Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Molly Baker
THE RELEASE
Introducing Molly Baker, an artist whose expertise encompasses guitar, piano, and vocals. Molly's music is influenced by an array of perspectives, including Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Paramore, Echo Smith, and Harry Styles—an intriguing blend of pop, indie, and alternative. Molly is bringing a bunch of songs that are based on real-life experiences to the release of her upcoming album. Previewed on January 1, "One Year" looks at the fine-tuned evolution of relationships over the span of twelve months. Molly's voice, which has been described as "angelic," was recorded at Cedar Lane Studios in Washington, DC, and produced by Stewart Mitchell and Jenni Rudolph (LA Studio). As an artist dedicated to creating and listening to various musical genres, Molly Baker invites you to explore her unique sound world and experience the narrative of "One Year," now available on all platforms.
The latest single from Molly Baker is not just another song. It was released last month, but its creation has spanned an entire year. Initially, Baker had worked with her original producer, but becoming unsatisfied with the end result, she decided to change everything and go to a fresh set of musical ears entirely. "We got the lyrics in about sixty minutes," only a top liner at the time. These words delve deep into the sutured journey of each character, like someone from ten years ago working hard and continuously moving. Soft piano-ballad "One Year" is a musical time capsule that carries all the mixed emotions and elapsed feelings. "One Year" has been described as her best work to date by a confident girl who works hard all her life in both composing and performing. With its rich narrative and meticulously crafted production, "One Year" points to being a song that has emotional resonance for anyone who hears it and invites them into this dramatic story of friendship's unexpected twists.
THE INTERVIEW
If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?
Great question! My Mount Rushmore of inspiration would start with Stevie Nicks, I loooove Fleetwood Mac and they were the first band I remember listening to with my dad on repeat. I’d also say Kacey Musgraves, she makes more country music but when I first started covering songs to play live I learned Rainbow, Butterflies, High Horse, and Golden Hour. I think she has such a beautiful voice. Olivia Rodrigo would be next, but not for the reasons you would think. I was a fan of hers before she became popular from drivers license, and I watched all her unreleased songs she’d put out on Instagram. She would just sing with a piano and guitar and eventually some of them made her albums. I play both piano and guitar as well and liked seeing that a song written on one instrument can turn into something bigger. This inspired me to start writing my own instruments on piano :) Last, of course I have to say Taylor Swift. I was lucky enough to go see the Era’s Tour and it was one of the best nights of my life- she’s such a smart lyricist and an incredible performer.
Were there any specific challenges or breakthrough moments during the production of your new single that had a significant impact on its final form?
This song did have some challenges, but I felt so proud of the lyrics (which were written first) that I wanted to make sure everything was right before releasing it. At one point we completely rewrote the chords, and the song went through two completed mixing/mastering processes. I wanted to make sure the instrumental fit the tone of the lyrical journey.
Can you share insights into the collaborative process behind the creation of your latest single, including any notable contributions from producers, co-writers, engineers or featured artists?
I cowrote the lyrics with Jenni Rudolph and worked with Stewart Mitchell for the first time as my producer. When rewriting the song we came together over Zoom to change all the chords, and then Stewart made the amazing instrumental. Jenni is always such an amazing influence in the studio and knows how to bring out the best in me! They are both so incredibly talented and I’m lucky to work with them.
Can you articulate the impact or impression you hope your new song leaves on listeners long after they've experienced it for the first time?
While writing One Year, I really made sure that the song had specific story elements but was also open to interpretation for the listener. The song takes place over every month of the year and I hope that this leads to a song people can relate to at all times, not just in a specific scenario.
Looking ahead, how does the release of this single pave the way for future projects, and are there any hints or clues about the direction your music might take in the coming months?
This is the first of three new singles that all have similar energy and storytelling. My style has definitely changed over time and is more inspired by music I listen to today. I hope One Year will set the tone for what’s to come and makes others excited about my future releases as well!
KEEP UP WITH MOLLY BAKER BELOW:
