Neu Rainy Milo: ‘Little Fires Are Started On The Internet’

Rainy Milo is a star in the making, there’s no doubt about that. With an incredible voice behind her as well as some of the most intriguing, jazz-inspired beats of recent memory, her ‘Limey’ EP garnered plaudits from every corner of the blogosphere for its deeply personal and chilling lyrical themes as well as it’s highly atmospheric sound. We got on the phone to the London-based rapper to talk about how she feels about the reaction to her music, what N*E*R*D has to do with it all and what appeal – if any - is behind watching the Grammys.



How has life changed since the release of the EP and how did you feel about the overall reaction to it?
I feel like it’s sort of the same, only now instead of writing for myself, I’m writing songs and putting them out and I guess it’s just a bit more music orientated than it was before. I feel like the reaction was… overwhelming really, even though it wasn’t crazy huge like a chart-topper or anything. Just to know that people were really interested and connected with it made me feel less lonely, you know?

On your Tumblr you write that you’re “not original but simply a physical collective of [your] influences”. What are some of these influences and do they expand to your lyrics as well as your sound?
I feel like that more of my own life would influence my lyrics, but musically and the things that I’m into come from the music that I was brought up on, like N*E*R*D and how they blended music – that really encouraged me to try blending for my own sound too. Everything I’m into just added up to making me, you know?

What is it about N*E*R*D that appeals to you?
I found it really ballsy that they were mixing rock with hip-hop and funk, and that’s just not easy to do at all, but I really feel like N*E*R*D and Pharrell pulled it off so well.

Did you have a very musical childhood growing up? Were you parent’s musical people?
My mum can’t sing to save her life! But she loved playing music, and my granddad was a reggae DJ, so I really feel like I was surrounded by music but never just one genre; so I never got the chance to have a preference for one thing because I was never just given one thing.

There seems to be a predominant jazz sound throughout most of the EP. Did this stem from your mum too?
My mum loves Ella Fitzgerald, but I still feel like there’s a lot of hip-hop in there that stemmed from my older sister from when we were cruising in her car when we were younger.

What was the first record that you bought for yourself and what does it mean to you now?
I don’t know if it means tons to me today, but I think it was Eve feat. Gwen Stefani – Let Me Blow Ya Mind!and

How are you finding playing the songs live?
I’m finding it really exciting, and I’ve got my little band – the three of us – and its nice and intimate. I’m really looking forward to playing more shows live.

I saw you tweeting about the Grammys a few weeks ago. Do you think there’s still relevance to awards ceremonies like it and the Brits?
I still like watching them, but as far as relevance is concerned? I don’t know really. Kids will like what they like, and I don’t think you need an award to back up being a good artist.

So what does back up being a good artist?
Well, I think being a good artist means a lot to a lot of different people, but for me right now having people feel like “oh my god! This really means something to me. I really get this song.” I think having people treasure your music makes you a good artist.

Have you felt that way about any artists recently?
That’s a good question. Oh my God… who do I treasure?! I wouldn’t say it’s in the last few years but I’d say I really treasure Corinne Bailey-Rae. I love her to pieces! I found her really honest – honest in a really sincere way.

What are your plans this year and what do you look forward to doing the most?
I’m really looking forward to live shows, and doing music videos! That’s always really fun, because y’know, as an artist you’re always just into the music, so when you get into something visual it’s so exciting to finally be doing something which isn’t really your field.

Are there any festivals on the horizon for you?
Yes! I’m playing Field Day, and am really exciting about seeing Solange.

Do you think this new ‘alt-R&B/pop’ sound Solange and similar artists have developed will be popular in the charts?
I don’t know where it’s going, but I really hope it does become super popular. It’d be nice to see people getting into something that is a bit more hearty.

How do you feel about the state of chart music today?
To be honest, I don’t know much about it. I don’t watch any of those Top 40 shows, I couldn’t tell you who’s in the charts right now. I have no idea; I’m not the person to answer that question!

It’s quite interesting isn’t it, because the majority of people these days would also tell you that they don’t know what’s in the charts, and yet it’s the music that appears to be the most popular in the country.
Yeah! Isn’t it funny? I feel like two years ago I would’ve been able to tell you who was number one, but with the internet now you don’t need to rely on what music television is feeding you, y’know?

Do you think the way the internet is going with music – what with Spotify, Soundcloud etc. – is the best way forward?
I think so, definitely! YouTube’s good, I find recommendations on there to be pretty cool. And then through Soundcloud and through who someone else is following, you can get into similar artists. You can make the discoveries yourself, and I think that process makes the discovery more personal to you because then you’re like “I found this person! They’re mine.”

But with so many acts being able to use the Internet to put online tracks they’ve recorded in their bedrooms, how do you think young artists can make themselves known amongst the hundreds of others out there?
That’s really tough, because I know that I have to do a lot of sieving when I’m trying to find something new to be into. I feel like at the end of the day, if something’s really good people are going to talk about it. Little fires are started on the Internet – a friend tells their friend, and they tell their friend, and then somebody blogs about it that people really respect. So I think anything that’s good in an ideal world – well I like to think so anyway – gets found.