Emerging London-based artist Molly Payton announces her forthcoming EP Porcupine with dynamic opener 'Warm Body'
via TMWRK Records.
Photo by Silence Aitken-Till
Produced by Oli Barton-Wood (Nilüfer Yanya, Porridge Radio, Sorry), Porcupine emerges as a true statement of 19-year-old’s artistic intent. Across five tracks, Molly draws from the scope of her sonic influences - combining soaring vocals reminiscent of indie darlings like Big Thief or Julia Jacklin with the energetic guitar-driven sonics and witty lyricism of contemporaries such as Snail Mail and Beabadoobee. Molly’s sound emerges unique to her, embracing the roots and influences of her New Zealand upbringing, yet grounding itself in the youthfulness and enthusiasm of navigating young adulthood in her new London setting. Alongside the new track, Molly also releases visuals directed by cinematographer Silence Aitken-Till.
Of the new single and release, Molly reflects;
“Warm Body is about looking for comfort in people when you’re lonely and letting yourself make mistakes. The first time I met my producer Oli-Barton Wood, we wrote ‘Warm Body’ together,
and by the end of the day I knew that I wanted him to produce the whole EP.
Oli is insanely talented and was so lovely to work with, and recording ‘Porcupine’ was easily one of the best times of my life. He brought in Swedish band Francobollo to do some live band recording, they ended up becoming my live band and have been really good influences musically for me.
The EP title relates to keeping people at arm's length for fear of getting hurt, plus when I was recording it, I bleached my hair so many times that it broke off at the top and I spent three months looking like a porcupine.”
Molly’s first offering came in the form of her debut EP Mess, which was co-produced with Dirty Hit signee Oscar Lang. The two met shortly after Molly began at her new UK school, and struck up a friendship after bonding over Beabadoobee’s early releases (which Oscar produced). She credits Oscar with instilling her with enough confidence to share her first track on Soundcloud. Whilst Mess cast a reflective gaze to her teenage years, mining swooping, vulnerable melancholy, Porcupine emerges as bigger, fuller and louder, a reflection of Molly’s contemporary experiences and changing tastes as she works with and meets new people.
“I’ve definitely gravitated towards a heavier, very ‘90s [sound],”
she notes.
“I love slacker bands like Happyness and big, noisy bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pavement and Nirvana.”
While she will always want meaning in her songs, she also wants to “make music that people can jump around to”. Recorded in a heatwave, and written to the backdrop of Molly’s first summer post high school, the EP also draws thematically from this time. Molly and her friends found themselves bound by the collective experience of both freedom and uncertainty, and were subsequently given license to make mistakes, or in her words “be young, stupid and happy.”
With her evocative lyricism, ever-expanding sound, and wry humour as a fixture - Porcupine is both a snapshot and introduction to the world of Molly Payton, a bold new talent and most welcome arrival to the UK scene. She’s eschewing lofty dreams of stardom, however, for something much more humble.
“All I want is to be able to stay in London and keep doing this,”
she says.
“I just want it to be my only job.”
Molly Parton - Warm Body (single)