A spotlight interview with Molly Vulpyne, ahead of their appearance at LOUD WOMEN Fest Dublin on 29 August.
How did you choose your artist name?
My name is Maeve Molly (most people call me Molly not Maeve, unless they know me since I’m a child!) – I picked Vulpyne as my artist name because I love foxes and ‘Vulpine’ was already taken!
Who’s in the band, and what do you all play/do?
I sing and play guitar, I also write the songs. Peter also plays guitar, Tony plays bass and Jay drums. I fondly refer to them as my ‘male backing band’ 😉
Where do you call home?
We are based out of Dublin in Ireland, but only myself and Jay are Dubs. We are both from a really magical place in Dublin called Tallaght. Tony is from Longford and Peter is an honorary Irish person, but was born in the UK! I currently live in Kildare which is about an hour away from Dublin and involves sitting in loads of excruciating traffic. Yay Kildare!
Describe your sound in three words.
Melodic, chaotic but calm
Tell us about your music
I released my debut album ‘Houndstooth and the Hum’ this year. It reflects on the constant noise, the humdrum, the routines and patterns we fall into whether that’s work, relationships, careers, or just being stuck in your own head. The 9–5 grind. The pressure to monetise art and ‘be something’. In my previous band, I placed a lot of emphasis on trying to be ‘loud’. Then I focused on trying to hit harder with words rather than a ‘wall of sound’ (considering all this, we are still loud though).
I created a little project for the video for ‘My Expiry’ and asked people of all ages to film themselves holding up a sign explaining why they felt expired or why they felt pressured by society. Everyone from college students to older generations felt like they were running out of time. No one is! Expiry is a myth.
If you could rip up the rulebook of the music industry, what’s the first thing you’d rewrite?
I would delete all streaming sites like Spotify, except Bandcamp and set up a union to make sure that musicians are not ripped off and paid fairly for playing live.
What’s the biggest hurdle you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?
There is a lot of bullying in the music industry and unfortunately some people thought they could bully me, but they can’t. But in all seriousness, it’s still stressful when these things happen. My advice would always be to speak up and speak loudly.
What’s the proudest moment you’ve had so far as an artist?
This is my 10th year playing and recording music and I can’t pick one moment, I am still thrilled to do this.
Dream lineup: you + three other acts (alive, dead, or imaginary). Who’s on the bill?
Amy Winehouse, The Cramps, The Clash
Catch Molly Vulpyne at LOUD WOMEN Fest Dublin on Saturday 29 August — get tickets here.
