Q&A: Caught In An Ocean of Feelings. Molly Bogin Treads the Waters of a Complex Relationship in “Let Me Go”
MOLLY BOGIN IS SPELLBINDING AND CHARMING IN HER MUSIC AND EVEN MORE MESMERIZING IN CONVERSATION — The artist’s latest single “Let Me Go” is an exquisite montage of a love oscillating between tenderness and complexity and is perfectly encapsulated in one single. The singer-songwriter describes the song as being “crafted with passion and sensuality” but more than that, everything that Bogin was, is, and will be is delicately intertwined in her music.
“Let Me Go” contains a hypnotic and sensual R&B sound characterized by its lush harmonies, textured vocal layers and lyrics that describe a love’s labyrinth - all the makings of R&B music everyone is naturally drawn to. Bogin was instantly smitten when her producer and partner, Will Saulsky, introduced her to the track. Entranced by its sultry vibe, she crafted a low, seductive sonic landscape to complement the beat.
Hailing from Western Massachusetts, Bogin has led quite a nomadic life. Having traveled across the United States four times, settling in Brooklyn, Los Angeles and other cities, her love for exploring has extended to her musicality. She is classically trained, with a background in folk, gospel, musical theater and is multi-instrumentalist. Her music is both unrestricted and inspired, it is clear that she aims to pay homage to all the music from various genres, artists and genres that influenced her. Riding the wave of her critically acclaimed single “Bad Party Guest [In My Dreams]”, which captivated 25,000+ listeners in its debut month.This momentum continues with her latest release, following her feature on Daphne Gale's 2021 album Nomadder.
“Let Me Go” is a rich and resonant song that makes her upcoming project even more worthy of looking forward to. Bogin has an otherworldly talent for combining her ethereal vocals with lyrics that are simply beautiful and complementary of an alluring and polychoral sound. Bogin's unwavering commitment to her craft makes her an exciting prospect for a long-term, successful music career.
Luna had a delightful conversation with Molly Bogin about wanderlust, how being a multi-instrumentalist influenced her soundscape and her latest single “Let Me Go”.
LUNA: You have traveled quite a lot, and are currently splitting your time between Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Is there a connection between your song title “Let Me Go” and your tendency to relocate frequently?
BOGIN: That is a really thoughtful question. I have moved quite a bit, I grew up almost entirely in Massachusetts although I was born in New York. Growing up I was interested in seeing other places so I moved back to New York after university, and I expected to stay there quite a long time–but that quickly changed with the pandemic. I was loving that it was super quiet in the city but my parents asked me to come back home because they were worried about my health, as I am immunocompromised. My parents had recently separated, so I started looking for other places to go. I couldn’t go back to New York so I found a way to go to Maine, a place that my family spent a lot of time in when I was growing up. I was there for about three months enjoying being surrounded by nature, doing yoga, journalling and visiting Acadia National Park frequently. It was so much different from my life in Brooklyn that it was just a breath of fresh air.
I was trying to take advantage of the time I had, I had lost my job as a waitress during the pandemic so there was nothing tying me back. I joined a group of my friends and collaborators, deciding we were going to create a makeshift music residency. We drove to New Mexico, got an AirBnB and just wrote and created music. I learned so much musically from everyone and we established a routine where we created grocery lists and cooked for each other on an almost daily basis. However, at the end of the two months, I could not get on a flight because of the lockdown restrictions and because I was (still) immunocompromised. All the cars that we had were driving West and that is how I ended up in LA. I eventually moved back to New York because I felt like I was too far from people I loved, but I later realized that other things (and people) were calling me back to Los Angeles.
I think that captures the experience and feeling of asking loved ones to accept that I have to move away from them, even if it's brief, because I need to follow my heart.
The experience of writing “Let Me Go” was quite different from the rest [of my songs] because it started off as a track. Most times when I write I sit down with an instrument or have an idea that I want to work out with either my guitar or piano but my partner who is also my producer [Will Saulsky], played me this song that had an R&B sound. I decided to take it home to New York. I wanted to find a way to write a song that felt different from my other songs, hence it was more about the melody as opposed to being about the lyrics.
LUNA: You are a multi-instrumentalist, what instruments do you play and how does that help you experiment with sound?
BOGIN: My paternal grandfather was a concert pianist so piano was very much a staple of our family. I started playing when I was eight and I was classically trained. I have recently gone back to Bach and Vandall and the composers I grew up playing to regrow that muscle memory in my fingers. It is wild how your brain can remember what the song is meant to sound and feel like, but not be able to play them anymore. For me it is my right hand that maintains the skill and ability. My father played guitar and folk music and as soon as I joined middle school I got into guitar. The way I picked up the instruments was different because with piano, I received classical and technical training but the guitar was entirely self- taught. The way I play currently is different. I have a deeper understanding of the piano, I know which chords exist in the key of “A” when I am writing in that key. The guitar, on the other hand, feels more like an adventure every time I play. I know where certain chords are but if I don’t get the sound I want, I just play through shapes until I find something I like. I often have these random voice memos that help guide me even though I don’t know what chords they are (laughs). I find that piano is more ballad, gospel and soul-based for the way that I write. Those are genres that influenced me greatly; they just blend into my playing. The guitar helps me create more rhythmic and groovy music. I play a little bit of bass too, self-taught. It is a bit simpler and it feels like a place to explore other forms of music.
