Interviews
Molyneaux, expressing deepest emotions through healing sounds and storytelling | Interview
Every human being comes with a unique gift box in this world .Their skills, talents and special abilities can be found in there.
Walking their path making use of these blessings can hold a good deal of potential in succeeding. When music is among those various tools its calling can be powerful enough to prevail. Music is the most seductive siren from which a talented person can't escape... Luckily for the rest of us.
A suchlike case is the girl I'm going to talk to you about. Molyneaux is an over- competent 25-year-old girl from Greece with a degree in Psychology and a Master degree in Clinical Psychology.
Nevertheless , music has been a part of her way of living from an early age.Being fully active on both of these apparently contradictory fields , she's shedding light through our chat on how she achieves balance between the two.
Having already released a soundtrack for a movie and finally her first EP, "Sorrow", on March 17th,I most definitely invite you to let yourself sink into the inspirational melodies which create the ideal soundscape for Molyneaux's airy-fairy voice capable of transferring us to a profound Dreamland.
ES. Welcome to ElektroSpank Molyneaux !! We're always happy to host new and interesting artists !! It's been only a couple of years you've started releasing your work,but I'm pretty sure it's a long journey back before that. How did music enter your life?
M. It is indeed true; music entered my life quite early. I was only 8 years old when I started writing songs and 9 years old when I started piano lessons. I continued my music education with classes in music theory, classical guitar, choir and vocal coaching. I have been listening to music ever since I was a little child; I cannot recall the first memory of my music journey, it goes way back. I finally started appearing on stage at the age of 19 with my first cover band “Belle Reve” in Thessaloniki, Greece. Later, I began my journey in releasing my own songs.
ES. Reading your bio anyone would be impressed by the things you've done so far. You've dealt with science and music which both undoubtedly ask for dedication in order to be managed. Who is Molyneaux deep down, however,is she a scientist or a musician ? In what way do these two seemingly different fields intertwine in your world ?
M. Thank you for your lovely words, I wish I felt more impressed and less stressed myself! This is a question I am still asking myself, and probably will continue to for a while. I guess I’m both. I have been trying to not connect these two fields in my life, as they serve a different purpose in my life. However, I believe my passion for psychology and my personal psychotherapy have definitely inspired my lyrics in “Sorrow”, therefore they are intertwined without my always realizing.
ES. Psychology and Music are two definitely different worlds, they do have something in common though from my point of view. They can both heal. There's even music in various frequencies that affects the human brain. However, I'd like your opinion on that as you're an expert in both. Given the fact you agree that music can be soul soothing too in the first place, what's the different kind of healing each of them offers ?
M. I think the two fields are more related than they are different. There is a characteristic that I find amazingly therapeutic in both fields and that is the storytelling, or else the narrative characteristic in expressing your story, whether it is a traumatic one or not. However, it’s a very different kind of storytelling. As an artist, in music you are able to tell a story through sound, production techniques, soundscapes, words and your performance. It is a very creative and lonely process that knows no boundaries, it’s pure instinct. In therapy, you always need to connect with the rational part of your brain to get to a therapeutic result. However, both can use each other to produce deeper connections for the artist, audience or both.
ES. How easy were things for you at the beginning ? Considering you're a very young woman in a solo project. Was it easy to convince that there was essence in what you had to offer to the music industry?
M. It hasn’t been easy and it still isn’t. First of all, it took me a long time to believe in myself; to believe that I can do it; that I am able to produce my own songs and deliver my idea the way I want it to be delivered. This world made me believe that I am less, that I am not enough. I had to first convince myself that I have something to offer, and I think that was the hardest part. Therefore, it took a lot of courage to work on the songs and actually release them solo. After succeeding in that, I also needed to convince the rest of the world that women can also produce, they can write etc etc.
ES. First released track in 21 was " Tha meino edw" ("I'll stay here" ). A dreamy melodic journey which along with your enchanting voice takes one back to the innocent summers of their youth. Also the official soundtrack for Stelios Christoforou' film "Sammer". Is soundtrack writing an area you're interested in or was this just a random incident that may never repeat itself ?
M. I am definitely interested in soundtrack writing. I had the most fun creating “Tha meino edo” for Sammer, and it is a song that has been receiving so much love it makes me cry. It is a very different process to create something for someone else’s work, it is collaborative, it is understanding another person’s vision, and I’m up for that.
ES. On March 17th your first EP "Sorrow" was released , establishing even further your musical entity. Consisting of 6 melancholically deep and ethereal tracks creating an eerie atmosphere of mysticism and agony. For some reason, influenced by the sound,the image of a beautiful fairy in an uncanny forest crying in sorrow appears in my mind. Was it a fairy tale , talented Molyneaux created or was it an imaginative way to express darker emotions held within?
M. Thank you for this comment. It is very interesting to me how people receive those tracks, and I wish I could see myself as this beautiful fairy. To be honest, it hasn’t felt like a fairytale to me. Through “Sorrow” I was able to address traumatic experiences and express my deepest emotions. It has been very real, the agony was something that was hiding on the inside and I had to put it out there in those songs.
ES.So far most of your lyrics are written mostly in English,but there are also a couple of Greek tracks. What leads you to the choice of language? What are the pros and cons in expressing yourself in each of them ?
M. I don’t have a certain strategy when I begin to write a song. It is more like an instinct for me. Sometimes I feel like expressing myself in English and other times in Greek. I love it when it happens, but I don’t pressure myself for either direction. For me there are no pros and cons, if you make music to tell a story, then you should be telling it as you feel.
ES. "Sorrow' EP is a deeply personal work, reflecting the musician's journey towards discovering her true self". A phrase I read on your press release about your new EP. Is it an easy path to discovering one's true self ? Can it really work unless it's a conscious and brave choice ? What role did music play in your self-discovery ?
M. I don’t see an ending or a success story in “discovering myself”. I feel like it is an endless process, that I always go through music myself. In my case, through my songs I was able to process my emotions, my own thoughts and actions. I was able to reflect, ask myself questions and try to answer them. That, in my mind, is a process of self-discovery, however this is just the beginning. I do agree that it is a choice, to reflect on yourself, therefore it is conscious and brave yes, however most of the discovery can come through just chance, time, relationships, or other events in life.
ES.You've been into music for so long, It's normal you've had dreams and hopes. Having a vision after all is the first step to success . If I asked you to confess to us which artist,of all times,dead or alive, older or younger, you'd be thrilled to share stage with, I'm curious who would that be ?
M. It would definitely be Bjork. I would be thrilled, honored and most probably intimidated. She is brilliant, and definitely one of my inspirations.
ES. Summer is just a breath away. A perfect time for artists to take part in live events and let people know about their work. Also a great chance for bonding with fans.Is this part of your plans Molyneaux ? Is there a schedule to be announced yet ?
M. Summer is just around the corner I can’t wait! I will be performing for Athens Music Week at the end of the month (31/5 at Boiler 22:15), so stay tuned for that! Soon I will be able to announce more. Looking forward to performing again.
Info:
https://molyneauxg.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/molyneauxg
https://on.soundcloud.com/VhbLZ
https://instagram.com/molyneaux_g