Molly Grace Wraps Up the Blush Tour with a Night of Pure Magic
BY SOPHIA KINGSLEYMolly Grace brought pure magic to Madame Lou’s in Seattle on Saturday night as she closed out her Blush Tour, and the energy in the room was instantly infectious. From the moment the lights dimmed, everyone was buzzing. The crowd felt excited, warm and so ready to dance, which matched Molly’s vibe perfectly. She brought a full pop funk experience to the stage, complete with tight harmonies and fun choreography with her backup singers. The set felt playful, polished and very dancey. Before Molly even came out, a local Seattle drag queen opened the show, setting the tone and pulling the whole room together right from the start.
When Molly stepped on stage in a short white dress covered in kiss marks with bright red tights, she looked adorable and the crowd lit up right away. One of the sweetest moments of the night came when she stepped away from the mic, sat close to the audience with her guitar, and performed completely unplugged. The room went quiet in the softest way, everyone leaning inas her voice carried naturally. It made the venue feel small and cozy, almost like a living room performance with friends.
Later in the show, two fans were invited up for a proposal and the entire room erupted with cheers. Since it was the final stop on the Blush Tour, everything felt extra charged and full of love.
A beautiful musical highlight was her mashup of For Good from Wicked and Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, which had the crowd swaying together. The night felt celebratory, sentimental and full of joy. A perfect close to the Blush era.
InterviewSophia: You grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts and later moved to Nashville to chase music. How did those two places shape you as an artist?
Molly: Well, Lexington, where I grew up, is a suburb of Boston and I feel like I was really lucky. My town had a great arts program so I had a lot at my disposal. I grew up in choir, I did community theater, theater in school, improv comedy, acapella, and all these things. It was a great place for me to be and I always knew I wanted to be in music, so I could get my hands on a lot of different performing arts opportunities, which was wonderful. And then Nashville. I went there for college and I still live there now. People always say the three big music cities are New York, Nashville and LA. I am so grateful that Nashville is where I chose to come up and find myself as an artist because it has such a strong sense of community. People are really willing to take a chance on you. It is very focused on songwriting too, so I feel like I really learned how to tell stories effectively. I am glad that is where I decided to come up.
Sophia: Do you think your sound would have been any different if you stayed in Massachusetts?
Molly: I am sure. In the Northeast, especially when I started taking an interest in making music, there were a lot of soul pop bands, especially out of New York. I was and still am a big fan of artists like Lawrence, Sammy Rae and Couch, which are all New York and Boston bands. So I feel like if I stayed in Boston, I might have found myself a little deeper in that jazzy pop world. But in Nashville, even though there is a lot of country, Americana and folk, there is pop music too. I found myself going more into straight pop.
Sophia: How has your songwriting voice evolved from your earlier music to where you are now?
Molly: I think I have gotten better at the craft of songwriting. I think I have always had a strong voice in songwriting because I tend to write how I speak. My lyrics lean more conversational than poetic. Through the last year especially, I have been cowriting a lot more and I havelearned more about the craft itself, like rhyming tricks and different methods, and how to clean up a song and make it catchy and really easy to remember. I have learned a lot from working with songwriters who have been doing it longer than me.
Sophia: Do you feel like your writing has matured or become more you?
Molly: I think it has matured with me. My songwriting now feels very me and I feel more confident as a songwriter. I am definitely a singer and performer first and it took me a while to feel confident wearing the songwriter title. I feel like that’s a new thing.
Sophia: When you are writing, what usually comes first, the lyrics, the melody or the vibe. Can you walk me through your typical writing session and how it looks?
Molly: I am a melody girl first. Usually I start with a chord progression so I find a vibe that I like and go from there. Then I try to hear the melody within that little world I have created. I like rhythmic lyrics and I will always abandon grammar or anything like that if it helps the lyrics sing well or fit well in the rhythm. So I am melody first and then the lyrics are born from there.
Sophia: You have said your music knew you were queer before you did. What was it like when your personal identity and your artistry started to align?
Molly: I feel like that is when I started feeling the most myself on stage. Once I started to marry my personal identity with my music, I feel like the rest of the world started responding too. It is funny how that happens. Through my music, I got the chance to explore this hyper femmeidentity that I was not as comfortable embracing yet in my day to day life. Through my artist persona, I gained the confidence to express that in my personal life too.
Sophia: Was there a specific song or moment where it clicked for you?
Molly: ‘Lady Lady’ definitely felt like the start of something. ‘Lady Lady’ and ‘Lover (Love Her)’ are so funky, groovy and funny and lyrically very cheeky. ‘F.E.M.M.E.’ also felt like the beginning of an era. And if I had to pick one song off ‘Blush’ that feels most representative of my artistry and identity now, I would say ‘Heaven Sent’ or ‘Soprano.’
Sophia: You talk about wanting your show to feel safe and empowering. What has been a standout moment where you felt that connection with the crowd?
Molly: There are so many. It happens every night. During the show I sing ‘Soft’ off of the album and I do it unplugged, totally acoustic off the mic. The rest of the band leaves the stage and it is just me and the crowd. That moment is always really special. I am just sitting there singing and everyone is singing along and I get to really look at everyone. It feels so special and safe.
Through this big very showy concert, it suddenly feels intimate, almost like a slumber party. That moment really fosters the intimacy of the show.
Sophia: How do you hope your fans feel when they leave your shows?
Molly: Good. I hope they feel empowered. I hope they feel joyful. My goal is for people to come and dance and have a good time and leave feeling a little lighter.
Sophia: Just one more question to wrap it up. Do you have any get ready for the show rituals or any pre show playlists that help you get hyped up?
Molly: I love Doechii. Listening to her hypes me up. My pre show routine honestly includes doing my makeup. It is very therapeutic for me. The process of painting my face feels like suiting up, putting on my superhero suit. It helps me get into the Molly Grace zone. And I do a lot of vocal warmups. Lots and lots and lots.
