Discover new Music Introducing: Mollie Edsell
8 years after her debut in 2017, Mollie Edsell’s newest EP, “Joyride” reflects a new era in Americana music, one that empowers listeners to own their voice and power. During the process of turning her personal reflections into music, she sought solace in meandering through the woods of Pennsylvania and the streets of New York accompanied by the sounds of classic folk music. Consequently, her catalog embodies a balance of inspiration, introspection, and serenity.
You can listen to Joyride anywhere you find your music.
Photo Credit: Alyssa Goldberg
Artist q+A
Imagine: there has been some kind of government censorship on music and you’re only allowed to listen to five albums on repeat for the rest of your life. What albums are you taking with you until your dying moment?
What a time to be alive. I’m bringing:
Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves for my peace
Born to Die (The Paradise Edition!) by Lana Del Rey for my zest
Odyssey & Oracle by The Zombies for my groove
Evermore by Taylor Swift for my sadness
Bee Gees Greatest for my happiness
Bob Dylan famously said, about writing his music, that it “isn’t him” — something else took over entirely, like a trance, and when he snapped out of it, he had some of the most lyrically profound music in front of him; music that he had trouble taking credit for. What does songwriting look like to you? Is it reaching a transcendent flow-state, or is it a way simpler process?
This is one of the most fascinating things to me. I actually wrote about the feeling in my recent (unreleased) song, Meadowlark. Most of the time, I have these kinds of musical “downloads” at times of peace and stillness, or in moments where I am hardly thinking, just witnessing. I describe it as if there is a tiny bird fluttering by, and making any sudden move will scare it away. Sometimes it arrives as a melody, or sometimes it arrives as lyrics, but the luckiest moments are when it arrives as both.
The first line in Meadowlark is, “Head out the window, Meadowlark on my shoulder singing songs I never heard before”
Getting a song idea often feels warm and familiar, yet temporary. And just as easily as a song can fly to you, it can fly away. I just try to be prepared to capture the feeling once it lands.
Do other art mediums (i.e. painting, sculpture, film) inform how and why you make music? Who are some of your favorite artists outside of the art form of music?
Absolutely. No matter what mess I am going through, 2 hours in the movie theater will usually snap me out of it and get me feeling clearheaded again. I love being transported out of the day-to-day and into something bigger, and one of the best examples of this in my songwriting is my (unreleased) song “Wonder.” I wrote it after watching the Elvis movie in 2022 because I wanted to capture the feeling of what it was like to be a young girl in the early days of Elvis, and compare that to times in my own life when I felt totally enamored by an artist or love interest.
I feel like there is nothing more beautiful to me than watching someone completely in their element, and movies are great examples of that.
Is there someone in particular that has greatly inspired your current music taste? How have you carried this into your artistic expression?
I think my friends have always influenced what I listen to. They’re always posting on their Instagram stories or texting me what they’re listening to, and holding me accountable to check out new artists. Growing up in Scranton, there was also nothing to do but drive around in our parents’ minivans and listen to music.
I love it all for this reason - pop, rap, country, blues, show tunes. Although, there is something special and timeless about country music; it makes me feel like I’m sitting at my family’s dinner table, telling old stories over again and still laughing just as hard.
You’ve been assigned aux for the spaceship ride to Paper Moon. What are you playing?
On a ride to the moon, we’re listening to the Joyride EP, obviously!
EP Art: Joyride
