Project Description

.

Interview with
MOLLIE
from
THE McCLYMONTS

Interviewer – Simone Tyrrell

.

.

The McClymonts are a Country music trio consisting of sisters Brooke, Samantha and Mollie. The sisters released their first studio album Chaos and Bright Lights in 2006 followed by another 4 albums from 2010 to 2017. The sisters have amassed great success since hitting the country music scene. Their albums have won them various awards from Best Country Album in 2010 and 2012, Country Work of the Year in 2013, Best Country Group every year from 2007 to 2014 and they have bagged 13 Golden Guitar Awards. The sisters have now released their 6^th studio album Mayhem to Madness which is no doubt going to see their collection of accolades grow. Simone from AMNplify had a chat to Mollie McClymont about their new album Mayhem to Madness and the journey and the songs on the album.

.

.

Simone: Hi Mollie, it’s Simone from AMNplify. How are you today?
Mollie: I’m awesome!

Simone: Excellent. It’s an exciting day for you and your sisters today with the release of your new album titled Mayhem to Madness. How are you feeling about it today?
Mollie: So excited! It’s been three years since our last album. (gives a big sigh) So relieved it’s finally out there in the world. There’s been so much build up so yes, it’s a really good day.

Simone: Excellent. Well Congratulations. It is exciting because as you said it’s been 3 years since we’ve heard an album from you guys. So, this is your 6th studio album and it follows your album “Endless” which was released three years ago. So, in the past three years has it been nonstop writing, recording, and preparing this album or did you actually get a chance to have a break in between albums?
Mollie: We’ve had breaks in the sense when we’ve had babies (Simone laughs), so when you have a baby you have some time off. But we’ve constantly been either – if we haven’t had a baby there’s been tours in between and then writing. So, you could kind of say there’s been breaks in between. But not really. We’re kind of busy busy busy all the time.

Simone: And the title of the album is so apt for you with all three of you, you have got 2 children each now over the past few years. So, with writing, recording, releasing albums and singles, touring, raising children how do you all juggle being musicians and mums?
Mollie: You just do it! I think any working mum will say this – there is no such thing as balance because you feel like you’re doing absolutely everything and you’ve got all balls up in the air going; ok I’m doing it all. (Simone laughs) And I think you just do it. And you just manage to do it. I think that’s why we wrote “I Got This” about that. It’s about motherhood and this journey. Even though sometimes you feel like you’re crumbling and you don’t feel like you’ve got it together, we all have those moments where we are very overwhelmed, but you’ve got to tell yourself you’ve got this, and it all works out in the end you know and you just do it.

Simone: Yes exactly. Do you find being sisters and you’ve all got children, are they close because you’re all together all the time? They’re growing up with their cousins, they’ve got their aunts with them. Is it a very supportive environment having you all working together, and you’ve got children together? Does it work in that way for you guys?
Mollie: It’s so supportive in the sense that we can get together and say I can’t do this because we’re doing this with the kids or we’ve got this on or it doesn’t suit my family, so it’s very supportive because we all work with each other’s schedules to know when a tour can happen, or when we can write and all that stuff. But I wish all the kids got together but they honestly hardly ever see each other except for Christmas or when we’re passing through with the girls. The girls and I don’t take our kids on the road. When we’re working, people think you just get up on stage and sing, but it’s so not that. It’s really big days travelling, sound checks, setting up, packing down and then really late nights to get up again early and go somewhere so it’s just not the environment for kids.

Simone: Yes, fair enough.
Mollie: And we don’t live near each other. Sam’s in Brisbane, I’m in Wollongong and Brooke is near Foster on a farm. So it’s not like we can just drive to each other’s houses and just catch up. We’re always on the phone though and our kids get to Facetime all the time. We’re always on Facetime to each other but that’s the one thing that we miss. All of our partners have taken us to different parts of Australia. It is what it is. I wished we lived closer but we just don’t.

Simone: Yes, I can understand. But it’s still fantastic as you said you with your sisters and touring and spending time together, the children would all get to chat to each other regularly as you said Face timing.
Mollie: Oh Yes, ALL the time!! (Simone laughs) They love each other so much. It’s great in that sense. I just wish they had that physical touch and they could play.

Simone: Yeah of course. And it’s been so fantastic to get a bit of a sneak peak of Mayhem to Madness with the release of two singles off the album already. The first single as you just mentioned being “I Got This” and the second single “Open Heart”. The first single “I Got This” was released in April, and it’s already been very well received and debuted highest ever new single on the Australian Country Hot 50 Airplay Chart, so that’s exciting!
Mollie: Whoooo Hooo! Incredible!

.

TICKETS and TOUR INFO

.

