Music / Feature
MLY: The artist turning her diary entries into art
MLY is the long-awaited solo project of Molly Davies.
Completely autodidactic, Molly has been interested in the music inudstry from a young age (her mum was in a band and the singer promises there is photo evidence of her with an electric guitar from when she was three years old) but it wasn’t until she went to university that she started creating her own music.
“The first song I learned on the guitar was Youth by Daughter, such a great track,” Molly tells Bristol24/7. “But then I started writing my own songs when I was studying at university.”
is needed now More than ever
University was Molly’s first proper forary into the industry, performing with other bands and working with promoters led her to begin working as a promoter when she moved to Bristol in 2018.
“When I started playing with bands, I thought promoters were evil, some weren’t but I didn’t have a good experience with them up in the midlands so I started putting my own on in Bristol,” she explains.
Self-described as “sad girl campfire bullshit turned alt-pop bangers”, MLY exists outside the realm of genre. photo: Molly Davies
Putting on shows with the likes of Grove and Grandma’s House in basements, the artists knowledge of the local music scene helped her retain her current role as show experience lead at Sofar Sounds.
However, it was during the Covid-19 pandemic and when the subsquent lockdown took affect that led Molly to learn how to produce all her own music.
Out of this, MLY was born.
Her debut single, Lovers, was released on Valentine’s Day last year which she describes as a “patchwork of other people’s heartbreak.”
Self-described as “sad girl campfire bullshit turned alt-pop bangers”, Molly’s songs are born from her diary entries, making the tracks personal and vulnerable.
“My songwriting tends to be more insular,” Molly tells us. “But if what I’m dealing with in my own life reflects societal issues then so be it.”
This duality of personal yet relatable which carries across her music is evident in her next track Madonna, which is yet to be released.
Of the track, Molly explains: “It’s about being angry at the virgin-whore dichotomy, the idea that you can only be one or the other strips women of being multifaceted, sexual creatures that also deserve love and care.”
From depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts to interpersonal relationships and duality, the singer’s music explores a range of themes, but how does she find being so vulnerable with her art?
“It’s terrifying! It really is stepping out my comfort zone,” she tells us. “I’ve talked myself out of putting things out there partly because of how it’ll be perceived but also unmasking as a neurodivergent person can be incredibly unnerving.”
MLY has been working hard behind the scenes, honing her craft and working on her music, and it seems like it has paid off as she now has a catalogue of tracks that form a full-length album.
“I’ve accidentally written an album,” she laughs. “I’ve surprised myself with it, I’m really proud of it as a body work.”
The 14 track album was mostly recorded in her living room at her house in St George with the exception of two songs which were recorded in London.
“It’s a good thing telling you because now I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist! So I’ve accidentally vomited up an album and now I need to finish it. ”
There is no release date for the album but Molly plans to release each track individually to give each one a chance to have their moment.
Although we may have to wait a little while for new music from the artist, she will be performing at Rough Trade for Oh, The Guilt and HAVVK‘s double album launch gig, as presented by Punka.
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It’s a full circle moment as Molly used to perform at Punka shows when she first moved to Bristol and it will be the first time she will be performing with her new live band, an exciting prospect for the artist.
“We’re still working it out as I love leaving things to the last minute, that’ll be the ADHD,” she laughs. “But there is something quite lovely playing with other people.”
With an album in the making and a debut show, 2024 looks to be an exciting year ahead for the singer-songwriter.
“The focal point now is to have fun with it, to have fun finding the creative flow and having the confidence to put it out into the world and then everything else will come with it.”
We look forward to what else is to come for the rising star.
MLY performs at Rough Trade on March 29, tickets are on sale now at https://hdfst.uk/e99446
Main photo: Molly Davies
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