Molly Jenson ~ The Interview

Words by Joe Koch and Photo by Jose Phllanes

Molly Jenson is an artist the world needs to know more about. She has her debut album, Maybe Tomorrow out, which she co-wrote with singer-songwriter Greg Laswell. She has collaborated with Jon Foreman, the singer of Switchfoot, and she continues to gain the respect of her peers, whether it be Pat Boone or Nickel Creek.

I met Molly during my recent visit to Portland, Ore. I was there to interview Works Progress Administration, or WPA, the band that she was opening for. So while we were sitting around waiting, we talked about her venture into the music industry. This was enough for me to pick up her album and give it a spin. I absolutely loved it. We continued our conversation when I returned home:

The last time that we talked you were getting ready to hit the road with WPA for part of their West Coast tour. How did it go?

It was amazing! I haven't been on too many tours yet, so I don't really have much to compare it with, but I couldn't have asked for a better band to travel with. We all got along great, even though the 10 of us were crammed into a 15-passenger van.

And Sara and I shared a room, so I really felt like part of the family. I did sit in with Sean and Luke for one song at a couple shows and Sean and Sara sat in with me for a couple of my songs. It helps when you like the people you are on the road with and it helps even more when you love their music.

WPA's crowds were great to me — very polite yet responsive. I think people don't know what to think when I walk out on stage with just my guitar and some shakers stuck in my boots. And then I start singing and it's clearly not bluegrass, which is an element of WPA's music. But everyone was wonderful and I think I got a few new fans from that tour. At least I hope so!

How did you get to tour with WPA? What about your friendship with Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek)?

I met Sara and Sean through Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot. We were all at the same Christmas party and I was totally star struck in front of Sean and Sara because I am a big Nickel Creek fan. I think we just kept meeting over time at different events and finally became good friends. Sean mentioned the WPA tour to me a while ago and I got really excited, and would call him weekly for updates on whether or not I was on the opening slot. Luckily that didn't scare him away and we are still friends.

With this tour you played solo/acoustic. How often do you get to play with your full band? Which do you prefer?

I love playing solo/acoustic because it's totally hassle-free. I don't have to pay anyone or make sure anyone else is taken care of. I'm pretty independent so it works nice for me. But if I could play every show with my full band, I would. I have an amazing band of people that have been playing with me for a couple years now and I wish I could take them everywhere but I can't...yet.

Let’s talk about Maybe Tomorrow. You teamed up with singer-songwriter Greg Laswell to help produce and co-write. Can you explain you relationship with Greg and how that came about?

Greg and I went to college together in San Diego. We hardly knew each other during college but were reconnected through a mutual friend about six years ago. That friend told Greg that I wanted to start working on my own music. Greg called me and asked if I wanted to get together and write. I came to him with a song that I had started and we finished it in our first meeting. The next meeting, we recorded it. Then the next week we finished another one of my songs and then the next week recorded it. This kept going on and all of a sudden, I had a record!

So is he the friend that encouraged you into recording a record?

He's the reason I have a record. I had been doing session work and singing all over the place, but I really wanted to start writing my own music. I don't think I really went into my first writing session with Greg knowing that a record would come out of it. I just hoped that I would learn to write better songs and maybe something would come of it.

I’m assuming that he played an intricate role in the writing of this album, and you had mentioned that you want to take on a more involved role in the writing for the next one. How do you think this will affect the final result on the next record?

Yeah, I really didn't know much about writing music before Greg and I started working on the record. I always had tons of ideas for songs, but I never knew how to put those ideas together and make a complete song out of them. He helped teach me how to do that. After going through the process of co-writing with Greg, I learned how to write better and though I still love co-writing, I know that my next record will have more of me in it.

Many of your songs are about your experiences with relationships. Heartbreak is definitely a key ingredient in many of the greatest songs. Are you usually the heartbreaker or the heartbroken? Which makes for a better song?

I'm usually the heartbreaker, but I've had my heart broken and it was much easier to write a song with a broken heart than it was to write a song when I was breakin' em'. I can't tell you if one song or the other is better, but there is definitely a different feel to both songs.

What other things besides heartbreak inspire you to write songs?

Happiness, kindness, issues that need to be dealt with.

Soul singer Ryan Shaw said it best: “If I can just get the people in front of me, I know I can win them over.” Do you feel the same way?

100 percent yes. I think I am a performer first and then a musician. I think this because my first thought when I walk off stage isn't "I hope I played okay." It’s" I hope I made them laugh." My goal at every show is to win the crowd over with my music and my personality and I know I've got them once they start laughing.

Do other bands/artists inspire you? If so, who recently has made you say “I want to write a song like that?”

Absolutely! I have a playlist on my iTunes called "Write This." Whenever I hear a song I wish I'd written, I add it to that playlist. Rufus Wainwright is definitely in there and The Doves. I love the Cardigans and Patty Griffin and Feist. Bon Iver is the most recent musician who has made me say "I want to write a song like that." Actually, it was more like "Crap! I wish I'd written that song!"

What are some goals that you have set for 2010?

Tour, tour, tour! I love being on tour. I love the chaos of it. I love playing for a new crowd of people every night and I love being in a new city every day. I hope 2010 is a year of touring for me and of course I want to get moving on the next record, so I'll be writing a bunch and getting songs ready to record for the next album.

You said that you’re going to Nashville to do some writing. Is there a projected date for the next release?

No projected date as of yet. I plan on being in Nashville for a bit to write with friends out there and start playing more shows in the Mid West and on the East Coast. I love the West Coast but it's time to start getting my music out there.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not playing music?

Paint and go to movies.

For more information go to: www.mollyjenson.com