Mila Webb weaves sly, psychedelic melodies into a ghostly folk palette in her new single “Lucky Nights.” Webb leans into the gentle swing of traditional folk here while employing a fresh, subversive twist. Her sound is reminiscent of Faye Webster, with the lyrical punch of Wolf Alice. The song is plainspoken, drifty, and unapologetically sentimental – all while a thread of longing runs through the track. “Everything has hunger and no one’s ever satisfied,” Webb sings. “Still I won’t forget the way it felt to have you on my side. You give me lucky nights.”
“Lucky Nights” finds its narrator thinking of an old flame, meditating on the different facets of a gratitude that is complicated by absence. What does it mean, to be grateful for someone that you’ve ultimately lost? How do you unwind the love from the loss, the sweetness from the bitterness? The song almost reads like an origin story; there is something near religious about the attention and unconditional love spilling through the song. The lyrics paint an image that is casually cosmic: rings unspooling from Saturn, gnawing hunger, ancient skylines brimming with light. Webb’s vocals deliver the images with careful precision, her voice couched in nimble harmonies and a relaxed, folksy soundscape. “If you think of me someday…I think it still will be enough for me too,” Webb sings in the second verse.
Mila Webb’s debut EP, titled Lucky Nights, will arrive in 2022 via Perpetual Doom. We were lucky enough to chat with Mila Webb about her new song. Here’s what she had to say.
Tell us about your journey with the forthcoming EP Lucky Nights.
Lucky Nights came from some demos that I had accumulated over the years. It took me a while to come out of my shell to do anything with them. I eventually connected with Chris Cohen who co-produced the EP with me. We tracked with my bandmates and then we spent time continuing to work on them and inviting different friends to contribute things. It was my first experience owning the process of a project and learning how to get it all done. I learned a lot.
What typically drives your song writing process – lyrics, instrumentals, vocals, or something else – and why?
I’m usually driven by my thoughts and something I’m trying to work through. If I’m lucky I’ll stumble on a melody that I can follow through and can put the pieces together from there.
What’s the story behind the song “Lucky Nights?”
“Lucky Nights” is a song that I wrote to help me feel at peace with change. I was writing from a place of grief of watching something end – a time in life and also a time on earth when the planet was healthier. But I’m helping myself through the song to feel grateful. It’s a lullaby about everything being in its right place. Those moments go away, but they come back. I wanted to capture that feeling.
What inspires you the most day to day?
I’m really inspired by friendships. There’s a lot of inspiration in falling in platonic love with people, getting to be around them, laughing with people, bouncing off each other and feeling connected. Even when that kind of connection feels far away, I take inspiration from the stuff that comes up between friends.
How do you want fans to feel after listening to your music?
I’d love for someone to hear a lyric and feel reflected in some way. I like the idea of making people feel warm inside. The songs have a sadness to them but I hope people see the light in them too. I’m less of a masochist than I used to be, but sometimes it feels good to swim in blue.
