We Have A Festive Chat With The Extraordinarily Talented Molly Rainford
All things Motown, new Christmas tracks, 60s music video visions and heaps more.
Get your tinsel and mince pies at the ready, rising pop sensation Molly Rainford is back in town with her brand-new EP, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), full of breath-taking classic Christmas covers including a heart-warming rendition of Whitney Houston’s Who Would Imagine A King.
19-year-old Molly has already started to make her mark on the industry. Her 2018 debut single I Like You has reached over half a million streams, where she admits “I didn’t know if anyone would like it or listen at all, but that’s what I like about the risks of the industry.” She dropped her 90s R&B inspired Commitment EP in 2019, including co-written songs with the multitalented UK artist Plan B. And now, we’re blessed with the sensational Christmas EP that offers an array of nostalgic melodies and soulful vocals, elevating Molly’s passion and fiery energy that continues to propel her into the spot of an upcoming pop sensation. She is seriously one to watch.
In amongst the festivities, Molly talks about her longstanding Dreamgirls inspiration that carries the glamorous 60s style in the new Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) music video. Directed by music video master Ricky Allen (Little Mix, Jess Glynne), Molly touches on sharing her creative energy and placing her own flare onto each part of the music making process. Check out the brand new visual for Molly’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) cover here and start the merry celebrations with this uplifting number.
This year has been crazy, has it influenced how you view your music career?
It’s taught me to take more risks. If there’s an opportunity there, I should take it and not second guess it because you never know when we might be in a pandemic! So, I know that I need to grasp more opportunities whenever they come up in the future.
Moving onto your stunning new EP, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), what made you want to put your own spin on those four Christmas tracks in particular?
I was looking at different Christmas songs I love, and I knew I didn’t want to cover ones that had been covered by lots of artists. I wanted to do a couple of the big, iconic classics and then a couple that people don’t initially think of when they think of their favorite Christmas song.
Why did you choose to release a Christmas EP this year?
I wanted to release one this year for my friends and family that I won’t get to see on Christmas. They can have a listen and hopefully it will put a smile on their faces, and Christmas comes back around every year, so it’ll be nice to have something year on year.
You’ve covered some iconic songs in the past, like Jennifer Hudson’s One Night Only, and now you’ve beautifully covered Whitney Houston’s Who Would Imagine A King, do these artists act as your inspiration vocally?
100%. Ever since I was young, I was the little girl with the big voice, so I’ve always loved big divas and powerhouses like Jennifer, Whitney, Beyoncé, and Adele because they’re amazing and all boss women. These songs let me show my vocals and because I often write very current, it’s nice to balance that out with ballads.
We love the 60s theme of your new music video for Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), with stunning visuals by Director Ricky Allen (Little Mix / Sam Fischer / Nao). What was it like to work alongside him?
He’s so fun and he got the vision I was looking for straight away. I picked the 60s theme because I know the original version by Darlene Love was released in 1963 November 22, which is actually the same day as my birthday! - but I wanted to incorporate that 60s Motown vibe with a twist to show who I am and what I love musically.
Did you tell Ricky exactly how you wanted the video to look, or did he take the reins? (there’s the first Christmas pun!)
He took the reins in terms of how it would look on the day, but I was just throwing little things in there, like the vintage microphone. He was amazing at listening to all my little things and making it into the big picture, so it was great to collaborate with him.
We can see inspiration from the classic movie, Dreamgirls in the video. Would you say this movie has fueled your creative energy in some way?
That film is so iconic in my little life, so I guess so. I’ve always loved the music from the show and every time I watch it it’s like a reset for me. I wanted the video to be authentic Motown because they didn’t do music videos, it was a recording of a performance, so I wanted to stay true to that but also give it a little refresh.
Moving away from the video, we know you’re a big advocate of anti-bullying, why is this so important to you and why do you think it’s important for artists to use their platform to spread awareness on issues like these?
I definitely felt a shift in how people treated me after doing Britain’s Got Talent in 2012. Being someone that’s experienced it mildly and how that felt, I can’t imagine what it would be like to have that on a more extreme scale. I approached Anti-Bullying Pro myself because I wanted to be a part of it, and I’ve done it ever since. Why would you not want to spread happiness and friendship?
If you could collaborate with any artist (dead or alive) who would it be, and why?
I would love to write a song with Nao because she’s so poetic and cool. But keeping on the Motown vibes, I would love to do a song with The Temptations or Diana Ross.
You released your Commitment EP in 2019 with all the 90s R&B vibes, this is such a different sound compared to your Christmas EP, so where does that inspiration come from?
R&B is my favorite genre, and it’s always the genre I go to. I love anything throwback and it might be because of my parents too because R&B is what we would listen to at home.
If you had to choose, name your top three Christmas films of all time
Elf, Trading Places and The Holiday – that’s not in order!
What would be your five must-have Winter essentials?
Lip balm, fluffy socks & dressing gown combo, hot chocolate, Christmas chocolate and a good Christmas jumper.
What would you say is your biggest career achievement to date?
My first single ‘I Like You’ is at over half a million streams, so that’s a big achievement. Obviously, Britain’s Got Talent is a massive achievement and I wouldn’t change that experience for the world. But I think my biggest achievement is yet to come!
Which track from your Christmas EP was your favorite to cover, and why?
I love Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) because it’s so soulful, but my favorite is Who Would I Imagine A King by Whitney because to cover a song of hers is amazing and I hope I’ve done it justice.
How would you describe your Christmas EP in three words?
Festive, soulful and meaningful.
Have you been writing new music in lockdown or has it helped you look at things in a different light?
I tried to do a few sessions over Zoom, and it wasn’t terrible, but there’s nothing better than being in the studio collaborating with people. I find it hard to really get creative over the phone because I thrive off collaboration. I have been using this time to build up my socials and doing covers here and there, but I have a lot of ideas raring to go when I can get back in the studio.
Have you got anything exciting coming up that you could give us a sneak preview of?
I do have something, but I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say! It’s something different for me but new music is on the cards as soon as possible.
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