Q&A: Mindy Gledhill is Reclaiming Her Inner Child through ‘The Phone Booth Sessions’
THE PHONE BOOTH SESSIONS VOL. 1 is not just an album - it’s rather an intimate, personal journey of healing. Through a series of love songs written to her inner child, the Utah-based singer-songwriter Mindy Gledhill embarks on a creative exploration of self-soothing, nurturing, and reconnection.
In our conversation, Gledhill delves into how a serendipitous therapy session led her to reframe her past through music and the process of turning deeply personal revelations into powerful, poetic songs. The Phone Booth Sessions Vol. 1 offers a tender exploration of self-love, reconciliation with the past, and creative empowerment, marking her first co-producer role on a project. Gledhill’s work reflects a woman reclaiming her voice and identity—one that’s evolved from chart-topping collaborations with EDM icon Kaskade to indie-folk reflections on leaving the Mormon faith.
In this exclusive interview, Gledhill shares how her inner child work shaped the entire album, the emotional weight of stepping into a co-producer role, and how Volume 1 is only the beginning of her ongoing process of self-reclamation.
LUNA: You’ve described The Phone Booth Sessions Vol. 1 as a series of love songs written to your inner child. Can you share more about the moment in therapy that sparked this concept and how it developed into a full album?
GLEDHILL: My therapist asked me to bring a bag of objects that reminded me of my childhood to a therapy session. When I brought them, we talked about the symbolism of each item and considered why I chose them and what they represented. I immediately connected with this exercise because it's very similar to a songwriting technique I often use called "object writing" where you use your five senses to describe an object and then you start crafting lyrics based on the words and descriptions you've come up with around the object. So I began to see each object as a potential lyric or song and the wheels started turning in my head for a collection of songs I could write for my younger self.
LUNA: The phone booth you found serves as both a recording booth and a metaphor for connecting with your younger self. What drew you to the booth, and how does it play into the narrative of healing throughout the album?
GLEDHILL: On my way home from the very therapy session where we reviewed my inner child objects, I stopped by an antique store on a whim. When I entered, I walked past a phone booth and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I saw it as another object that could help me connect to my inner child. I grew up in the last era of the analog world where a phone booth was a common thing, not a novelty in an antique store. So it was easy for my inner child to connect with it right away. I stepped inside and picked up the phone and imagined my younger self on the other end. What could I say knowing what I know now, that could help her on her journey through life? What might she have to say to me to help me remember my younger self before certain events in my life had a negative effect on me? The nature of the small, cozy space felt safe and I felt inspired to convert it into an isolation booth of sorts, where I could literally record my thoughts and conversations with my inner child as songs.
LUNA: "Long Distance Lullaby" is a deeply personal track about self-soothing and self-love. What was the writing process like for this song, and what did it teach you about nurturing your inner child?
GLEDHILL: This song addresses the concept of "reparenting" – the practice of changing the way you speak to and think about yourself by speaking to yourself the way a loving parent would. So the song is written from the perspective of me showing up as a loving parent to my own inner child. I started the song on my own and then brought in writer, Scott Shepard, to work on it with me. He brought new insights and angles from an outisde perspective that I had not considered and his ideas really helped the song to develop.
LUNA: This album is the first where you’ve taken on a co-producer role. How did stepping into that position affect the way the album was shaped and how you approached the music?
GLEDHILL: Part of healing my younger self has involved taking ownership of my life and the decisions I make. I grew up in a religion that always taught me to outsource my decision making to a higher male authority. And while I've worked with some great producers, I've given away too many of my instincts, and inner-knowing about my music to those producers. So I took on a much more proactive role in the production of these songs than I ever have. I think the songs reflect a really authentic part of my heart.
LUNA: The video for "Long Distance Lullaby" features your niece as your younger self. How did you approach creating such a visually symbolic piece, and what was the experience of directing and producing it like?
GLEDHILL: Much like the object exercise my therapist had me do, I collected symbolic objects and actual objects from my childhood and put them inside the phone booth. Styling the phone booth was a really healing exercise in and of itself. I wanted my niece's interactions with the objects to be as authentic as possible. So I honestly just let her enter the phone booth and told her to feel free to play with whatever objects in there she was drawn to. There was very little directing and mostly just authentic play.
LUNA: With such a diverse musical journey—collaborating with EDM artists like Kaskade and releasing indie-folk music—how do you balance these different styles, and how did those influences come into play on this album?
GLEDHILL: I was a guest vocalist on the Kaskade tracks. I do love electronic music, but it doesn't really influence the way this album turned out because it's not my main genre as an artist.
LUNA: Your 2019 album Rabbit Hole reflected your decision to leave the Mormon faith. How does The Phone Booth Sessions Vol. 1 represent where you are now, and how has your spiritual journey influenced this project?
GLEDHILL: 'Rabbit Hole was very much a reflection of my journey with the deconstruction of organized religion. 'The Phone Booth Sessions' is more about my reconstruction process as I consider my programming as a child and how to rewire that and rebuild my internal world after all the deconstruction.
LUNA: "Inner child work" is at the heart of this album. Can you explain how this practice has shaped you both personally and creatively, and what you hope listeners take away from it?
GLEDHILL: When I started this journey, I definitely romanticized the idea that I could do this work and be "all healed" and check off that box. What I have learned is that some things may always hurt. And it is in the accepting of that, that I have experienced the some significant healing. I no longer hold myself up to this idea that I NEED to be all healed and transformed in order to be a healthy, thriving human being.
LUNA: You’ve had music featured in everything from primetime TV shows to international ad campaigns. What aspect of your career do you find most fulfilling today, especially with such a wide range of experiences behind you?
GLEDHILL: The two most fulfilling things for me as an artist are 1.) The creative process where I'm actively writing and recording and 2.) Mentoring. I own an indie record label called Winderwild Records, and I love walking beside young artists as they navigate their releases and figuring out the music industry.
LUNA: Looking ahead, what can fans expect from The Phone Booth Sessions Vol. 2, and what themes or ideas are you excited to explore as you continue your journey of self-healing and artistic expression?
GLEDHILL: Volume 1 represents more of my inner child. Volume 2 represents more of my inner teen. I'm still writing Volume 2, but I'm excited to see what I learn from "teenage me!" There's a lot of angst in those years but also a lot of love that I am eager to give to my inner adolescent. :-)
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