ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
10/08/2026
RUBY TAYLOR ON CREATING: YUMI & THE WEATHER, MIOHMI RECORDS AND DOING IT YOURSELF
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
10/08/2026
RUBY TAYLOR ON CREATING: YUMI & THE WEATHER, MIOHMI RECORDS AND DOING IT YOURSELF
Embedded Files
10/08/2026
RUBY TAYLOR ON CREATING: YUMI & THE WEATHER, MIOHMI RECORDS AND DOING IT YOURSELF
Words and photos by Meg Sweeney
Ruby Taylor has spent the past decade making music, running a label, putting on shows and touring with other bands, following whatever bright and brilliant idea grabs her next.
As Yumi and the Weather, Ruby makes music that refuses to settle, moving between electronic pop, psych-rock, shoegaze and darkwave, following the sound that feels right at the time. Her most recent singles are a good example of that approach. ‘Rip Tide’ leans into the dark, dramatic world of John Maus, while ‘Notice No Tears’ strips things back, drawing on the cool, electro-pop of Carla dal Forno. It’s a contrast that makes perfect sense when Ruby talks about songwriting: she compares the process to painting, using different colours, taking them away, colour correcting and starting again until something clicks.
That instinct to keep moving and innovating has shaped Ruby’s winding path through the industry. After years of touring festivals in a ska-reggae band, she wanted to make something that gave her more room to freely experiment. Hearing Little Dragon on the radio whilst on the road was a turning point, sending her towards electronic music, remixing and eventually writing her own songs. More than a decade later, that restless approach is still at the heart of what Ruby does. She’s constantly writing, changing things around and trying songs in different contexts.
Miohmi Records was born after Ruby was sectioned during a period of mental ill health. While recovering, she decided to create her own label that reflected the music she wanted to make and the way she wanted to work. What began as a home for her own music soon opened up to other artists, who she supports with the same heart and enthusiasm she brings to her own projects. More often than not, that means doing far more than putting records out, whether that's filming videos, driving bands to gigs or jumping into the lineup herself.
That generosity runs through everything Ruby does, but it hasn’t always come easily. In her twenties, imposter syndrome and poor mental health made touring difficult, while the pressure to “make it” only made things harder. These days, she’s much more interested in following what feels good and feels exciting. That meant accidentally spending a whole year on the road with CIEL, playing six dates in France with Bodega and supporting The Jesus and Mary Chain in front of thousands of people.
And while there’s now a third Yumi and the Weather album taking shape, Ruby’s willingness to follow a tangent remains intact. She put the record on hold to tour with CIEL because she was having too much fun to say no. Perhaps that’s what shines through when talking to Ruby: she genuinely loves making things happen, whether that’s a new song, a record for another artist or a lineup stacked with bands she wants to hear.
What was the beginning of Yumi and the Weather?
I was in a ska-reggae band and we did loads of festivals - it was amazing, I loved it. I was writing songs in that band but when you’re in that world, there’s not much space for mixing it up. I got a bit bored of just playing festivals and I wanted to play venues. During that time, I was on the road a lot and I remember Little Dragon coming on the radio and that really inspired me to start dabbling with electronic music and remixing other peoples’ songs. I ended up writing my own stuff and left the reggae band to pursue my own music.
You’ve been releasing music since 2013. Do you feel like much has changed or stayed the same?
It’s changed; it’s always changing. I’ve got this rebel in myself where I can’t actually stay in the same place, I don’t like it. I’m always trying out things and I actually have an acoustic side project I’ve been writing for years. I’m constantly writing loads of different styles and playing around. I’ve even started projects again with a different pace or key. If it’s not right, you just take that song into a different context. It’s crazy how you know when it fits. I suppose it’s like a painter in a way, you use certain colours and then take it off and colour correct and go again.
That’s interesting because when I last saw you play, it was so psych-rock, but your new singles lean more into electronic and dark-wave influences.
I was going for a John Maus / Sharon Van Etten vibe on ‘Rip Tide’. It was really rough at the beginning and then I worked with my mate Rob on it. I knew that he’d make it really epic because he loves adding textures. With ‘Notice No Tears’, I wanted to keep it really minimal, and was really inspired by the way Carla del Forno or Jessy Lanza would approach it: chill and not needing to do too much.
Do you have more new music on the way after the singles?
I'm working on a third album, but it's taken me a while because I ended up touring with Ciel for a year on guitar and backing vocals. I was only supposed to go on tour in February but I ended up doing a whole year because I loved it, and I love them. I prioritised having fun over doing the album.
Where did you go on tour?
We went to France six times with Bodega. We did The bloody Jesus and Mary Chain at the end of the year, so I was playing in front of thousands of people and I had to wear in-ear monitors for the first time which was weird but oh my god, my legs were shaking, I’d never played in front of that many people. That was really cool.
How could you say no to that experience?!
In my twenties, I used to have imposter syndrome and shit mental health, which was a big reason why I wasn’t very active as a touring artist. I don’t have it anymore but I was so hard on myself because there’s a lot of pressure in your twenties to really make it. I was sort of half wanting to and half not because of all the pressure. Being in this industry, you need to know where you feel comfortable but a lot of it is throwing yourself in and seeing if it works. Let the universe just take you on a ride.
You also run Miohmi Records. How did this begin and what’s your mission?
So, I’ve actually been sectioned a few times for mental health reasons, and when I was in hospital and getting better, I was thinking about leaving the label I was working with to go into my more rocky side. I thought about when you discover a band and you’re like: “me oh my!” I thought it would be a really good name for a label.
I was on Instagram, and this artist that I follow, he posted something and I was like, “that's the logo for me!” I told my label I didn’t want to work with them anymore because it wasn’t my sound anymore and they go, “do you want to start your own label where you can just keep releasing with us, but we'll help you with the set up?” And I was like, "Fuck yeah!”
In the early days, I was releasing myself and then someone called Frankie joined and ended up joining Yumi and the Weather on keys too. I released her stuff with Arp Attack and a Southampton-based shoegaze band called Burning House. They sent me a demo, and it just made me cry, and I really want to help them. I ended up not only helping them with the release but also with managing. I've got a bit of a habit getting quite involved with artists, I even joined Burning House on guitar for a bit, and did the driving and making videos.
Then there was quite a gap and I was just releasing my music. And then Jamie with Big Long Sun! He was posting songs every now and then and he did some teasers and I messaged him to ask what his plan was for releasing. He said he was just self-releasing the next month and he sent me his Between The Air project, which I fell in love with as well, so we had a chat and decided to work together. He agreed to take his stuff off DistroKid and wait to release which was a big deal. They’re killing it!
How do you find both creating and part of the creative industry infrastructure?
I just love making things happen. I get ideas all the time and I get excited. What really drives me is amazing music which I just love so much. It’s amazing but it’s nerve wracking. Putting on a gig, you want everyone to be happy and have a good time. I’m a people pleaser, so as soon as I take on a job, I put in so much because it’s that whole thing of treating people that way you want to be treated. I’ve found when you put in lots of time, you get it back as well.
You put on your own Alt Alt Escape show at Pink Moon again this year. What are your thoughts on these crazy few days?
It’s wild but it’s great. In the past, I used to just play and then dip out but over the past few years I’ve been trying to have fun and do both. I know for a lot of people The Great Escape is just like Live Nation, but ultimately, it’s an amazing opportunity and there’s loads of industry people here. If you’re into that, the networking and talks are all amazing opportunities too. The Brighton community is always solid, and then there’s the industry. It’s yin and yang.
Grab your ticket for Yumi and the Weather on Saturday 22 August at The Hope & Ruin.
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