LUNA: You are someone who visualizes the texture and the form you want your music to take when you sit down and write a song while playing one of your instruments. You have performed quite a few times too, what are some of your favorite parts about performing live?
BOGIN: Singing is definitely the easiest part of performing, it takes the least amount of effort and feels natural. Singing has been a large part of my musicality and it is what I have been doing the longest. It is the instrument I have the most control over – it’s the easiest thing to improvise and fix in the moment. I have a bit of stage fright when I perform as myself and I prefer singing over talking. I started doing musical theater at the age of six and when I stepped on the stage as a character, the fear would suddenly disappear and I would just enjoy that feeling. However, any time that I went on as “Molly”, my hands would visibly shake and they would sweat so much that my fingers would slide off of the keys of the piano because I was so afraid of making a mistake as myself. When I started my music career, I had to embrace that about myself because there is also so much joy in being yourself onstage.
LUNA: You have collaborated with your partner and producer, Will, on this song. How has the collaboration process been for you as musicians and romantic partners? And how has your romantic relationship contributed to this song beyond the themes of your lyrics?
BOGIN: I think this is a question that musicians who have personal relationships with another have to really consider because it is important to have some separation between your art and your relationships. Part of the “push-and-pull” aspect of the song was the fact that we were working on it while being distant, so not only was it the first time that I was top-lining a song but it was the first time writing and working with someone from a distance. We were just sending each other giant files back and forth. We were separated when I was in New York and got back together when I was in L.A., so the time we weren’t together was quite complex. Neither of us were ready for that partnership to end but we were still fighting to keep our creative partnership alive. It is such a special thing to collaborate with someone who understands what is happening in your head before you say it aloud. I believe this is true for anyone in any art form. Our music is created within our context and that cannot be ignored– and I am in awe of his talent and range. We have a natural ability to connect to each other’s perspectives and contexts and that layer of intimacy and understanding is threaded into the song.
LUNA: You featured on Daphne Gale's debut album. How did experience help you in becoming a better collaborator and musician?
BOGIN: I feel so fortunate for all the relationships I have in the music industry. A lot of it stems from college where I did a capella. Funny enough when I think back to college, I often wish I’d joined a band so I could have been more in line with what I am doing now, but at the time a capella was the only thing I wanted to do. Through our group, Quasimodal, I met Daphne, Katherine Paterson (a Dallas-based folk artist), and tons of other incredible artists and people..
The three of us were already in a group and harmonizing all the time so when it was time for us to step into the “real” music world, we already knew what it was like to collaborate with and understand each other musically. In my sophomore year of college, I was with Daphne trying to arrange ‘Back Pocket’ by Vulfpeck. At that point, I barely knew the song. But we sat at the piano, playing and listening and rewinding and individually plugging in notes. Learning how to blend your voice with one other person or eleven other people and feeling like you are a part of something larger than yourself is one of the most beautiful and important things you can do as a musician. While in New Mexico (where Daphne's album was recorded), I'd wake up feeling lucky to be surrounded by such talented individuals. I was always taking videos and pictures not only to capture the memories but also because I was in disbelief that so many people could be so skilled while we were just living together and making music.
LUNA: You mentioned that this song has a classic r&b throughline evocative of Solange and Raveena. Solange often speaks on themes of traveling, feeling lost and seeking connection and I can hear that in ‘Let Me Go’ too. Who are some of your R&B influences?
BOGIN: I love the harmonies that Solange incorporates in her music because it’s so well-rounded that it feels like the instrument is the harmony and that is something I feel so connected to. Imogen Heap also has this ability to make you feel like multiple voices are enveloping you. India Arie is someone I really adore.I spent years trying to remake Ariana Grande's cover of “There’s Hope” from when she was 12 years old. I, too, wanted to stack up my harmonies the way she did so Ariana is definitely one of the people who has influenced me, as well. Oh! Eryn Allen Kane is also a huge inspiration to me. It is incredible the way she stacks her vocals. I spend so much time listening to music so it goes beyond just R&B and more about the soul and the harmonies.
For me so much of my love stems from the fact that I had to learn to listen to lyrics and because R&B is more melody-focused as opposed to lyric-focused, I could attach myself to the genre when I was younger. I did not have to know the lyrics because it was about the soul of the sound. For the longest time I wrote songs that made no sense so I could stack harmonies and incorporate all these melodies that I loved hearing.
LUNA: What is next for you?
BOGIN: There is a lot happening in the pipeline right now. There is a larger project that I am currently working on. I wrote a folk-inspired song, “Maine” that recently came out so I am excited to be switching genres. I am thrilled because having so many different artists in my life is allowing me to explore different areas of my creativity and music from album cover design to performance videos with a lot of my talented friends.
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