It Takes Molly Parden Years To Finish A Song

Singer-songwriter Molly Parden works slowly. She sits on a song, on an emotion, for many moments — sometimes, up to three years — before she is ready to share it. 

In late 2017, two years removed from a breakup she could still feel aching in her bones, Parden was recording the songs she wrote after the relationship ended. Revisiting the breakup during the recording process made Parden relive some of the pain. “One day when we weren’t recording, it was a cold December morning,” Parden says. “I’d already had a cup of coffee, it was too early to have a drink.” 

She got in her car and drove to the Nashville riverfront. She never drives there; it holds no sentimental value. But she started thinking about her lost love, and what it might be like to share these small, inconsequential moments with him. 

This idea led to “These Are The Times,” the final record on Parden’s upcoming EP, Rosemary. The record is set to release Nov. 13, and “These Are The Times” — which Parden refers to as the album’s title track, due to its thematic importance — will release Oct. 23. “I hardly ever think of you,” Parden sings, “Only when I use my legs to walk/ Only when leaves do somersaults/ You know it’s just on days the mail goes through/ These are the times I think of you.” 

The song describes missing someone so much that everyday, mundane tasks incite memories of that person. Thoughts of a lost love, for Parden, do not only accompany powerful events; they are part of daily life. The track is also her ode to Chet Baker, one of her primary musical influences, along with soulful women rockers of the 70s and 80s, and contemporary folk and indie artists such as Feist and Faye Webster. Baker’s influence appears in flugelhorn vignettes that linger underneath a muffled drum. 

Other tracks on Rosemary also detail Parden’s emotional processing after that breakup. The tracks are brooding, filled with fading melodic lines and soft edges. In “Kitchen Table,” moments of emotion catch Parden by surprise, encapsulated by poetic moments which equally surprise the listener. “I had never cried before at the kitchen table/ And I never thought the taste of food/ Was something that I could refuse,” she sings. Parden is concerned with how pain arises in the everyday — when she sits down to eat, brushes her teeth, or goes for a drive. “Where’s the shortcut to Eastland/ I took a wrong turn again/ And where’s that breakfast place I like/ I can’t seem to find it without you.” 

Parden’s haunting account of a breakup that occurred years ago differs from many recently-released artistic works. Artists less and less frequently devote years to recording an album, and more often release singles as they complete, combining them into a cohesive work after-the-fact. In the streaming economy, expedience reaps economic reward. This is why Parden thought she’d always be a background singer and music producer. 

“In 2010 or 2011, I made a vow that I would only make music as long as it made me happy, I wouldn’t rely on it to make me money,” Parden says. “I knew it would put a strain on my creativity. I always intended to have another job, for the rest of my life, so the music would still be precious to me. It took me being a waitress for seven years to appreciate what I have now: no waitressing job.”

Because of this, Parden sees her music as “void of the pretense of a dream.” Making music is not an ideal career, but a reflex, and she wants listeners to trust her music’s honesty.

This slow creative philosophy serves her; the kind of emotional work that must be done in an album such as Rosemary cannot be expedited. In the album’s notes, she writes that it pains her to let go of this work due to its personal significance. But this is the time for her to share.

Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

Buffalo Wild Wings Is Releasing Its Own Single Barrel...

JACKSONVILLE, FL - FEBRUARY 01: Buffalo Wild Wings exterior...

Council Post: Where Is Artificial Intelligence Now, And Where...

CEO of Novus Laurus. Business and transformation strategist. Digital technology, film and food investor. ...

A Big Bang For Hydrogen Truckmaker Nikola As Stock...

Nikola will begin taking orders for its hydrogen- and...

Kuaishou’s shares surge on the video app’s stockmarket debut

The firm is taking on TikTok and its Chinese siblingFeb 5th 2021“WE AIM to...