Mina “The One That Got Away”
“A breakup song that leaves you feeling hopeful and not necessarily in tears” —Mina on “The One That Got Away”
From heartbreak emerges a timeless, soulful melody. When the wrenching pain and turbulent aftermath faded into the past, what it leaves on is introspection and a new-gained perspective. “The One That Got Away” is where the beautiful warmth of sunrise meet a mood-filled gaze of melancholia. Jazz, soul, R&B and pop churns into a luscious golden mixture. Beautiful storytelling meets heartfelt melody. Cathartic and healing, the latest release from Mina shines through the window like a ray of sunshine after the storm.
“Music was always a refuge to me. A light in the dark,” says Mina. It has been a place for her to process her feelings and heal her heart, and that’s exactly what listeners would feel listening to her songs, which truly feel like gifts to yourself. “The One That Got Away” offers listeners a safe place to cry and pick yourself up after a breakup or a dark time. Her optimistic attitude is infectious. Her calmingly warm energy wrap you around for a hug. With messages that are universally relatable, “The One That Got Away” is a medicine for weary souls.
Read the interview below where Mina talks about how “The One That Got Away” come together from a cathartic guitar improv in the bedroom.
Punk Head: I liked the storytelling in "The One That Got Away.” What is the creative process like?
Mina: Thank you so much! I have to say that each song I write has its own individual process. Some I start off with the melody, some the lyrics. With ‘The One That Got Away’ it was quitean odd situation. I was still stuck having to live with my ex until the lease was up so the whole situation was very draining. I don’t really play guitar but on one of those days where I was feeling down, I picked up a guitar in my bedroom and started playing around with very simple chords as I had this waltz in ¾ in my head.
In my mind it sounded hopeful yet melancholic. And from there I started to hum along and the melody for the verse and chorus came very organically. When that felt right, I let the words just come out of my mouth until they made sense. I think it was probably the fastest I ever completed an idea. If I remember correctly, the middle 8 might have come later but there again I felt the music should feel light and the words entail a certain weight as it is the conclusion to me.
My goal was to write a breakup song that leaves you feeling hopeful and not necessarily in tears. It holds the message that life goes on, the world keeps turning and the sun will shine again even if you are stuck in a dark place. In its essence I share how I overcame the idea of having lost ‘the one’ with a message of hope and resilience.
It took me a few years to complete the production though, as I was trying to find the right producer to work on this. I met London Jazz pianist and composer Nathan Britton at Soho. Live Studios in London by chance. This was the second song, after ‘Don’t Hold On’ we worked on together. Although I initially wanted it to be a guitar led track, Nathan’s piano playing just blew me away and we went in a different direction. We also changed up the chords and he really took it to another level.
The story is a very universal one yet extremely personal as when we break up, the world seems to close in on us and we can feel very alone with the fact that a relationship is now over. As many know, the number of ups and downs of emotions in the aftermath can be so tiring as you are in disbelief of how you have arrived at the end. I have a need to add logic to emotional chaos so I can make sense of it. But it is also a personal process of coming to terms with it and letting go of an illusion. So that is what the verses are about.
The chorus is lifting into the hopeful part that tells the listeners that no matter how down we feel over the situation, the world keeps turning and life continues and that one day you won’t be sad anymore. It’s very much one of the earliest lessons my mother taught me, that no matter what had happened, she wanted me to know that everything passes, and the sun will shine again.
The middle 8 was very cathartic to write as it was also about forgiveness, as I believe you can’t move on if you hold negative feelings towards a person. If one has the ability to feel love for their former partner, then that’s obviously very strong, but I think at least try and feel indifference so you can heal and take it as a lesson.
PH: Was there any challenge that you encountered while making the track?
Mina: I think the biggest challenge was to be able to communicate the idea and vision I had in my head to Nathan. With this song I sort of have a movie playing in my head and it is very much driven by my feelings so at times I struggled to express it clearly in musical terms. However, we did get there in the end! He is incredibly talented and essentially understood where I wanted this track to go. I really feel he brought out the best in me when working on it in the studio. I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such an accomplished composer.
PH: What is your creative vision as an artist?
Mina: As an artist my main goal is to connect with my audience by making them feel seen and heard. I do this by sharing my own experiences and writing about societal topics in my songs such as love, heartbreak, dating and so on.
I’ve always liked the honesty of Amy Winehouse, Adele or Lily Allen and I look very much up to the depth of their songwriting. So, part of my artistry is to stay true to myself, be authentic in the way I share my deepest thoughts through my music and hopefully thereby can build a connection to the listener.
Music was always a refuge to me, a light in the dark, and it made me feel like I belonged, gave me hope and strength and if I can pass that on to those who feel lost, sad or simply want to feel understood, then I achieved more than I could ever dream of. Visually I am not trying to put on a huge colorful show.
The stage is my safe place where I can share who I truly am. I don’t feel the need to dress up much or have a choreography as it is all about the music, the words and my vocal delivery. I have always felt inspired by artists who don’t need anything else but their instrument and their presence to draw attention from an audience. That is so powerful to me – not to say that I don’t love watching Lady Gaga or Beyoncé perform their magic.
I am very much a live performer, even though the pandemic has put a temporary halt to that. What I want an audience to remember is not what I wore or how I sounded like, I want them to remember what they felt when they heard the music and lyrics.
PH: Who are your biggest influences?
Mina: I consider myself to be very genre-fluid. I went through different phases from which I draw my most important influences starting from Motown up todays RnB scene. It is very difficult to choose from amongst them…but if I have to pick the biggest ones I would say Sting for his songwriting and pure genius as a musician, Mariah Carey for her perfect emotive voice and songwriting, Anita O’Day for being a vocal Jazz rebel, Adele for writing ‘21’ which I listened to everyday for 6 months when it came out, and the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin for being the ultimate artist whose artistry remains untouchable. They all heavily influenced my vocal journey, my songwriting and most importantly they made me feel seen and heard.
PH: What is the one thing that you’d like your fans to know about you?
Mina: I hope they know that I am grateful for everyone of them and that their presence and kindness fills my heart with love. I will never take it for granted that they listen to my music and come see me perform. There is no greater gift to me than creating a connection with them through my music.
