The day before Molly & The Chromatics released their new single, Goddess, Molly and Kenzie chatted about all things - the making of Goddess and the upcoming album, how the band has evolved and Molly’s experience as a female in the industry. The new tune not only sets the tone for what to expect out of their upcoming album, but also sets a standard of empowerment in yourself and the people around you.
In its infancy in 2015, Molly & The Chromatics had a completely different ensemble, aside from Molly (of course). The old Chromatics now make up parts of Smokestack Slim and the late and great Shambles (may they rest in peace). The current group (Molly, Tom, George and bits of Horgy) formed around 2016 and continued playing covers at their local pub in the North Shore of Auckland. From releasing their first song in 2016 to playing at Outfield, Tora Bombora, and Rhythm and Vines twice, each achievement has been a new novelty excitement to the band. Most kiwi bands start off with a group of their mates thrashing their music and supporting all their wee gigs - Molly & The Chromatics is no different. One group of friends knows another, who knows another, and then all of a sudden, they’re playing at festivals all around the country. The key difference here is that most of those success stories are your classic all male band.
You started making music around 5 years ago now. How have you changed and evolved as an artist since you started making music?
The music has evolved with us as people. Over the songwriting process and the recording process, I’m definitely more confident now because I know what I think, quite strongly, and I know who I am. I did know myself back then as well, but it’s really just a younger version of me - I was 23 then and I'm about to turn 28 - so that’s quite a different stage [of my life].
Do you feel like there was a sort of reckoning moment as an artist where you were able to solidify your sound?
I think last year [when I was traveling], I was writing heaps and a lot of the lyrics on this album are split between my experiences over the last year. That ‘Yes’ moment was maybe a couple of years ago. It is an evolving thing though - through learning more about feminism, what I think and trying to create my own discourse - that’s particularly with this song, but also in my life. I have always had an innate knowing of what is right and wrong but I think it's become more prevalent as my confidence and my sense of self has grown. We’re all still growing mate, and I have a lot of growing to do. But, I have definitely been through it.
[I sensed there was a bit more to the story there and asked Molly what she meant by that.]
Yeah, well when I was 20, I had leukemia - no one really knows that in the industry at all. I finished treatment when I was 23 - I was performing and still going through treatment and no one really knew. I have a lot of positive strength in me. So coming to terms with that and owning that now is something that has evolved with me as well. It’s my five year cure in August and over the past couple years I have been ready to have it be a part of my story - not just this thing that happened to me when I was 20. I haven’t ever wanted to have my music to be defined by, “Oh that’s the kid that had cancer.” I just wanted it to be successful and do well because the music was good by itself, not for any other reason. But I feel so much more confident now in the fact that I can now help other people with that. It’s a part of who I am, along with a bunch of other things.
How did the band go about making this track and the upcoming album?
[Seven months out of 2019, the band was in different parts of the world, absorbing different cultures and living different lives. When they came back together in December for a two week writing camp, everyone brought their new world experiences to the table and the album evolved from there, with a few heartbreak tracks written this year as well. It’s set to be released around November - just in time for the festival season ;). Molly and I then went on a rant about how much we fucking adore Tora Bombora for 3 minutes straight.]
Many of the lyrics I wrote while I was overseas, including Goddess. Goddess was inspired by the amazing women I have around me and just wanting to celebrate them. But recently, I was rerecording the lyrics and I started singing it to myself. So the version that you hear is when I was thinking of myself, which people wouldn’t normally admit, but you know, I love myself and we all need to love ourselves.
All of the lyrics come from my state of mind at that time - like Mad People was written when I was really overwhelmed at Notting Hill Carnival [in London]. But I find writing really does help me figure out what’s really going on. I think often consciously I don’t know but then my subconscious is trying to talk to me. I’ll write some things down and string it together and it's my stream of consciousness for that point of time.
Image Taken by Dane Scott
Are there any specific people in your life you were writing Goddess about or hoping to empower?
It was a general feeling of the love that I have for all the women in my life and missing some of my friends. I felt like they were so amazing and I was so proud of them. It’s not always easy to be the truest version of yourself. We live in such a complex world with learned behaviors - but we have to dig deep and be brave, support each other and show love. If you are authentically yourself, your inner Goddess will shine. We have to own the fact that we are all amazing and Goddesses in our own right. I would have loved it if my 14 year old self had listened to this song.
