British singer-songwriter Milly Toomey, better known as Girli, has been on a roll lately, having just wrapped up her first US tour and releasing a new single, “Cheap Love.” She’s the epitome of positive energy and queer empowerment and we had the pleasure of chatting with her about everything that’s going … to say she delivered beyond expectations is a complete understatement.
Following a brilliant UK leg of headline shows, Girli headed straight to the US to continue with her “Fucked it Up” tour. Reflecting on her US shows, Girli said, “My USA tour was honestly one of the best experiences of my life. The energy from the fans was WILD. To be able to perform for them finally was so special.” She also shared her experience at SXSW, calling it a “trip!” Despite being overstimulated, she was happy to wear her “purple cowgirl boots and zebra print cowgirl hat.”
Such an impressively large and successful tour definitely shows how Girli’s decision of going was beyond right for her. As she currently has support from an indie label after a period of about a year of being fully independent, Girli explains that it is “so important for me to have the experience of full creative control and being able to be free and experiment and figure myself out.” She added that having “amazing people around me” has been essential to her success, which we can attest to.
With the new tack being unsurprisingly another banger that can be universally interpreted through the experiences of the listener, Girli shifts gears to start a new chapter of her musical career. Talking about her new era as an artist, Girli said, “the way my sound and songwriting has evolved is the most exciting element for me, closely followed by how my live show is evolving.”
“Cheap Love” talks about love on a budget, which Girli said “can make you feel rich, and that you don’t need money, even if you have it, to feel love.” When asked what advice she would give to young queer people who find themselves on the fence about dating, she replied, “The right person will love you for YOU, regardless of how much money you’ve got.”
The track is accompanied by an incredible set of visuals that feature motorbike riders in the background of several scenes… and of course, we had to know if she had the chance of riding one. She said, “I rode the quad bike (supervised!!) which was SO fun. I’m a thrill seeker, I love an adrenaline rush, so that was fab. I didn’t get on the bikes because the girls were being so badass driving those around and honestly I was scared I’d break their bikes if I tried riding them (or break myself).”
As an artist who has paved the way for young queer artists, Milly certainly has a very particular perspective on what it takes to have the courage to stand, not only for yourself but also for an entire community that hasn’t always been seen in a such positive light. As a true pioneer of modern queer pop, we asked her for recommendations for up-and-coming artists to look out for, to which she said “Faber is an incredible artist who’s breaking barriers and making really badass music. I’m also very lucky to have her in my touring band!” – we defo recommend you check her out!
Even tho, it’s kinda early to be thinking of summer, it’s the collective feeling that it cannot come soon enough. Girli certainly has always had big summer moments and this summer is probably not going to be the exception. With a brand new summer anthem like “Cheap Love” and new music hopefully in the pipeline, Girli is also excited for “road trips and surfing and playing festivals and skateboarding and reading books in the grass and wearing floating things.” – and so are we.
To close, Girli made sure to share her thoughts on social justice issues… finishing the interview by saying “Black lives matter, trans lives matter, abortion is a human right,” her unapologetic approach to life and her immense understanding, support, and love for all her fans definitely shines through and reminds us once more why we love her back!
Photo: Monika Wilczynska