Midwest Country with Molly Rocklind

I’ve known Molly Rocklind for a while now. When I first met her, I took one look and thought “Oh my god this girl is adorable!” she’s incredibly sweet and constantly compliments me on my ability to “tell it like it is”, mostly because she would never say a negative thing about anyone. I’m serious, I like to tease that if Molly met Ted Bundy she’d probably compliment him on his well planned ruse while he was kidnapping her. That’s just how she is, inherently good, and she tries to see the good in everyone. She wrote me sweet, understanding, and supportive emails when I went through a rough time, and lets me pretend her two adorable Persian kitties (called Linus and Lucy) are actually mine and she’s just watching them for me. None of these personality traits are shocking, once you see a picture of Molly and look at her naturally (okay slightly enhanced) blonde hair, and blue eyes you can’t help but think, “this is a good girl”, what is shocking about Mollly is her voice.

I was told she was a singer, and that she was having a little show at this place so I went. When Molly stepped up to the mic I was blown away. I mean, are you kidding me? I know this girl…where is this voice coming from?! And why does it have a Southern twang?!?! I ran to her website and listened to all the posted songs, and the Southern twang made sense. See, pop music now a days can be very surface, not a whole lot of story telling goes on, but that’s what Country music has always been. Storytelling. And Molly Rocklind is a story teller. She sings crossover country, she fits right in with Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, she has a really catchy and funny song about Facebook, and there’s a line in her song Living a Life of Music in Tennessee that says: I have a dream that’s everything to me/ that I’ve been prayin for since I was eight years old/ I never thought I’d do anything else/ than living a life of music in Tennessee . Every time I hear it my cynical, sometimes jaded heart swells and I want to run to her apartment  and tell her all her dreams will come true (then try to make off with her cats in my bag)!That’s what good music does, it moves you and Molly makes good music. I sat down with my Minnesota Country Belle and asked her a few questions:

NB: When did you know you wanted to be a singer?

MR: I always enjoyed singing ever since I was a little girl.  However, I think I took it more seriously once I started competing at age 13.  It wasn’t until my early 20′s where I established my identity as a country singer.

NB: You’re from Minnesota, why Country?

MR: Minnesota has a very large country music following, primarily because of it’s rural landscape. Country music feels most natural to me.  I identify with the lyrics and the lifestyle that it portrays.  It’s authentic.

NB: How did you get started?

MR: As so many artists do, I began singing in my church as a little girl. I participated in all the children’s church musicals and vocal ensembles.  In 8th grade I auditioned for a solo at school and earned the opportunity to perform the song in front of a large audience.  After that, my confidence on the stage grew and I began participating in competitions, singing the National Anthem at sporting events and sitting in with local bands.

NB: How did these earlier experiences help hone your craft today?

MR: Being that I started competing at a relatively young age, I learned a very important lesson early on, the art of losing. My mother taught me that no one likes a sore loser. Of all the competitions I have been involved in (and it’s been a lot), I can count on one hand how many I’ve actually won.  My losing had nothing to do with my singing ability.  Competitions are subjective and many variables play into who is crowned “the winner.” That being said, I decided that no matter the outcome of a competition, I was going to go up to the winner with a smile on my face, shake their hand and congratulate them.  Of course I was dying inside, but I knew it was not the end all for me. My vision was much greater than a local singing competition. So, I stayed focused, did my homework and continued to hone my craft.

NB: Has it paid off?

MR: Yes, most definitely. I became a Top 30 finalist on one of country music’s most successful competition shows, “Nashville Star.” Again, I did not have to win the coveted title to gain anything from the experience.   I met so many cool industry contacts, made great friends, learned more about the industry and discovered more about myself.

NB: How did you get involved with “Artists 4 Peace” and the Stevie Wonder Tribute?

MR: Stevie Wonder is affiliated with a wonderful organization called, “Artists 4 Peace.”  Each year, a concert is organized by a wide variety of world renowned artists to raise awareness and underline the importance of the prevention of crimes against humanity.  Stevie and I have a mutual friend who produced a segment at this year’s concert which honored his involvement with this very important cause.  I was asked to participate in this tribute and gladly accepted.

  NB: What’s your process for writing songs?

MR: Depending on my mood, I will either sit down at my piano or with a guitar in my hand.  I will start playing whatever feels good to me at that moment.   Sometimes a melody will just jump out at me and other times, I will have to search for it.  Melodies typically come faster to me than lyrics.  Once I get the melody down, I will start working on a catchy hook first and than I’ll go from there.  If I’m co-writing with someone, I’ll often collaborate with a writer who has complimentary strengths. Co-writing is done a lot in Nashville especially in country music.

