Today we’d like to introduce you to Mol Sullivan.
Hi Mol, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started writing songs on guitar after taking a few classes in high school and began playing little coffee shops and bars around UC’s campus when I was 18. Through my early twenties, I played in a few bands and cut my teeth in collaborative writing, which was a really informative exercise. Ultimately, upon the conclusion of both outfits, I was left feeling a void with my solo material and took a few years off of music. Somewhere around then, I was asked to join Brian Olive’s band and got to tour the US and Europe with him, which was an incredibly eye-opening experience. When a few friends moved back to town, I watched them flourish as they entered into the Cincinnati music scene and the subtle pangs of jealousy were enough for me to realize that it was time for me to get back to work. I went back at it for a few years, releasing a few collections of home recordings and a music video earning a few precious Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, and got the first taste of touring solo. Things eventually quieted down on the music front around 2017- my drinking habit had amassed to being the only thing I was interested in or capable of tending to, and I had another few years of inactivity. Over the course of the next few years, I was able to finally quit drinking, started taking care of myself and getting my shit together, and eventually got back to making music. Lockdown ended up being a huge gift, as I was able to refine my focus and do some intense work on some of my deeply rooted insecurities, and by 2021, I was ready to pursue recording my first wholly realized and produced record, GOOSE. I got in touch with my friend and exquisitely talented musician, Sima Cunningham, and she agreed to produce the project, which we would record fall of ’21 in the studio she shares with her (now) husband, Dorian Gehring.
The record consists of songs mostly written between the years 2018-2021 but go as far back as 2010. The record is much like a long exposure photograph of my songwriting, which Sima helped curate and stylize in comprehensive form. In early 2023, I released and toured my first EP, A Little Hello (Ruination Record Co.). The EP got the gears turning for me to get back to working in video format, and I have released five self-directed music videos in the last year and a half (the next one comes out tomorrow for the “Goose” single). These videos have been a dream to work on and a really fun way to both accompany the songs and show the dynamics my personality and artistic range.
GOOSE releases Friday, January 26th, and we will be having a special release show at Woodward Theater to celebrate- featuring Sima Cunningham and Leo Pastel. A limited run of 12″ will be available, which, silly enough, is a dream come true to finally have something pressed to vinyl.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I tend to not talk publicly about struggles beyond my own, but there were some significant family struggles from my late teens to mid-late twenties that left me suspended in survival mode. In a state of arrested development and with very few relatable examples to follow, I kind of floundered around for most of my twenties. It also gave plenty of space for my relationship with alcohol to shift from something playful and casually excusable to something insidious and malignant. Not many people know how close I was to something terrible happening, but I was truly unrecognizable to who I am today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Cincinnati-based singer/songwriter whose body of work spans from self-described “lo-fi experimental haunt pop” to twangy indie rock. I’ve toured coast to coast in the US and in Europe, made and released several self-directed music videos, and have been a staple in the local music scene for the better part of two decades. My first EP, A Little Hello, came out in February 2023, and I am releasing my debut LP, GOOSE, later this month.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the community here, and I find Cincinnati itself really beautiful. There is nothing like coming back to town, cresting over the hill, and being met with the city skyline. I honestly have a hard time with how disconnected the city as a whole feels to the arts community here. It feels like most people are unfamiliar with or maybe even feel apathetic to all of the incredible music that Cincinnati artists are putting out. It probably also has to do with how music is promoted here, but it’s a system and situation that feels very set in its way, and I don’t know what the solution is.
Contact Info:
- Website: molsullivan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mol.sullivan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/molsullivanmusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mol_sullivan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@molsullivanmusic
- SoundCloud: https://molsullivan.bandcamp.com/album/goose
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3oYFKaeq39nYQsW6z6LX3T?si=CW1um1lnTL-LWWxLpCsKvQ
Image Credits
Brooke Shanesy
Jacob Hand
