A Q&A with Molly Roberts

Welsh singer-songwriter’s cinematic, emotional
pop ballads…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
‘Hurricane’, it’s a song about being fearless and believing in yourself and your dreams.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
The actual song came together quickly. I wrote it with Amy Wadge nearly two years ago now, but the hardest part was getting the production right. It went through several different versions before we found the sound that felt just right, something that truly captured the emotion and intensity of the song.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
I want listeners to feel powerful and inspired after hearing my songs. Singing ‘Hurricane’ at the Six Nations, Wales vs. France at Principality Stadium, I want people to really feel the song. It’s such a big, powerful anthem, and I can’t think of a more perfect stage to perform it on.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
I usually start at the piano and just see what comes. Most days, nothing really stands out – but sometimes something emerges that I truly love, and that’s when I’ll finish the idea. I love writing with other people, but there’s something so cathartic about creating entirely on my own. You start with nothing, and after a few hours, you’ve made something that never existed before. I think songwriting is magical.

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
Joni Mitchell has always been my favourite artist. I love how honest and raw her writing is. Blue is a masterpiece. If I can write anywhere near as well as Joni, I’ll die happy.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
Brazil is on my bucket list. My song ‘Goodbye’ gained a bit of attention over there when it was first released, and I received hundreds of DMs and comments on Instagram in Portuguese after a radio station playlisted it. So I’m manifesting that I get to do a headline show there at some point. As for venues, I have a long list of venues that I’d love to play. Union Chapel was one of my dream venues, and I got to play there last year opening for Amy Wadge, which was amazing!

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
I’d recommend ‘Goodbye’, it’s my most popular song and sums up my style and message the best. It’s the most emotional song I’ve released yet and I think that’s why it resonates the most with people. So many people have reached out online to say how much it helped them. One woman was a domestic abuse survivor; another had lost a child and said the song gave her comfort. That’s the most important part of music for me. I measure a song’s success by how well it connects with people, that means so much more than streams or numbers to me.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
I have three main career goals, and the first one is to headline the Royal Albert Hall. I sang there as part of the National Youth Choir of Wales when I was 16 and have dreamed about doing my own headline show there ever since! It’s such a special venue. Beyond that, I want to share my music with as many people as possible and write an evergreen song.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Believe in your dreams, they can come true. And you can find my music at Molly Roberts on all platforms!

Find out more about Molly Roberts at instagram.com/mollyrobertsmusic