Simone: Yes, charting at number 9. The song is so relatable, and such a powerhouse song! Other than what you just said about it being about motherhood, can you tell me a bit more about the song and how it came about?
Mollie: This was the last song we wrote for the album. Which is crazy and it ended up being the first single. But we just thought that we were missing that song that really told people about what we were going through in our lives right now. And we wanted something to lift people up. And this is a really positive song. I guess it’s what motherhood means to us but to everyone else it means totally different things. Which is the beauty about song writing. People going through Covid have been like this is my anthem to get through this. Some people have lost their jobs and they’re turning to this song. We’ve had so many messages. We’ve had a few about addiction and it’s helping them through their addiction and they’re telling themselves they’ve got this. It means so many different things and that’s the beauty of song writing. People can interpret it how they want.

Simone: Absolutely.  I especially love the video clip and the portraying of the mum with the new baby but then showing she actually does have another child as well, an older child and that life can be overwhelming and you’re torn in different directions, obviously the baby needs the attention but you’ve got other children and you’re trying to even out your time. (laughs)
Mollie: Exactly!!

Simone: So, torn in different directions but it’s a really great positive message saying, I got this, I can do it, I can spread myself out. (laughs)
Mollie: Exactly. And I think motherhood is not all doom and gloom. The positives way outweighs the negatives. We all love being mums. But people need to know that they’re not alone in the tougher moments. Like everyone goes through the same thing.

Simone: Absolutely. I fully agree. I’m a mum myself of three kids so I fully understand and relate to it as well. (laughs)
Mollie: (laughs) Oh you definitely understand!

Simone: I was watching the video clip last night and I was thinking oh my gosh this is my life! (laughs)
Mollie: Totally. And that’s why it has really hit home in particular with mums. We ALL feel the same way.

Simone: Yes exactly. And your second single off the album is “Open Heart” which was only released last month and is a really upbeat catchy tune as well. I played it through a few times and by the second time I was already singing the chorus and wanting to get up and dance. Another song with a beautiful positive message, what is the story behind this song?
Mollie: Well this is actually not a single.

Simone: Oh ok.
Mollie: I think people are getting confused. We just wanted to release it, a few weeks ago just to get people excited for the album.

Simone: Oh right.
Mollie: So here’s another song off the album to listen to before its release. So, the next single is actually going to be “Free Fall”. So that is getting released on June 19th. So that’s exciting. But “Open Heart” is all about our lives. It’s about being on the road. It’s that travelling vibe. It’s just a really easy listening, cruisy song.

Simone: Yeah it is. I actually really really loved it. After I played it through the first time, then I played it the second time and I was already singing to it.
Mollie: Oh good!

Simone: And then I listened to it again and I felt like I already knew it already off by heart. It’s just one of those songs. It’s really catchy but the tune is really upbeat and toe tapping. I actually really enjoyed that one.
Mollie: Oh good. Brooke actually wrote this a few years ago in America. I think it was America. I can’t remember! And this was a contender for the album “Endless”, but it just did not fit with all the other songs. This has been my favourite song for so many years. Like I fight, can we please put it on the album because I just love it so much. (Simone laughs). And finally the girls said “Ok Mollie, you can have “Open Heart” on this album”. (Mollie and Simone laughs). And when we released it a bit early and everyone was getting really excited, and I said I told you girls! It’s my song! It’s the best! (Mollie & Simone laughs) And they were like “ok we give in” (laughs)

.

Brooke McClymont says of the new video, “The video is from the perspective of motherhood. Yes, days are tough, lonely and also hard work but we have people relying on us to keep going and keep our families together.” Mollie adds, “There may be grey days but, in the end, as a woman and as a mother we will continue to fight to give our children and families the best of us.”

.

Simone: (laughs) That sibling rivalry of “I told you so!”
Mollie: (laughs) Totally! I told them so on this one!

Simone:  For this album Mayhem to Madness you’ve worked with some amazingly talented people who have co-written the songs with you on this album, people such as Lindsay Rimes, Phil Barton, Robby De Sa, Georgi Kay, Jennifer Hanson, Alexandra Hosking, Whakaio Taahi, Lindsey Jackson and Andy Mak who produced the album. What is it like collaborating with different people and talented artist such as these people?
Mollie: It’s so cool. They all bring something totally different. So, when you’re going into a writing session, you’re getting something different from every person. Lindsay Rimes is just insane on the tracks. He’s constantly just building tracks while you’re writing lyrics over the top and he’ll throw in a great line here and there and we’ll be saying “oh that’s great”. Andy Mak he is the same, exactly the same. The tracks are just crazy good and he gives you a direction and you can take it somewhere where you thought the song wouldn’t go to and he says “what about this?” So, we were more of the lyrics and he was more of the tracks. But equally both just as important as each other.

