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Analogue, phone cords wrapped between your fingers, film cameras flashing... everything about Mollie Elizabeth harkens back to an era almost all of us weren’t alive to experience. For that reason her music is abrasively interesting, an intrusively melodic uprising against convention, a fun form of musical larping that becomes sweetly addictive. On her latest single “Until We Meet Again,” teasing an upcoming larger release, Mollie sardonically spins up a ballad that sounds so so different from how it’s lyrically cast, a song with 21st century perspective spilt onto a 20th century choral template. All that made us so so curious to learn more about this spirited singer, so we had here into our OTW garden for her to spill the tea:

OnesToWatch: My first question always is: why are you an artist?

Mollie Elizabeth: I think I’ve always been an artist. It’s just how I’ve processed the world around me. I don’t think there’s any world where I’m not an artist, even if I wanted to not be. I’m far too dramatic, and I care far too much. I hold grudges and I’ve got a great memory… especially when it comes to emotions. 

So either you go crazy or you’re an artist. Your vindictiveness has forced you to become an artist. Was there ever anything else that competed for that creative outlet, other than music?

I have always loved writing, I just don’t have the patience for it. I am too loud and like to talk too much to be a full on novelist. I love the storytelling, though, and wordplay. I love fantastical themes. But I’m too loud, I could never sit down and be quiet and type for a long time. I also think that there’s just such a therapy to singing out a story rather than just writing it. 

Would it be short form, if you wrote? 

Probably, I started writing a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic sort of book in sixth grade. I think I got 100 pages in and then I realized that it’s basically Fallout. Essentially, I came up with the idea for Fallout and they stole the idea from me. Genuinely, though, I had come up with the idea organically and then saw Fallout and it was wild. 

Wow, still impressive. Let me know when you revisit that… maybe you do a visual novel to pair with a future work of some kind. For your musical process, how do you begin writing? Is it a color, an idea, a terrible vengeance story that needs to play out? 

I think inspiration comes to me through two different avenues. The first is when I’m feeling something big and I have to put it somewhere, put it into words. That’s how the quickest songs are born, when I’m feeling really in love or angry or really, really sad. Those songs are written in an hour. Other times there’s little things I see out in the world. Like this one song I wrote called “Leaves.” I was cracking leaves on my boyfriend’s trampoline and noticed that they only crack along the vein. I had to quickly write down the lyrics because it just came to me. So sometimes little things like that spark a story, and I’ll go and workshop a song around it. Those are the main two ways, so usually feeling based rather than melody. 

What instrument do you play? 

Ukulele. I’d love to say I’m classically trained in piano, but I hated piano lessons as a kid because they were telling me what to do and I didn’t want to learn how to play Hot Cross Buns. I wanted to play Taylor Swift and sing my heart out. So, I taught myself ukulele so I could make my own stuff. Just taught myself simple chords, I’m not a huge instrument person, so I use it more as a vessel for creating a structure for the story to sit on. 

How long would you say you’ve been crafting songs for? 

Oh, forever. 

Do you feel that you have a process for writing now? Is it a curation of a vibe, lighting a candle? Or is it more spontaneous? 

I carry it with me anywhere. Sure, it’d be great to have a few candles lit, but I could also write about how I would redecorate this room and run with that. It can happen anytime. 

Do you write a large quantity of songs, or do they truly come from these big moments of feeling that are less frequent?

I would say the feeling comes and goes. It’s rare moments in time where I am lucky to have these heightened emotions. Sometimes they’re hard to come across, but I think there’s inspiration in everything. Even getting like a chip stuck in your throat, I could write a whole song about it. 

I’d also love to hear about your style. You have a bit of a counter-narrative sound given what is trending on top of the charts right now. Your brand identity is solid. Is this something that was always in you, or something you found comfort in over time, this classic, throwback sound?

I always loved older music. It was something I grew up listening to. My mom played 50s and 60s music a bunch… Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, and then a bit of the 60s / 70s rock from my dad. I knew that I dreamt of making music like that because I loved the storytelling, catchiness, and emotion in it. But it was definitely a process. I was once a preteen who listened to Melanie Martinez. I wanted to be edgy and cool, and being a tomboy was very popular when I was in middle school. So I was very much in the “hating pink” club, and then COVID happened and I really had to consider what made me happy and like myself. So, here we are. And it feels good. 

Love it. You mentioned a few classic sonic influences there, but is there anyone contemporary that you appreciate? 

