Quick Q and A with Laurie MacAllister from Red Molly
 by Kathy S-B  ·  28 February 2009

The Red Molly legend is quite magical — meeting on the hillside at Falcon Ridge and playing until the wee hours of the morning. What better way can a band start?

We are convinced that there is just NO better way for a band to start. None of us was looking to be in a band; it wasn’t even on our radar. Sometimes the best things can happen when you’re not actively looking for anything. When we started singing and playing together that night in 2004, it sounded so good, and that was exciting! It was so natural and spontaneous. For me, it was one of those very rare, very special moments in life when I felt really truly happy; I knew I should pay attention to that. It was kind of obvious that we should get together and do it more.

From first listen of your promo CD, I knew Red Molly would be a band that would take off quickly. . . Do you all sometimes scratch your heads in wonderment? The buzz that has been following you for the past year has been incredible, at least here in the Northeast. I haven’t heard this kind of excitement about anyone in quite a long time. It must make you feel pretty special but must also be a bit daunting. Is a follow-up CD in the works already while the iron is hot?

I agree things have happened quickly; we’ve got a full calendar of good gigs and we’ve been together less than three years. It’s wonderful. Sometimes we are surprised by it, but then other times, it seems to make sense. We put a lot of heart and work into our song selection, our rehearsals, and our performances. And you can’t underestimate how much audiences LOVE three-part harmony. Yes, it does feel special, for sure, and we’re all very grateful. For me, it’s not daunting at all. I worked through all my fear of success a while ago. I’m at a point where I can be excited about a career in music, not afraid of it. Regarding a follow-up CD, yes, we already have enough songs, and we’re eager to start recording again. Right now, our plan is to record in late 2007, and have our second full-length CD available in early 2008.

Your sound is unique but at the same time it’s a sound that feels as though you’ve been transported from another generation. It’s exciting and traditional at the same time. Do you get that kind of reaction from many people who are hearing you for the first time?

Yeah, people say that all the time. Part of it is our song selection; we just love old music! There are so many beautiful songs that were written a long time ago that deserve to be heard again. We just LOVE the idea that we are giving some old songs new life. Also, our instrumentation (all strings) gives our music that traditional “old-timey” feel you’re talking about, even if the song was written in 2006. As far as the exciting part, I think that comes from our love of music, and our love of performing. There is great joy in doing this thing that we love, and that comes across.