Simone: Yeah definitely.
Mollie: And Alex Hosking, was just amazing with her lyrics. She was thinking so outside the box. We wrote “Good Advice” with her. And just so quick. So quick on the lyrics and everything that came out of her mouth. We were like “Oh my God , you’re a genius that is amazing!” So, everyone brings something totally different and it makes the process of writing really fun and interesting because you really don’t know what you’re going to get with each write.

Simone: That’s amazing. And I read that this time Andy wanted to really push you all out of your comfort zones of how you would normally sing and harmonise together. How did that feel doing that, and doing things a bit differently to what you’re used to? And what do you think that brings to this album that is perhaps not present on your other albums?
Mollie: Because we recorded “Endless” with Andy we built that trust and just completely 100% went here’s the songs, do with them what you want, and just make them sound amazing and just take them further than what you think is possible. Just take it there. Then when we were recording the vocals, he said what about this harmony that just wasn’t a natural harmony. Sam and I sing very natural harmonies with Brooke and we always just follow her, and it comes out very easy. I think that’s the beauty of us because we just click together, and we know where to go. But he was throwing out there all these weird harmonies and we were like that sounds amazing, but we would go to sing it and it would just not come out! And it was awful! (Simone laughs) And oh my God it was like learning to walk again! And he said, “do you want to do those harmonies?” and we said Yes! We are going to get these harmonies! And it was just like training your brain. And once we did it a few times and we finally got it in our heads and it stuck and then you listen back to the final product, it just sounded so good because it was different for us. We like pushing ourselves. We’re not one of these people who say no we’re not going to try that because that’s not me. We’re always up for trying new things and the same as Andy. He’s always up for suggestions and trying new things so it was like an experimentation that just totally went our way. Loved it.

Simone: Fantastic. That’s so good. And as you said it’s always good to try and get different sounds and shake things up a bit and bring something different to the table. So that’s really exciting.
Mollie: Yeah it is. I think that’s what makes a project different to your last. Trying new things and trying to get different sounds. Because The McClymonts will always be us with our harmonies, that’s not going to change and we’ve got our sound and that’s who we are, but its pushing it musically in a different direction and that will make it sound a bit different from the last.

Simone: Yes definitely. And you have chosen to do a cover on this album of Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies”. It’s such a beautiful song of theirs, it’s actually one of my favourites.
Mollie: Oh good!

.

.

Simone: So, what made you choose this as a cover song to put on the album?
Mollie: We’ve been doing this song for about 18 months on the road live. And everyone knows it. Like you yourself. Everyone knows the words, it puts everyone in an awesome mood, they always come up to the signing desk after and say “I love that song! You need to record it”. And we’ve never recorded a cover on an album ever. But we said I think this is the album to do it on. And we gave it to Andy, and he was like I can make this sound really cool. We didn’t want to change it too much from the original because you don’t want to do the song injustice. There’s a fine line between totally ruining a song and doing it justice. So, we wanted to put our spin on it but not go too crazy with it.

Simone: Yes of course. So, your lives are about to go into that Mayhem to Madness phase again now that the album is out and you’ve also got some touring dates that have been re-scheduled for Australia, all going well with our restrictions. So hopefully kicking off in September and going right through to January next year. What can audiences expect from this show? Will it include some songs from each of your past 5 albums as well as your new tracks?
Mollie: Oh of course. It’s tougher to choose now because we have so many songs! But we always do the obvious fan favourites. We’ll always do “Pick it Up” and “Forever Begins Tonight” there’s just songs that are so good that we can’t leave out of the set. But obviously we’ll be including lots and lots of songs from the new album because most of our audience are repeat fans and they’ve been to our shows lots of times and they’ve seen our shows. So, they want to see new songs. It will be a mixture. We like to keep it fun, energetic, and just give a high energetic show.

Simone: Fantastic. It’s been really lovely to speak to you today and I can’t wait to see you at some of your shows here in Victoria. I’ll be definitely coming along and hopefully photographing some of the shows because I do photography with AMNplify as well.
Mollie: Oh Awesome!

Simone: And with how well the single has gone and also that other sneak peak that’s not the single (Mollie laughs), and how well it has been received and the anticipated release of the album I am sure fans are going to be hanging out to see you play live from September.
Mollie: Thank you.

Simone: Thank you again for talking to me today. And all the best for the upcoming shows. I look forward to seeing you there.
Mollie: Yes, I look forward to meeting you. Thank you. See you later.

Simone: Bye.

.

.

Follow THE McCLYMONTS
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

.

.

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB