You began your career very young as an actress. How did you get involved in acting?

I basically used to go The Royal Court Youth Theatre, which was on Portobello Road. They used to do summer projects and I did a couple of those. It was writing, acting, workshop things. I used to go there in the summer, and then did a play that we had devised and written at The Royal Court and somebody saw it who was an assistant to an agent, and that’s how I got involved with that.

How old were you then?

16

Following that did things take off quickly?

Yeah, it was quite quick. I did a few things for TV, and then got 'Lorna Doone' which was one of the BBC period dramas and I played Lorna Doone, and I was 17. Then I did 'Quills'. My last year of school was really busy, juggling both.

How did you find juggling the two?

I was really lucky in that I went to a sixth form college and they were really understanding and supportive, and they didn’t give me a hard time for missing school. It was really up to me and my level of commitment in a way. They were really great in that they actually let me do it. But yeah, it was quite stressful.

What was the highlight of your career?

Probably… probably… I mean I have to say my favourite thing was 'Quills' which was the first thing I worked on, so I kind of peaked really early (laughs). I just loved the people involved, the director was amazing, we shot it at Pinewood – just the whole experience was really, really brilliant.

Why did you decide acting was not something that you wanted to continue doing? 

Well I did 'Quills' when I was 18, 10 years ago, and like I said that was almost a highlight for me – it had never really got better than that. And because I started so young and it wasn’t necessarily a path that I chose – you know, I don’t think I would have left school and gone to drama school and pursued becoming an actress. I just found myself at 20 as an actress and it hadn’t really felt like a choice in a way. It’s one of those jobs that you have to absolutely be passionate about, about your craft and all that stuff to make all the other stuff worthwhile… the horrible auditions, the constant rejection. You have to be really passionate and I just wasn’t. It became really clear to me the older I got and it started to feel really uncomfortable. I didn’t really feel I was in the right skin.

Have you always been musical?

Yeah I’d always written and played the piano, but had never really shared anything with anybody. I don’t think I played a song to anybody until I was like 24 or 25, because it was just something I used to do. I would always take my keyboard on location with me, and I’d bring my computer which had software so I could record and write, so I’d been doing that, but it was like my own private little thing.

You got involved with film soundtracks – how did you get that opportunity?

Yeah, a couple of my friends were doing short films and I just did the music to them and really loved it, and I really, really enjoyed scoring. I did some more this year– about three short films, again just a score, and I did a commercial for Orange in France. I want to try and continue doing that if possible.

What does composing soundtracks for films entail – were you writing scores and working with orchestras?

I did for Orange France. I worked with full strings, which was amazing – to see them play something you’ve written and arranged, I loved it it was such a high.

How to did you transition from composition to signing to Island records? 

I signed a sync deal with Universal, which is a really small deal basically just involving music to picture. I think that’s because I had been doing scoring work and it went hand in hand. It basically meant that they’d try and find me music, to write stuff for soundtracks or use existing stuff for soundtracks. I had that, that was in place and through already being at Universal, I met Island and then signed with them and they absorbed that sync deal.

Do you think it was easier or more of a challenge having already made your name as an actress, to now make it in music?

It’s really hard to say because it’s really hard anyway. In any scenario it’s difficult to try and make a name for yourself in this industry. I think in some ways it’s hard because people can be really dismissive – I mean, I’m guilty of that…I can hear somebody is doing something and I’ll instantly judge them and dismiss it. So I do think some people will think, “oh, she’s having a go at this now” and it can be a little bit undermining. I honestly can’t say whether it’s helped or not, but I don’t think it’s been detrimental.

Why do you use the name Slow Moving Millie?

I think that was because when I first started playing my stuff to people and sending out demos it was a way for me to separate Amelia Warner the actress and Slow Moving Millie. It was a safe way of starting to make my way in that world. It was also just because I didn’t start playing my music to anyone until I was quite a bit older, and also I didn’t realize or even dream I could do this as a career. It was all of my friends and family who realised that long before I did, so that’s where the nickname ‘slow-moving’ came from. It took me such a long time to go, “Fuck, I love writing music, I love music, this has always made me happy. Why am I not doing this?” I’ve always been obsessed with music – listening to it, buying it, and sometimes the idea of doing something you love so much seems implausible.

What kind of music did you listen to growing up? 

All sorts. My mum’s really into music, so she got me into Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman. And then when I was growing up I was obsessed with The Kinks and The Rolling Stones, I got really into Blur and Brit-Pop.

Do any particular artists influence you now? 

I think they all must, in terms of what you listen to the most. I think it’s definitely ingrained in some way. It’s difficult because I would never want to make comparisons…

Who would be your dream collaboration?

Rufus Wainwright would be amazing. I would love to write a musical with Rufus Wainwright – that would be the dream! (laughs) Maybe one day!

What can we expect from your debut album?

The debut album is covers, so in some ways it’s not fully reflective of the music that I make. But although they are covers and songs that people will know, I think there is a spin on them that is very much Slow Moving Millie, and an introduction to my sound and the stuff I like. My music tends to be a bit theatrical, whimsical and magical and I think there are elements of that brought into those songs. They are songs that people kind-of know, like one-hit wonders that have slightly vanished from people’s consciousness, and I’m bringing them back in a new guise.

Why did you decide to go with covers rather than original tracks? 

It wasn’t really a decision made by anybody. It was just what I was working on at the time – I was working on it alongside my own thing. The covers thing was a side project, but one that I found really interesting and creative, in a very different way. It was something that I was exploring. Doing the cover of The Smiths track all coincided at the same time. Everyone was like why don’t you record all these other demos that you have, because they were covers and were done and almost ready. On the album there are 2 bonus tracks, which are my own songs.  

What are your ambitions for the next few years?

I want to make the album next year… I’m not very good at thinking too far ahead. So, in my head right now I’m just really excited about writing for a couple of months– I might go to New Orleans, I was there a couple of years ago and I find it so inspiring. Aside from that, I’m not really sure!

Who are your Idols?

Oh gosh! Let me think… I love Jane Birkin- slightly bonkers, free-spirited. I also love Tracey Emin. I just read her book of columns. It was just amazing. She is such an amazing woman and I really admire her. I think the reason that I admire her is because of her selflessness…or her self-obsession, I don’t know which it is, but it’s that fearlessness to open yourself to everybody. She’s almost given up her life for art. I don’t think I could do that because my life is comprised of other things that are really important to me. For me it has to be a balance. I don’t think I would give up and compromise other things for my art to the degree she does.

Who would your musical idol be?

Probably Danny Elfman who is the film composer. He does all of Tim Burton’s films. I absolutely love his sound- it’s so unique, magical, so him. You can just hear a piece of score or watch a movie and know it’s Danny Elfman.

Renditions

Slow Moving Millie

OUT NOW

Interviewed by Holly Rubenstein