Get to know: Minnie Birch - Spellbinding Music for In-Between Moments
- QH SOUND
- May 8
- 4 min read
For Minnie Birch, music has never been a separate entity, it’s been woven into every chapter of her life. “I can’t really remember a time I wasn’t writing music,” she reflects. Growing up in a household that valued musical discovery, she found herself drawn into songwriting at an early age.
Her first band experience came during secondary school, but as life took her peers on different paths, she transitioned into a solo career. “I love the freedom of performing solo, but there’s something really special about sharing a stage or a road trip to a gig with someone you trust.”
One of her newest ventures is Awake Mother, a duo project with her friend Kathleen. This balance between solo artistry and collaboration perfectly encapsulates her journey.
Unlike many musicians who set out with a defined career plan, Minnie’s story is refreshingly unstructured. “It was just an accident really,” she admits. “I come from a family that sees music as a passion, a hobby, and you get a ‘proper job.’ But the opportunities kept coming, and I just kept saying yes.”
Her advice to younger artists is one of self-worth, “It’s taken me a long time to feel like it is OK to be paid to do what I love. I’d definitely advise newer musicians to value themselves and embrace that more.”
Minnie has had game-changing opportunities throughout her career, but the defining moments often come in quiet recognition. Opening for Joan Armatrading, being named Huw Stephens’ Artist of the Week on Radio 1, and earning Sunday Times Top 100 Record of the Year for You’re Not Singing Anymore are all major validation points.
But, as Minnie notes, true magic often happens in smaller spaces. “The real magic moments lie in creating something you truly believe in that resonates with someone else.”
Describing her style, Minnie offers a simple yet powerful word, "grubby.. I’m pretty self-critical and reflective, so I think I often sing from the villain’s perspective, especially in songs about love.”
Her writing process has evolved significantly. Once grounded in guitar-based composition, surgeries over the past few years pushed her toward MIDI loops and acapella songwriting. “It’s a different kind of writing, it puts all the focus on lyrical content to pull the emotion out.”
During six weeks of radiotherapy in 2021, Minnie wrote a poem every day to keep herself afloat. “Writing is a muscle you can train, I’ve been flexing mine, it could run a marathon.”
Minnie’s songwriting is deeply personal and intuitive, often revealing emotions she struggles to articulate aloud. But beyond that, she believes in the prophetic nature of songwriting.
“I am convinced I write about things that haven’t happened yet,” she explains. “I’ve written several songs where I wasn’t sure what they meant, and then the situation unfolded in real life, like little manifested spells.”
Among her most cherished projects is Company of Players, a Shakespeare-inspired collaborative album made with ten musicians. “It had that magic of being greater than the sum of its parts.”
More recently, Minnie has been performing with Chris Cleverley, who stepped in when she was unable to play guitar due to ongoing recovery from surgery. “Chris takes his craft seriously, he brings a magical touch to my live performances. I learn a lot from him. He’s intensely passionate but calm, savoring every opportunity to make music.”
Minnie’s upcoming focus is bringing a musical storytelling version of You’re Not Singing Anymore to Edinburgh Fringe. “It’s funny, important, and moving…I really believe in it. I hope those who see it will too.”
Her wider musical goal is simple yet profound, to keep making music she believes in and embrace new ways of sharing it, whether that’s touring, releasing records, or even making a silly Instagram reel. Minnie’s music is not for blasting in the car or singing in the kitchen, she says it’s meant for comfort and reflection. “Music that says: ‘Me too, same, I know, I know.”
Her belief in supporting women in music is strong, especially after a moment that stuck with her: “I signed a CD for a young woman at a Frank Turner show, and she messaged me later, sharing her music. Since I can remember, I’ve looked up to women in music, I want other women to see me and think, ‘Yeah, she does it, so could I.’”
One little-known fact about Minnie? She’s deeply influenced by UK rap culture, particularly Drill. Working in an education setting with young men who create Drill music has taught her about truth-telling in songs, pushing creative and censorship boundaries, and using music as a visceral response to pain.
For Minnie Birch, music and life cannot be untangled. “You have to live to write, you have to rest to create.”
With an unstoppable creative spirit, an openness to new collaborations, and a deep belief in music as connection, she continues to shape her world.. one song at a time.
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