My Version: Molly Payton.
My Version chats to stars and people of influence to give a glimpse into their time as a teen and see the things they are currently obsessed with!
This New Zealand Music Month, we are celebrating by profiling some amazing wahine in the music industry!
Say hello to Kiwi singer, Molly Payton, who is ‘Amplifying Aotearoa’ on the world stage!
Obsessed RN.
Kiwi musician/band that I’m loving:
I found Mim Jensen’s music last year and am now her biggest fan!
I’ll be celebrating New Zealand Music Month (NZMM) by:
Supporting my favourite kiwi artists on Bandcamp! It’s the best way to make sure your money goes directly to the artist.
NZMM is important to me because:
We have such a rich scene in New Zealand at the moment, and it’s great that great local artists get a chance to be spotlighted by larger media platforms, and prioritised over the larger international acts that usually take up most of that space.
My favourite thing about the New Zealand music scene is:
People are in it for the right reasons. I always take note when I’m home of how much people really seem to be in it for the right reasons, often not even promoting projects when they come out because music isn’t about the audience for them; it’s about the joy it brings them.
Currently bingeing:
The original Gossip Girl series, a true guilty pleasure.
Song on repeat:
A Wolf At The Door - Radiohead.
Favourite Insta account to follow:
Must have beauty product:
MECCA MAX zoom shadow sticks. My favourites are the matte black and shimmery olive colour ways.
The item of clothing I’m definitely over wearing:
My green cowboy boots. My mum got them for me when I was 16 and I’ve worn them in every music video and shoot I’ve ever done. They come everywhere with me.
Currently reading:
Re-reading ‘Everything I Know About Love’. I just moved back to London and moved in with my best friend, so it feels relevant!
Snacking on:
Kinder Bueno bars; new discovery for me and I actually need to be stopped.
Can’t stop watching on TikTok:
Currently on a self-imposed ban right now from watching videos on TikTok. I always say, ‘just one more’ and suddenly an hour has passed.
Dreaming of:
It’s heating up in the UK right now and there’s nowhere to swim, so I’m dreaming of the beach!
Next place on the list to travel to:
Lisbon, Portugal.
I’m currently inspired by:
Adrienne Lenker.
My favourite way to relax is:
Cooking a meal that takes a while. It helps me turn my brain off!
I stay healthy by:
I just exercise two - three times a week and eat three meals a day. My lifestyle is changing all the time, I don’t have much routine and it can be easy not to eat properly. Having these rules in place as simple as they are do wonders for my mental health. I’ve also started cycling everywhere which has been an awesome way to spend less time on my phone and stay happy :)
When I was younger…
One thing I love about Gen-Z is:
We always talk about the downsides of social media and I’ve definitely had my own issues with it, but I think via TikTok and Instagram reels, Gen Z has brought indie and alternative music into the mainstream! People can gatekeep and complain about small artists blowing up, but I think it’s so cool that people making quite niche music are charting and achieving pretty widespread success.
If I could give my teenage self one bit of advice, what would it be:
I think through your late teens/twenties your friends should be your life! Make sure you’re putting as much time and care into your friendships as you can, those are the relationships that last for most of your life if you find the right people.
My favourite part of being a teenager was:
Just experiencing things for the first time. It’s cheesy but it was just so exciting holding someone’s hand or eating something new or driving a car or going on your first holiday with friends.
My first job was:
Bartender.
My dream job as a teen was:
Musician!
Best piece of advice I ever received as a teen was:
Respond don’t react. If someone upsets you, give it a day before speaking to them about it, if you can, so you’re not just reacting in the heat of the moment. Often, you don’t know how you actually feel about something until you’ve cooled off!
My biggest fashion faux-pas was:
I don’t believe in fashion faux-pas’ because taste is relative, the only outfits I regret are the ones I wore to follow a trend that didn’t actually suit my own personal style. Even then though, being a teenage girl is just trying on 100 personalities and taking parts of each one until you’ve become yourself!
My biggest inspiration was:
My friends and my mum! I always want to be more like the people I love.
My fave Kiwi musician/band when I was a teen was:
Unknown Mortal Orchestra.