NB: How about being on stage? I’ve heard singers say it’s their therapy, do you feel the same way?

MR: I have heard other singers say this, yes. However, I don’t look at singing on stage as my therapy.  I look at it as my audience’s therapy.  Music has a beautiful way of stirring raw emotion and healing our soul. As a performer, my goal is to deliver a lyric that evokes those emotions that so few can articulate. If I can do this successfully, I’ve done my job.

NB: Who are your idols?

MR: Sara Evans, JoDee Messina, Brian McKnight

NB: What else are you doing?

MR: Up until 2010, I was basically living a double life.  I worked a corporate sales/marketing job by day and than became a musician/performer by night. Financially, it was great, but the long hours left me exhausted both mentally and physically. It was impossible for me to tap into my creativity when I was so tired from my demanding day job. So, one day I put together a business plan and slowly started my own private voice and performance coaching business. Now, I work with voice students several days a week,  perform in several music ensembles and periodically sing as a demo singer for area producers and songwriters.

NB: You’re all over social media, do you feel it’s helping you? How much of your personal life do you expose?

MR: I often joke about how managing all your social media sites as an artist can be a full-time job! Today, everything is so fast-paced that you really need to stay on top of the newest trends in online media to stay current.  I wish I had more time to devote to my online presence, but I do what I can. As far as what I expose, I’m afraid my personal life isn’t anywhere near as exciting as my professional life, so my focus stays more on the professional side of things.

NB: How do you deal with the pressure?

MR: There is a lot of pressure in the music business and it comes from every angle: The pressure to look a certain way, the pressure to deliver a quality product, the pressure of being judged by those who don’t even know you, the pressure of the internal clock ticking away that every artist talks about… It sounds cliché, but you really have to be comfortable with who you are in order to handle the ongoing pressure. The pressure is always going to be there, so the more comfortable you are in your own skin, the better equipped you’ll be to handle any situation.

NB: What’s your advice to new singers?

MR: I can’t stress enough the importance of learning about the “business” of music.  They don’t call it the “Music Business” for nothing. If you are serious about a professional singing career, educate yourself by attending seminars, reading books, setting up informational interviews with industry professionals and taking classes at a local community college. The more informed you are, the more likely you’ll make good decisions about your career. Be a sponge.  I still attend seminars, study artists and challenge myself daily to learn something new about the industry.

NB: Tell me one of your most nerve wracking moments on stage?

MR: I was recently asked to perform at a concert honoring Stevie Wonder.  The song was, “We Are The World” and I was slated to sing a solo in one of the chorus’. I can’t tell you how many times I have sung that song in rehearsal, not to mention in my entire life! Who doesn’t know the chorus, right?  Well, imagine you are on a very large stage, cameras rolling, moments away from your solo, with Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan standing in the sidelines, and you realize as you walk to the microphone that you have no recollection of the lyrics you are about to sing.  ”Come on, really? The easiest chorus in the world and I can’t remember?” I honestly came to terms as I approached the mic that I may open my mouth and not know what vowel I’m supposed to form.  It’s amazing how many scenarios your head will process in a mili-second. All I could do was wait with a smile on my face until that very moment I was suppose to utter my first line to see if the words would come to me. Thankfully, they did.

NB: Do you just want to sing or would you like to cross over into acting or musical theater?

MR: I’ve lived in LA for over 6 years and I have yet to be bitten by the acting bug. I’m so passionate about creating and performing music that I don’t have much time for anything else right now.  I do enjoy being challenged with new opportunities though so I’d be open to trying my hand at Improv.

NB: You’re absolutely adorable, how much time does your career leave for a personal/dating life?

MR: Haha, well… not much.  Living in LA is a lot of fun, but also challenging.  Living in LA while having a demanding career is even more challenging.  Because I love what I do, I could easily spend every waking hour singing, performing, and writing.  However, I truly want someone special to share my life with and so I recognize the importance of making time for that all to happen.

NB: How do you stay so grounded?

MR: It’s quite simple actually. I know who I am and I know what I’m not.  I don’t pretend to be anybody but myself. My faith is in God and that is what keeps me humble.

NB: What’s on your “pick me up” playlist?

MR: Katy Perry “Firework” 

Rascal Flatts “Every Day”

Sarah Buxton “That Kind of Day”

Rhianna “We Found Love”

NB: What song really inspires/moves you? Why?

MR: “How Great Thou Art”  (Carrie Underwood delivers an amazing rendition of it)

I was raised in a traditional Baptist church where I grew up singing all the great hymns.  It’s a song that centers me and reminds me of my humble beginnings.

Written By: Nicole Breanne

Follow Nicole at: https://twitter.com/coleybree

Reprinted with permission by Nicole Breanne.