In conversation with Lauren Mikki

Healing isn’t linear, and Lauren Mikki’s new single In Between doesn’t pretend it is. Blending soulful vocals, indie songwriting and dreamy vintage-inspired production, the track marks the first glimpse into a bigger story that’s all about embracing the messy middle instead of rushing to the happy ending.

Here at Starfreak, we caught up with Lauren to chat about the inspiration behind In Between, why she started her project in the middle of the story, the influence of Clairo’s Charm, and what listeners can expect from this exciting new era.

“In Between” is described as the opening chapter of a larger story. Why did this feel like the right place to begin, and what can listeners expect from the chapters that follow?

This first single is actually track 3 on the body of work that it belongs to. It really is the ‘In Between’ moment of the story that I’m telling, right in the middle of being broken and putting yourself back together again. It felt like an important chapter to give a leading presence to as it’s something that everyone experiences. 

I’m very inspired by my love of literature, and some of my favourite books are the ones that tell the story in a non-linear way (jumping between timelines and narrative perspectives), and I felt like opening this project in the middle of the story was a great way to pay homage to that. 

Listeners can expect to be catapulted backwards in time with future releases, to a perhaps less-healed place before the project builds itself back to a place of comfort.

The song explores healing as something that’s messy rather than linear. Was there a specific moment or experience that inspired you to write it?

My experiences with therapy really inspired this whole project. I spent a lot of time working on my relationship with myself, and realised that one of my main problems was not allowing myself time to be broken or imperfect. In Between came after this realisation. I was doing a lot of work towards having compassion for myself, and learning to embrace the person I am and always have been, instead of holding a candle to a future version of me and beating myself up for not being her yet. 

You mention that the track was influenced by Clairo’s Charm from a production perspective. What elements of that album resonated with you, and how did you make those influences your own?

My producer, Alex Williams, and I really bonded over this album. One of the things we both love about it is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s a slightly goofy element to some of the textures, and it sounds really human. I think with the way that things are going with technology and AI, everything is so overproduced and clean and generic. For this song, I really wanted to lean into a homemade, imperfect, and whimsical production style to reflect the raw, honest, and human experiences that inspired it.

There’s a real balance between uplifting melodies and emotionally vulnerable lyrics in “In Between.” Was it important to create something that felt hopeful despite its heavier themes?

Yes definitely. Writing this track felt like finally admitting something to myself and letting go. Despite it coming from a darker place, it signifies a step forward and a trust that things will turn out okay. I think the music needed to reflect that hope and be my anthem to get me through the hard times.

You’ve said your friends have been using the song as a soundtrack to their own life changes. How does it feel knowing your music is already connecting with people in such a personal way?

It is genuinely so important to me. I really feel music. There are certain songs I have to ban myself from listening to because I just have such raw, guttural reactions to lyrics and sounds. Sometimes it’s just not the time to feel nauseated by No Surprises. I spend so much time finding music that connects to how I’m feeling at different times in my life, and the idea that something I have made in a moment of heightened emotion and vulnerability could connect to someone else is literally a dream come true. Especially In Between. I made it during a moment of feeling lost and trying to have hope. I think I just want to feel seen, by the music that I listen to and by the people who listen to my music. The concept of someone relating to my stories and feeling it in their own way is just everything to me. 

Your music blends soul with indie songwriting and has a distinctive vintage feel. How would you describe your sound to someone hearing Lauren Mikki for the first time?

A gut punch you can dance to.

You’ve built a strong live reputation through festivals, headline shows and touring. How has performing these songs live influenced the way you’ve written or recorded your new music?

A lot of the live shows I’ve done over the past couple of years (when I was writing and producing my new music), I’ve done solo with just me and a piano. It’s how I wrote all the songs, and it’s the first time I’ve released music that I wrote in such a solitary way. 

I often see live performances as an opportunity to re-feel the words that I wrote. I think performing them live in such a vulnerable way has helped me to stay really connected with the songs. It’s kept me grounded in the story that I’m telling, and allowed me to take a really polished body of work to Alex to work on it together. Because I’d only ever performed them alone, a lot of the tracks didn’t have elements like drums yet, so we were really building them from scratch. I think it’s ended up being the most authentic music that I’ve ever made, because it came from such a stripped-back place. 

“In Between” touches on self-compassion during difficult periods as well. What do you hope listeners take away from the song after hearing it for the first time?

I hope that they feel seen in their struggles and start to see themselves in a new way. I’ve struggled a lot with wanting to erase past versions of me. I feel like online culture has contributed to that a lot (new year, new me, various aesthetics to choose from, micro trends, etc). I want this song to be a moment of peace amongst the noise, a moment to reflect on who you have been and currently are and why that’s beautiful. I’d love to make someone notice the things about themselves that they love and want to keep.  

Looking beyond this single, what excites you most about this next era of your music?

I’m honestly just sooo excited to show people everything I’ve been working on. I’m really bad at keeping secrets, and this is a big project with so much to come! I’m just excited to share it all, to tell my story, and hopefully have people connect with it. 

Photos by Beth Chamberlain