Molly Nilsson

About

Molly Nilsson runs her own label, Dark Skies Association, records entirely on her own terms, and still manages to make some of the most quietly compelling synth pop around. Based in Berlin since 2004, the Stockholm born singer songwriter released her debut These Things Take Time in 2008 as a CD R limited to 500 copies, which is about as lo fi an entrance as you can make. Her sound sits somewhere between minimal synth and dark pop, built from spare synthesizer arrangements and drum beats that leave plenty of room for her lyrics to breathe. She got a significant boost when John Maus covered her song "Hey Moon" on his 2011 album, and the track later became a political statement when she re released it as a charity single for Black Lives Matter after Maus appeared at a Trump rally before the January 6th Capitol attack. Her album Extreme from 2022 was released on the anniversary of Rosa Luxemburg's death, a nod to her deep admiration for the Polish socialist, who even inspired one of her songs. Live, she often sings over a CD of her own work, keeping the whole operation gloriously self contained.