Yes, what Laufey is doing is amazing. She has that bossa nova sound… like if elevator music was something delicious and scrumptious and fancy, which I love. I love Angel Olson, Alice Phoebe Lou, the beautiful, feminine, somberness that was shunned in the 2010s and I love that people are embracing it now. 

Moving into your upcoming EP, it’s six lovely songs. Is it a time capsule of an era in your life? Is it a moment in time? Is this a collection of songs across a longer period? 

These songs aren’t too old, most of them are very new, especially since I’ve been starting to do writing trips here in LA. I think this is a universal truth for artists, but the newer the content is, the newer the song, the more you’re excited about it. So we really tried to stick with stuff that was more recent. 

Is there a narrative arc within the project? What emotion is meant to be felt while listening?

Ever since I started writing music, I would come up with ideas for EPs and albums. I always wanted to do a project where it begins before a relationship starts, and then shows the progression of the relationship, all the way to the ending and moving on. I’m a big fan of storytelling. So that’s the story of the project, it’s honestly not based in a specific relationship from that specific time period. Each song is probably written about somebody else or some other sort of thing. But that’s the beauty of art, that it can be applied to so many different personal experiences and lives. The general gist of the record, though, it the story of a relationship – the ups and downs – and you can cry or smile about it. 

That’s endlessly timely. What’s the best place to listen to this record, best moment in time? Is it best enjoyed with food, or while doing something? 

Just somewhere intimate. Somewhere where you can close your eyes and put yourself in the shoes of the song. 
Especially if you’re in, or have been, or want to be in a relationship. To best listen, you need to be in a space where you can really allow yourself to go through the story. 

If you could perform anywhere at any time in history, where would it be? 

Well, I have almost an unhealthy obsession with Roy Orbison. I am convinced that we would sound so good together, so I’d want to do a couple of duets with him. 

Have you done an AI duet? 

No. I don’t like AI… it freaks me out. I love the real Roy Orbison, not AI. And maybe we’d be in New York in the 60s. Some cool speakeasy, hole in the wall, fun and classy, on the Lower East Side. Walk down a staircase to get to the venue, there’s glasses of wine and velvet chairs. 

Is this project leading us to any future releases? Are there connections, or is this a standalone release? 

My dad hates that a lot of my songs are about relationships and about boys. He always wants me to write songs that are not about boys, and it usually doesn't end up that way, because everyone writes about love and about relationships. I think this EP is just one side of the coin, and not saying that there are other projects I'm working on, but maybe there are some that possibly show a different side of a very similar story. This EP is just the first page in a book, no matter how long, although it has a complete progression in and of itself. It’s an introduction. 

Amazing. If you were to make a comfort meal for all of your friends, what would it be? 

Let’s pretend I’m a really good cook. I’d make pasta, a carb-heavy meal for a good night’s sleep. A little garlic bread, a little carbonara. Maybe a few berries on the side, get your antioxidants. Have them drink some water, tuck them into bed. I enjoy taking care of my friends. 

Real motherly treatment. Next, I’d love to know, if you imagined yourself in an alternate universe, who would you be? What would you be doing? 

I’d be some form of teacher. Maybe literature, maybe drama. I love working with kids and teaching. One of the best parts of being a teacher is that you get to learn all the time. Unfortunately, teachers don’t get treated too well in this day and age, which is really sad and I wish there was more I could do about that. But, I think I would love to be an elementary school teacher. I had a lot of struggles when I was younger, I had really bad anxiety. And now, mental health is widely recognized, but then, it wasn’t. I think if I can be a resource for children who are having a hard family life or having difficult mental health challenges, that would be so important to me. Which is another reason why I make music and build community, in hopes that I make a safe space for people. So if I’m not directly helping them, at least I can offer an escape. 

Is there any other form of inspiration that you turn to when you need a mental health break and would like to impart on our audience here? 

Dress and look how you want. As a society and community, if we start to more openly express ourselves, that will make other people feel more comfortable doing it too. And life is just too short. Wear the ball gown to the grocery store. If it makes you happy, I endorse it, as long as you’re not hurting yourself or anyone else. 

Last question, at OnesToWatch, we love when artists shout out other artists. Anyone in particular that you think deserves more flowers right now? 

I mentioned Alice Phoebe Lou, and I really think she deserves a lot more recognition. I got to see her in Seattle, where I’m from. Just as a live performance and vocalist, she’s earth shattering. Best night ever. 

Anything else you’d like to add? 

Don’t let anyone steal your sparkle. That’s my favorite phrase right now.