Though she’s only 18 years-old, music has been a big part of most of Molly McDonald’s life.
The Illinois born, Texas based singer/songwriter remembers singing as early as four years-old, and after stints in choir and musicals in her elementary school years, McDonald picked up the guitar in high school and began writing songs of her own.
Late last year, McDonald offered the first taste of original music, “Asphalt,” followed by “Pretty Talk” in June. With more music and an eye towards a debut album on the horizon, it’s a perfect time to get McDonald on your radar.
We chatted with her all about “Asphalt” and “Pretty Talk,” as well as her diverse influences, performing for the first time on a dare and more!
Pro Country: Your bio mentions drawing influence from a wide range of artists, from Taylor Swift to The Who to George Strait and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. What was it like to be surrounded by such a vast array of music growing up?
Molly McDonald: I am incredibly lucky to have been raised listening to a wide range of music. As a baby, I was listening to classics of the 60s through 90s, because that’s what my parents had on. Classic country icons like Wille and Waylon, Cash, Parton, and on to George and Alan, along with classic rock bands like Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones and the Eagles. Oh, and add in a big dose of Texas country. Although I didn’t necessarily know that I was listening to them as a kid, Fleetwood Mac became a staple band through my teenage years.
As I got a little older, I also got to experience the artists of the 2000s grow and experiment with music in real time. I watched Taylor Swift evolve through her different eras. Her first few albums were a necessity at bed time, played on my little old iPod Mini that my mom handed down to me. It is really cool to be making music now, because I listen to music differently. As I go through and listen to different bands, it’s fun realizing that I know them from my childhood, even if I wasn’t paying attention to who they were at the time.
PC: You began singing very early in your life, and in middle school, you began performing in choir and theater. What was it about being on stage and performing for people, even so early in your life, that struck a chord with you?
MM: My earliest memory of singing is when I was around four or five, making up little melodies when I was swinging on my swingset under an oak tree in my backyard in Illinois. Throughout elementary school, it was mandatory for us to be in choir, so some basic theory practices were instilled in my head there. The first time I voluntarily performed was the summer going into sixth grade. I played softball in the evenings, but my mom liked to keep us busy and encouraged us to try different things, so she signed me up to go to day camp for the summer musical. I went to the first meeting where we went over all the roles that were in the play. My initial thought was “if I have to do this, why would I not be the lead?” So I went home and made up a dance to a Mary Poppins song, “Spoonful of Sugar,” along with learning the words and melody. I auditioned the next day and got the role of JoJo in Seussical. I kept performing in musicals during the school year and in the summers all through middle school prior to Covid.
My favorite thing about performing was the challenge of delivering a performance as close to perfect as possible. I knew it was within my control to learn the lines, dances and songs, so it was a personal challenge on show days to fully embody the character and deliver the story as best I could. Fast forward to now, I perform my own songs, but the undertones are the same. It’s my job to practice and perfect the songs, so when it comes to performance time, I can create an atmosphere of enjoyment and escape for people, while also getting to do so myself because of the work put in ahead of time. I guess what I’m saying is my favorite thing about performing is that it is a shared process; I put in the work to make it as good as I can, so people feel good and their enjoyment is reflected back to me. At the end of the day it’s all about connection. If I can make someone in the audience feel seen and heard, maybe fill their cup a little more, then it’s a win in my book.
PC: You began writing songs and playing guitar during your high school years. How much did you enjoy the outlet of writing songs, and how quickly did you take to songwriting and the guitar?
MM: I began playing guitar going into my junior year of high school by learning covers of some of my favorite songs at the time. My first few songs that I learned were “Cover Me Up,” the Jason Isbell song, but I learned the Morgan Wallen version, and “Hell Of A Year” by Parker McCollum. These were great because “Hell of A Year” is a fingerpicking song, which I had no idea of at the time, and “Cover Me Up” includes the basic cowboy chords. These are two styles of guitar playing that I get to expand on to this day. I began writing my own songs the summer after my junior year. It was quite literally when one day I sat down with my guitar, and a melody came to mind. I was able to match what I was hearing to the guitar, somewhat. The idea of writing songs was not intentional, as guitar was still a hobby. I didn’t continue any musical pursuit in high school after Covid, so I think guitar ended up being a means to continue my love for music in one way or another. After I wrote my first song, I would sit down every few weeks and write another; I never got consistent until after my senior year. It was fun to reflect on little things that happened in my daily life and put them into song. After finishing my credits early in December of my senior year, I went to a songwriting workshop in Austin, and that’s where I really learned that structure/headspace that professional songwriters have. There aren’t any rules with songwriting, because it’s a creative endeavor, but there are certain tendencies that are apparent across genres and charts. After that workshop, where I received feedback from experienced publishers, I realized that I actually wanted to pursue music as an artist. Which rolls right into the next question…
PC: After your musical experiences in your youth, when did you realize you wanted to, and actually could, pursue music as a career?
MM: I attended that songwriting symposium in Austin, Texas during my Senior year of high school. While I was just beginning to write songs, I was encouraged to attend by another local songwriter, Dave Skinner, who said it would give me a lot of insight into the process. I learned there is no proper way to write a song. There, I met with a few publishers who offered to listen to my songs. They gave me positive feedback on songwriting, and great advice on artistry in general, and they encouraged me to take music seriously. Before, I had not really considered the fact that I could take music as far as being my job, I just knew I loved it! It was definitely a passion. That opened my eyes to the notion that if I put in the work, there is no reason I can’t pursue my passion full swing. Then began the endeavor to take in and learn as much as possible, so that experience sparked my drive for what I am pursuing now.
PC: Your bio also mentions that your first solo live experience came from a dare from a friend, which you’ve called a major stepping stone. Can you tell us that story and how pivotal that night was for you?