[A sense of self and individualism is always a bit of a battle as women. The world questions our every move, and knowing who you are and what the world means to you is often a threat to the male dominated framework our society thrives upon. This issue manifests in the kiwi music scene, where festival line ups are released with slim to none female representation - and female artists are often cautious about speaking out for fear of missing out on opportunities.]
What has been your experience as a female in a primarily male dominated music scene?
It’s such an interesting one because I’m someone with a lot of great males in my life anyway - including the band, they are all males. It’s only properly come to my attention in the last couple of years. If there are females, it’s like a format - a female singer, maybe a female bassist.
[I pointed out that as a gig photographer, 95% of my photos are of male musicians. When I ask my mates in the industry about this issue, they point out there aren’t many ‘female guitarists or drummers out there’. Molly and I discussed how this is an even bigger underlying issue. A lack of female representation or “role models” on stage speaks to younger female generations. It’s the same methodology for other male dominated roles - engineers, computer scientists, CEOs - we need to see more investment and effort toward facilitating a younger generation of female artists.]
Many of New Zealand's festivals have a proportionately small number of female headliners. Ladi6 headlined at Outfield Festival this year and I was so proud to be a part of a festival that had a female headlining it. That is actually unheard of.
Do you think the diversity challenge of festivals is getting better in any way then?
Kind of - gradually. I think I need to check myself as well. I can’t be going around being afraid of what I say because it might damage my chances. People need to take responsibility - and it can’t just be the “token” female band. Thank you for bringing it up. It’s something we need to talk about more. I know how I think and feel and I want to make sure I articulate it properly.
What does the messaging of Goddess mean to you?
[I started talking about how as women, from a very young age, society teaches us to keep quiet or we will lose opportunities or -- Molly excitedly interjected, saying she had written something about this. . . ]
There is a narrative in our society that women can be too this, or too that. That we are too emotional. We’re Too Chatty. We’re Too Much. So we try and mould ourselves to fit an expectational pressure that we may feel.
I have felt this way - we all have, because this is the society that we live in. I would love this song to be one that you listen to and feel empowered, uplifted and encouraged to just be yourself. We’re all different unique human beings and that’s a fucking beautiful thing.
[To me, Molly radiates strength and self-awareness, along having gone through so many challenges. But there are so many girls and women out there who don’t have that confidence in themselves or realised the strength they have. Goddess’s messaging says to those girls, “Hey, you are strong too and you can do this and be you.”]
I got called too much, too intense, too loving - and that would piss me off because I have done nothing but exist as myself. How can you be criticised for being yourself? Women experience that all the time. Men do not get criticised like that. I am around a lot of guys who probably think they are feminists. It's a similar language that we have been hearing around Black Lives Matter. “I am not a racist.” Okay, but are you anti-racist? It’s the same thing saying, “I’m a feminist.” Okay, but how are you acting?
What do you hope men will get out of Goddess?
I hope they learn some things and take action. I mean, I don’t blame them. We have all grown up in this society with learned behaviours, women and men. It’s just about having the conversations to unlearn. The boys in the band are really good - I’ve noticed them taking time to think about things. I hope they listen to this song and it makes them celebrate the women around them.
We talked a bit about Goddesses's meaning to you, but with Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement at the forefront of our social issues, what do you think about its meaning in our current global environment?
I should have written this song years ago, but I wonder if subconsciously this song came out of that. You know, being okay with the #MeToo movement to talk like this. I think, in this time that we’re in, I feel more empowered than ever to speak out about the importance of feminism and these other social issues. I think it's incredibly important for everyone to be heard. I guess it is part of the reason why I wrote it, but it's more for women to be like, “Yes, I am a Goddess, I can be myself and I don’t have to apologise for it. Thank you.”
To finish everything up, What would you like to see change/grow in the scene in the next 5 years? In the music industry? And as a musician?
I really hope I’m still doing this for the rest of my life. I’d love to have babies and for my career to be absolutely unscathed. I’d love to see more women in the industry be in bands. I’d love to see more funding being reflected into diversity for female musicians. I’d love to see the content of songs reflecting what people actually want to say and believe.
[The next 15 minutes of the call, Molly and I frothed over everything from the female artists that inspire us, Molly & The Chromatics’ gig traditions, all the way to the intergalactic pairing of Grimes and Elon Musk. You can check out a playlist, inspired by this interview and infinitely stream Goddess by Molly & The Chromatics below and empower yourself and the women in your life.]
Female Empowerment with Molly & The Chromatics by Kenzie Pigman
