Photo by: Steven Donnelly
Molly Sterling - 'Stripped Down'
Info: Today marks the release of Dublin-based artist Molly Sterling's second single 'Stripped Down', the follow-up to last years haunting opener, 'Plain Static'. Produced by Northern Irish electronic artist Ryan Vail, Sterling describes the track as follows; "'Stripped Down' explores all the darkness within my relationship with my sexuality, and the people who have affected that relationship. When I wrote this song all I wanted was for people to take responsibility for how they had mistreated me, knowing I would never actually receive closure from them. But it also made me confront myself and take ownership of who I was. It's the only space in my life where I get to confront that part of my past. What this song has allowed me to do a hundred times over, is slowly dissolve pain that I had felt for a long time."
Sterling once again defies belief by emerging with another piece of music that immediately impresses despite such a short career for the 20-year-old from Tipperary. From the barest of intros, we hear her pained vocal accompanied by a lamenting and creaking old piano. This sombre mood, cast in rustic old-world surroundings, rises as the singer releases an emotive gift of insight to us, peaks arising with grand and monumental curtains of cello. But it's the parts of the song where Sterling says the least and the music is at its least present which hold the most blunt power and impact, this is the perfect next step from her debut single, a growing song-writing diamond in our midst.
REMY was delighted to chat to Molly Sterling to coincide with the single release of 'Stripped Down', discussing inspirations, difficult personal experiences, and moving forward through music.
REMY: I’d like to start Molly, regarding your vocal and singing, it goes without saying it’s a very significant part of your live performance, but more importantly, it channels an authenticity when it comes to expression on your part. At any point of your relationship with music, from formative years to now, which singers in particular reached deep within your soul when you first heard them?
Molly: That’s a tough one to answer because most artists that I connect with would have killer vocals. Whether they’re powerful but fragile like Damien Rice or Keaton Henson, or balls to the wall power ballad like Beyonce, Lady Gaga or Alannah Myles. It’s really tough to choose but I connected very early on with Stevie Nicks, Florence Welch and Beyonce. The skill and beauty of having that control over your vocal just broadens the limits of your expression and gives you so much more room to really feel what you’re singing and go somewhere magical with it.
Molly Sterling - 'Plain Static'
REMY: You were performing with your current band for quite some time before releasing your debut single, 'Plain Static', last autumn, and in between then and the second single 'Stripped Down' which is out now, you were touring pretty incessantly, local shows, multiple festivals etc. Has it been important to you to tread carefully when it comes to releasing new songs, i.e., avoiding the temptation to just keep firing out releases?
Molly: To be honest I would LOVE to be firing out releases. I have so much music that I want to put out but it’s a case of finding the time and the money. I feel I have finally found a team that understand what I want out of my music in Ryan Vail ('Stripped Down' producer) and Caolan Austin (engineer). When it comes to studio, it took me quite a while to find people I really felt were on the same page as me sonically and emotionally. Normally it’s one or the other.
Music is such a balancing act but when you love it you just find a way to make it work. You either have too much time and not enough money or you’re just making enough to live in Dublin but can’t find the time for music. I’d like to think that at some point in the near future I can go away for a few weeks and record an album, just fully immersive myself in the process. I’m ready for that.
REMY: 'Plain Static' itself was a powerful entrance, a song whose central theme was about casting off heavy past burdens, whilst staying aware and guarded as to where they came from in the first place. It was very personal to you also as you explained at the time, did you find the release and performing the song emotionally challenging at the time?
Molly: That song will always be so special to me. Performing it was the first time I had experienced the power that comes within vulnerability. With all my songs it depends on the day as to whether they are emotionally challenging or not. They always are and will be to a certain degree but it depends on my headspace at the time. Some days I am really struggling with things that I’ve been through in the past and on others I have made enough peace with them to get on with the set.
Whenever I am finding it tough on stage, I always feel solidarity from the crowd. Especially my group of friend’s who come to all my gigs. I have the best friends in the world - they’re the best Kung Fu Girl Gang out there!
REMY: From attending your live shows, and now hearing 'Stripped Down', I'm keenly aware that the challenges you’ve faced personally pour themselves into every aspect of what you create. What has been the most difficult demon you have had to face that features in your music?
Molly: I’m no stranger to abusive relationships, I suppose! That would definitely be a strong feature. As a teenager I found myself in some pretty dark scenarios for many reasons. I had no idea how to deal with my mental health and struggled quite intensely with panic attacks and self harm. What I needed at that time was someone to guide me anywhere out of where I was. It just so happened that the people who helped me with my mental health issues weren’t the best people to be around.
It’s hard to see these things when you’re in the throws of it though. Music has been an invaluable tool for me and I’ll never take for granted how much it has helped me to analyse what I went through and to heal.
Molly Sterling ft. Laura McCabe - 'Stripped Down' Live on Sofar Sounds
REMY: Your music has been described as 'dark', 'containing soft flourishes', 'ethereal', and 'intimate'. Would it be a big assumption on my part to in some way describe each single release as a wrung on a ladder, and with each step upwards Molly Sterling gets closer to her own sense of inner-peace, as close as one ever can at least?
Molly: You've actually hit the nail on the head there. And it wasn’t something that I meant to do on purpose but the more I write, the more my lyrics have moved away from a place of feeling like a victim of circumstance and moved more towards taking ownership of who I am. The melody and arrangements follow the lyrics so I definitely feel like there’s more strength in each release - both in the delivery emotionally and the arrangement melodically.
I think I’ll always have a certain amount of darkness inside me because that’s just how I’ve been since I was small. I remember being ten years old and struggling with the sadness I was carrying and had no idea what to do with it. But that doesn’t necessarily make me a 'sad' person. I do think that I’m getting closer to my idea of inner peace - it’s taken a lot of work though and I’ve ages to go yet!
REMY: I mentioned earlier that you have done a lot of touring over the past 18 months in particular, played in pretty much every music venue in Dublin and beyond, and a load of festivals. Outwardly I get the sense that the collective of musicians you perform with and journey with are a very close knit group, more family than musical acquaintances. What’s been your live highlight with the band since coming together?
Molly: The musicians I get to play with are the closest thing I have to family in Dublin. They mean so much to me and no matter what path we all eventually take, they will always have played such an important part in my life. They gave me the space and support to build my confidence as an artist and a person. They’re always encouraging and honest and they’re INSANELY talented. I’m so, so, so lucky to share a stage with them.
I’d say Other Voices 2017 was definitely our highlight. The energy at both gigs we played that weekend was just feckin’ something else! You’re buzzing around this stunning village with a buffet of gorgeous tunes everywhere you turn. I remember looking out at the group of people watching us and there was so many musicians that I fangirl over on the daily just bopping along to my songs! Hahah! Insanity! It was that stamp of approval that I needed to block out the nasty imposter syndrome that takes hold sometimes.
Molly Sterling - 'Tepee' (Live @ Other Voices)
REMY: With 'Stripped Down' now among us, what plans are afoot next, and where can folks catch the single and full set live soon?
Molly: I’m recording again in October and plan to record more later in the year. I’ve got the bug now! 'Stripped Down' is available on Spotify and iTunes - all that good stuff. Would be whopper if your readers could check it out!
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