MM: My first live performance came from a dare from my best friend in an Italian restaurant. We were at a place in College Station for her birthday dinner on a Thursday night. There was a man playing guitar and singing on the corner stage. Another gentleman went up and played a song as well, so my friend thought it was an open mic night. She knew that I started playing guitar, so she said “bet you wouldn’t go up and play a song.” I definitely didn’t want to, mostly because I didn’t know if I knew any song well enough, but it was her birthday, and I am not one to back down from a dare. So, I went up and asked the gentleman if I could borrow his guitar and play a song. Come to find out, it was not an open mic night and I was actually interrupting his set! He was very kind, so he encouraged me to play anyway. I played one of the only songs I knew, which was “Hell of A Year” by Parker McCollum. I was definitely shaking through it, but the whole restaurant applauded and asked me to sing two more. I only sang one more because that’s all I had at the time. A few weeks later, I got two emails from people at that restaurant: one asking to book a gig, and the other from Dave Skinner, the gentleman whose guitar I borrowed. Dave has a studio with the Matthews Group in Bryan, TX. He asked me to come out and talk about pursuing music. After that day, I began meeting with Dave about songwriting, guitar and performing, and began playing gigs fairly regularly. I attended the songwriting symposium about a year later, which was a big step in the right direction.
PC: What emotions were you feeling as you were preparing to release music for the first time with “Asphalt” late last year?
MM: Funny enough, the release of “Asphalt” was a rather impromptu decision. I had met my producer, Jody Bartula, at an event in Bryan TX. I was introduced through a mutual connection, and he offered to listen to a few of my songs at his home studio. We went through the songs I had written, and “Asphalt” was one of the most recent. He basically taught me how to use a microphone and about the recording process from the ground up. We went ahead and demoed “Asphalt.” Later, we mastered it so that I could get a feel for what a master sounds like, and really just to get a grasp of the recording process from start to finish. I appreciate that, and his patience with someone totally new to the process.
In the fall, going into my freshman year at Texas A&M, I played gigs pretty much every weekend. At every gig, people would ask where they could listen to my music. I had to give them the awkward answer of “well, I’m an artist with no music out!” With a mastered recording in my inbox, I decided to go ahead and just release “Asphalt” so that I had something out. A full radio/advertising release strategy was not used, which I would not recommend to anyone thinking about releasing music. Use a marketing plan, because if no one knows about it, no one will listen. Anyway, I planned a photoshoot for the single cover, and then uploaded everything manually to a distributing platform. That was really it, and I mainly felt glad that I got music out, along with excitement to record more and improve. I didn’t expect commercial success because I really didn’t know what I was doing with promotion. People who came to my gigs, and later my shows, were excited that I had something out. I remember on the night that “Asphalt” dropped, I thought “woohoo, now I’m actually an artist with music out!” not just someone performing gigs of covers and a few originals. “Asphalt” is the stepping stone that I needed to officially put myself out there and claim that “I’m doing this.” There is still so much to learn, and I want to continually improve, but we’ve made the first step. I feel so honored that I have the opportunity to continue learning, and that’s just what I’ll do.
PC: As lovers of sad songs, we were immediate fans of “Asphalt.” Can you tell us a few of your favorite sad country songs?
MM: I appreciate that, I am such a lover of sad songs as well. Sometimes to my detriment, as they make me sad! [laughs]. It’s hard to pin a few down, but I’ll try my best. A few of my rock classic favorites include “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, and “Desperado” or “After the Thrill Is Gone” by the Eagles. “Hell of A Year” by Parker McCollum has stuck with me through my teenage years, along with “Tied Together With A Smile” by Taylor Swift. Some newer ones include “Maybe It’s Time” by Bradley Cooper from A Star is Born, or honestly, that whole soundtrack, along with the Daisy Jones and the Six soundtrack. Finally, I have to include any of the classics of Keith Whitley, like “Stranger to the Rain,” or Waylon or Willie. There’s so many I could list, but I’ll give you the long, short list!
PC: You wrote your newest single, “Pretty Talk,” in high school. Can you take us in your head and talk about the inspiration behind the song and how it came together?
MM: “Pretty Talk” is a fun little tune that encapsulates all of the tomfoolery (to be polite) that goes on in high school. I wrote it about a boy, but honestly, I can pin it back on myself too. We are all a little more “talk” than we are “walk” at times, and that’s what “Pretty Talk” is all about. Throughout high school, there was a lot of the natural chit-chat, or gossip, that goes on in a teenage environment. Also with dating, there would be words said that action would not back up. “Pretty Talk” is a song that encapsulates the “all talk, no walk” saying.
PC: Your bio mentions that you’re working on more new music. What information, if any, can you give about anything new on the way? What can people expect to hear?
MM: I am working on new music, and am very excited about what’s to come. I was a full-time student at Texas A&M last fall when I released my debut single. Currently, I have decided to go online for school, so I have music as the forefront of what I am focusing on. Therefore, I am playing live more, including some full-band shows, as well as writing and practicing daily.
I am fortunate to have support and encouragement from management now, and a group of really talented, professional musicians, including Jody. We’ve got the studio booked, and I’m ready to write, record, and release more music.
PC: With “Pretty Talk” released, what do you have planned for the rest of 2025?
MM: For the rest of 2025, I’m working on a live band show, as well as recording some singles to release, so I can have music coming out consistently. With every one, I learn more, and hopefully, I’ll get more comfortable with all of the processes involved.
Personally, I want to continue to improve as a songwriter and musician, which includes collaborating with other songwriters. I also have an eye toward my first full-album project. I’m giving my all to music, finally, and I’m excited to see where that takes me going into the new year. Lots of learning. We’re just getting started!
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