Someone wise once said that in relationships we are meant to be mirrors to our spouses. Albeit, encouraging mirrors— “Hey love, see what you’re doing here? We could do better, right? Don’t yell! Hey, you promised not to yell!” It goes differently for all of us but through her debut album, “Voice On The Internet”, Molly Moore has found a way to mirror our collective relationship with, in a lot of ways, modernity.
Moore has tapped into a voice that reflects how we all live through simulated versions of reality. In the figurative sense, songs like “Handsomer” explore the awkward feelings that arise when one is able to see what their ex is doing online or perhaps even weirder, when one is able to see how much that ex is observing their own life. (It’s wild how a bad idea can make itself sound so normal at 3 am— “sure you’re alone and buzzed off Peach Schnapps eating Takis and puffing the Juul you threw in the trash can three hours prior but your ex’s story isn’t gonna watch itself!)
In the literal sense, Molly’s sound is specifically of its time—traipsing effortlessly from salaciously sung melodies to lackadaisically rapped verses over infectiously playful beats. Even the deliberate gloss of the production reminds us of how most of us view our friends through automated filters. You can’t quite tell what’s different but everything looks a little better.
The strongest moments of Voice On The Internet come from when Moore encourages the empowerment she herself tapped into while forming her own identity as a solo artist. Through a tumultuous time that saw the end of her band, her relationship and the passing of her father, Molly found the inspiration came when she stopped turning to the easy fixes, one of which being ‘life through social media’, and looked within and to genuine friendships. One of which being to songstress Maty Noyes, who became a source of support, knowledge and an exciting collaboration.
Though the album veers from playful with club bangers like “Careful” and “Famous”– to sexy with a Britney Spears cover — to even spiteful in moments with “I Do”, the through line that shines is Moore’s ability to sound like a fully realized version of herself. Something she attributes to “trusting her own ideas” and “singing her truth”. That courage is summed up with the first words we hear on Voice On The Internet, a sentiment that her father would tell Molly throughout her life…
“The light within you is greater than the darkness without”.
We caught up with the pop powerhouse in the making to dig a little deeper into the process and motivations behind this razor sharp fun-loving banger of a pop album….
Your style is hard to pin down, with a vocal approach that vacillates between singing and rapping. Did you start as either and grow into the other?
I started out just singing. I think I always wanted to experiment and find other voices but it never felt fully authentic to me til now.
The production on all of your music is so deliberate, creative and consistently polished. What’s your secret???
Hmmm… Working with great producers, musicians, mixers and songwriters that understand me and share the same vision is definitely one of my secrets. Trusting my own ideas & instincts as a creative is another. And getting feedback from people I respect and trust.
Love the Britney cover! When did that idea come to shape? How do you decide what song/artist you want to pay homage to?
Britney was a big influence in my early years of life. She was actually my first concert EVER at Jones Beach Theater around…. I wanna say 6 or 7. I started playing hit me baby one more time in my live set with Destiny Petrel and it just felt so right. We recorded it together and Ariel Shrum played some super soulful horns that really added the New Orleans jazz club feeling I wanted to go for.
Your last project Cosmos and Creature was a duo comprised of you and your at the time boyfriend. Can you tell us about what it was like to transition into writing for a solo project? What did you find most daunting and most liberating?
At first I was really terrified – I’ll be honest. I felt like that project / relationship was my entire life and didn’t understand how I could have an identity without it. But I’ve found so much of myself I never would’ve uncovered in this time, and being able to embrace my own artistry and find the ways that I want to express my voice has been the most liberating experience. I have so much fun making music now, and it’s simultaneously really therapeutic for me – so I am grateful every day.
A lot of the songs deal with the feelings you’ve had since the break up… “Handsomer” especially with how social media can play a twisted role in getting over someone. While this surely acts as therapy one can imagine it may hinder any chances of rapprochement. Does this ever come up as a concern when you’re about to release those kinds of songs?
No, because that’s how I was feeling in the moment and that’s my truth. Anyone I’m meant to be with will want me to express myself freely. 🙂
Voice on the Internet is a very empowering album! Were there any artists, musical or non musical that inspired you to steer the ship this way?
My best friend Maty Noyes is one of the most empowering people I know. Making music together and sharing our outlooks on life has helped me grow in so many ways and is a huge part of why this album turned out the way it did.
The album begins with a beautiful sentiment from your Dad. Can you share the story behind this?
Throughout my life I have struggled with depression. In times when I was really sad, my dad would tell me that quote… that the light within you is greater than the darkness without. I keep that with me always and I wanted other people to know where I’m coming from. I’m not just angry and bitter and heart broken, but struggling. We all are. And we all have the power to overcome from within.
If you don’t mind, would you share any things that have helped you in this grieving process of losing him?
Spending time with my family and giving myself time to process it. Giving myself space to feel even when it’s really hard. Understanding that not everyone else can understand what you’ve been through, but there are people that can empathize and sit with you in your pain. I’ve learned that running from grief will not make it disappear. Being honest is one of the best remedies for grieving, because so often we feel our grief is too messy for others to handle, but the truth is that generally you are only making yourself more dissociated from what’s happened by hiding how you feel.
CONNECT WITH MOLLY MOORE
photos / Ryan Jay
story / Chris Hess
