MYTBE: Tracks That Shaped My Sound

South London raised, Manchester-based artist MYTBE is set to release her debut EP 'Spill Out' on the 19th of February, a dazzling debut that is set to see the artist take her sound to new heights.

Despite only starting to write early last year, MYTBE has already captured the attention of audiences across the UK, supporting the likes of Oscar Jerome and Marc Riley on BBC Radio 6. In the lead-up to the release of her EP we spoke to her about the tracks and artists that shaped her sound. Enjoy!

Lianne La Havas - Courage

I’ve been listening to lianne’s records since i was 18, just as I was uncovering my interest in writing music. It’s been a good six years under her influence now, and I can firmly say I'm still living for every minute of it. I'm particularly inspired by her rich vocal tone, which has helped me develop my own relationship with my lower register, especially fond of her famously generous vibrato. I am constantly in awe of her ability to write such intricate, yet seemingly effortless melodies - something I strive towards when writing.

Julia Jacklin - Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You

Julia makes you feel like you’re her best friend, or mum… or psychotherapist. I was late to the party on this album but, when I finally caught up mid-2020, I instantly fell in love. I was struck by her ability to be so transparent and create such an intimate sound, particularly difficult to translate through record, and yet she does so with no tricks or frills. I take influence from her understated, and slightly unhinged tone; perhaps most present in my song ’tied’. She made me realise the beauty in simplicity, and reminds me to be as honest as possible when writing songs like these.

Nick Hakim - Cuffed

I became obsessed with ‘Green Twins’ in 2018, and haven’t stopped obsessing over Hakim’s music since. A standout track from the album is ‘Cuffed’ which never fails to make me move - it’s like the intro switches my on button. I’m inspired most by the warm but raucous sounds he creates in this track, the arrangement allows every instrument to sing, in this groove particularly they compliment each other incredibly well. I also admire his songwriting - there’s a lot to learn from his ability to develop melodies and motifs in an arrangement, without them feeling repetitive or over-baked.

altopalo - mono

After meeting guitarist Mike Haldeman after a Moses Sumney gig at The Dancehouse in Manchester, altopalo quickly found their way onto my heavy rotation. I’m inspired by their raw and extreme production choices, particularly present in their track ‘mono’. This record to me sounds fearless. They don’t shy away from the simplicity of the arrangement and, instead, use it to their advantage instead by pushing each instrument to the extreme sonically, leaving no space unoccupied.

King Krule - Stoned Again

This track gives me so much energy. In ‘tall tales’ I was keen to create a similar sense of rising tension - like an almost overwhelming feeling. I wanted to allow space for the more gnarly, unpleasant sounds to be the focus nearer the end of the recording, creating a juicy tension against the sweeter sounding vocals. I particularly wanted to emulate the energy Archie creates in the vocal double that sits behind his lead. It’s reckless and bashful, and I love it. When recording ‘tall tales’ I recorded myself and my producer absolutely belting the song, all the way through, to try and capture some sort of unrest. You can hear it towards the end, I hope it makes you feel uneasy.