22-year-old Molly Burman recently released her sophomore EP Worlds Within Worlds, a soulful diary set to melody. Raised in a household steeped in everything from punk to jazz, the London-based singer and songwriter offers an intimate musical window into her personal evolution. This is her second full-length project to date, following 2021’s Fool Me With Flattery, and it’s a tour de force that dives headfirst into the maze of love, sexuality, and emotional upheaval.
The EP features attention-grabbing singles “Beautiful People” and “Potential,” which both dropped earlier this summer. Each song on Worlds Within Worlds serves as a snapshot of Molly’s life experiences, creating a relatable and emotive package designed to make you ponder, cry, and maybe even get up and dance. As the artist herself puts it, each song is “its own little planet in the universe of MollyLand,” making the EP not just a music collection but a dynamic realm all its own.
Luckily, the project doesn’t shy away from the intricacies of the musician’s inner life. The songs explore her sexuality, scrutinize her mental health, and dissect breakups with surgical precision. Molly explained, “The name comes from the idea that everyone has their own world that revolves around them; there are millions of worlds on this planet. The songs on this EP explore the stories that have made me the woman that I am today.”
Ahead, we spoke with Molly Burman about Worlds Within Worlds, songwriting, fashion, and her haircare routine, to name a few topics. Keep scrolling to read our full conversation.
Hey Molly! Congratulations on your new project, Worlds Within Worlds — can you tell us a bit more about the EP and why you chose that specific name?
Thank you so much! The name comes from the idea that everyone lives in their own world, and on Earth, there are millions of lives and universes floating around. This EP is my own world and experience of life.
I know it’s been something you’ve been working on for quite some time, so how did it feel for you to let go of the project?
Pretty weird, to be honest. I always get super scared and try not to think about how it’s out there because some of these songs are so personal, and the thought of the people who they’re about listening to them makes me cringe. But at the same time, I think it’s really special to be able to share such personal songs with people who might relate or find their own meaning in them.
It’s only six songs, which is enough to leave listeners satisfied while eager to see what’s next. How did you decide what songs to use, and ultimately, how do you want people to feel after listening?
It was definitely hard to select them. The easiest way was to listen to them over and over, play them to my friends, my team, my family, and eventually, the best ones started to stand out. I’d play some of them live, and there were some that people would remember and beg me to release, so after that, the options were pretty clear! When people listen, I went them to feel every emotion they possibly can, I want them to decide what each song means to them and mainly to just have fun.
“Lighter Heart” is one of my fave songs from the project — what inspired that particular record?
Ah, thank you! A lighter heart was made during lockdown, where I felt like such a loser because I had all this free time and zero inspiration. I was super dissociated and felt the need to say so many things, but I didn’t really have any words to say. There was no drama or excitement in my life, and then I realized that the one thing I did feel was absolutely nothing, so why not play into that, and make nothingness feel a bit more exciting.
Taking a step back, could you talk us through how you first got into music? When you look at your progression up to this EP, how does it feel?
I’ve always been into music, which I know is a super cliche answer, but I genuinely can’t remember a time when I haven’t been perusing it. I have a super musical family, so as soon as I was able to write a song at the age of 6, my dad had me record it and encouraged it. When I look at the progression, I just feel really proud. I used to make music that was trying to be something else, and I wouldn’t necessarily listen to it, but now I can genuinely say that I’ve made songs that are real and raw, and I actually love them.
Shifting gears slightly, how would you describe your style these days? Does fashion empower you as an artist in any way?
I’ve always been a charity shop queen. My style is always color-coordinated, bright, and has a slight 70s vibe to it. It definitely empowers me as an artist, I refuse to leave the house in an outfit I’m not proud of, so even when I go to my bartending job, Im in a really extra outfit, and it just helps me to remember that I’m aiming to be a musician and I’m my own person, not just another cog in the machine!
How about your haircare routine? What does that consist of at the moment?
Oh, I love this question. My hair is my pride and joy. I have a shag or grown-out mullet, which is amazing because it takes essentially no effort. I wash my hair once a week and basically scrunch and scruff it up while I dry it, and it somehow works. I also like to use my mum’s curl cream, even though my hair is not even wavy, but it gives me a bit of texture, oh, and sea salt spray and matt clay. They’re my secret ingredients to a perfect, messy look.
Published by Malcolm Trapp
