

I think that's the rawest song that I have probably released. You feel like you're in the room with me.

Does that resonate throughout the project or was that for that song specifically?

Especially that one, but the whole EP kind of feels like a live band in a room.

Oh my gosh, fabulous. My follow-up question to that is that the EP is called The Muse. Without spoiling the EP, what do you define The Muse in concept?

I had this kind of question in my mind for so long — What is creativity? What does it mean to me, and what inspires me, because sometimes ideas will just kind of come to you, right? But it doesn't feel like it's from you. It almost feels like it's externally coming to you. I still don't know the answer to what it is. I think you could look at it as much of like, yes, it could be an external force, or it could just be your soul speaking to you. But I suppose for me, I've just had this kind of eternal question about it. But then, when I talk about the EP and The Muse. The Muse basically represents a type of karmic love. It comes in at a time when you need to kind of break these toxic cycles that you're in. It's the type of love that doesn't last forever, but it's so potent that it kind of leaves an everlasting impression on you.

Wow. Give me a minute. That was deep. Is there a lyric or line within The Muse that summarises The Muse? Because, for me, personally, my interpretation was 'To Love'. To me, that feels like the conclusion of what the music, like, is about.

Yeah, it's the catalyst as well. I definitely feel like that's the gut punch, really. That moment where you have to accept the reality. That's the acceptance. I reference big feelings a lot — like even in 'The Mask', I reference healing. It's very self-referential. It's not linear.

I don't like to use this word, but it's vague enough where you can kind of create your own definition of what it means to you, which is good for interpretation. Congratulations.

Thank you.

Has there been a release that you've had or a song that you've put out where you've been surprised by the reception? And what was that reception like?

Oh man, I'm kind of always surprised. I would say 'The Colour Blue', probably. That was a big surprise, and it's always so nice to feel supported and that people are liking what you're doing because I never had any expectations. At least I try not to. I try to be detached. I almost feel like I have to for my own sanity. Otherwise, I'll get in my head about it.

Especially if you're marketing it or you have a PR team who are managing the sort of industry side, there's always going to be that component of statistics and whether or not you want to be aware that it's still there and it's something that gets reported on regardless. It's going to come to you whether or not you detach yourself and unless you don't use the phone.

That's so real.

How do you practice detaching yourself from that sort of side of things, because it's quite important, right?

Yeah, it is. I feel quite blessed because my manager, Matt, he's so good. He’s like, "Do you want to know about the engagement and stuff like that?" And I can see most of it, you know, but at the same time, he's so good because he's like "Don't worry about numbers". It's hard not to. I have probably never been more nervous, which I suppose I expected. Just even the size of the stage.

You don't need to get attached to something that's temporary because the art is going to live longer than the statistical.

Choosing to focus on the actual engagement with your fans.

And also choosing to engage with your career moves as well. Where the music takes you away, you go with it. Like, performing at Electric Avenue, which was unreal. What was that like?

We were first up on the Friday and we had a pretty good turnout. Actually, quite a few fans showed up and that's always so nice, having people singing in the front row, it's always so good. It was super, super fun and the rest of the festival was awesome, Otautahi represented. It was so nice to see so many artists from Christchurch up there.

That's what it's about. And now you get to go on tour. How can we see The Muse, what does that look like in the live setting and what can people anticipate going to it?

I've been workshopping with my band at the moment and it's always nice to play it as close as you can, right? But also, I love to add extra elements, sort of change things up a little bit live just to make it more interesting... just to give something a little extra to the people coming to my shows. I'm just really excited to sing the songs with the audience and connect. I always love to add like something like a little creative flair to the shows. Like last time I did it for my hometown show. I did a lolly scramble.

Did you throw lollies into the audience?

I actually accidentally hit someone in the head with a lolly.

What kind of lolly was that?

I think it was like a Fruit Burst? It was so funny because he (audience member) commented on my reel. I’m like, "Sorry to the person that I hit!", and then they're like, “It was me, still love the show." He was such a good sport about it. It was great.

Shout out to that person.

I know.

I have to know — I had to do a bit of a consensus. After listening to the EP, people are going to listen to it, and they're going to have their own answers: 'Karmic' son or 'Trackstar' daughter.

That's such a great question. Love that. Thank you for asking that question.

I had to close the interview with that. Because it's going to be a burning question. It's going to be something that everyone's going to be asking themselves. So I thought, you know, why not start that conversation?

I think I just want to leave it. I think people should decide that for themselves.

Let's start a poll.

[laughs] Yeah, 100%.

Because I feel that sounds kind of ambiguous. Well, thank you so much. That was a great way to end.

Thank you so much!

'The Muse' is out today on major streaming platforms.