Meet Molly Kruse | Singer, Songwriter, Artist, Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Molly Kruse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Molly, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
There are far too many, so I’ll try to keep my list short! Honesty, integrity, keeping one’s word, and having a good, kind, giving heart. I try to embody all of these principles and surround myself with similar people, and each quality has given me much happiness and taken me to places I’d never thought I’d be. 🙂

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m most excited about the new music I recorded in Nashville this July. I wrote three songs off the record with Steve Seskin, who has penned hits for Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Mark Wills, and many other country stars, so going into it, I was immensely looking forward to bringing these rich songs to life. I chose Andrija Tokic (Margo Price, Luke Bell, Alabama Shakes) who assembled an all-star cast of players for the project: “Little” Jack Lawrence on bass (The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes, Loretta Lynn), Ellen Angelico on guitar (Cam, Uncle Kracker, Delta Rae), Billy Contreras on strings (Bela Fleck, Hank Williams III, George Jones), and many more. We recorded 9 songs in 6 days at The Bomb Shelter, Andrija’s shotgun house-turned-studio, all to tape, which was exhilarating and something I’d never experienced before. (Dre, you’re a tape master!) Certain songs are deeply rooted in country, while others are more folky/singer-songwriter, but it all melds together to create a beautiful musical tapestry and representation of Americana music.

I got to where I am today through a lot of struggle, lol! It certainly hasn’t been easy! It was full of playing empty rooms and bad gigs, figuring out my sound, working lots of odd jobs, and running around town trying to make rent! But during this period was where I learned some of the deepest spiritual lessons I ever have and the most about my brand, art, and mission as an artist. I believe God/the universe is always giving you feedback, so if certain doors are closed or remain locked, there’s good reason for that. I’m a deeply spiritual person, so if I felt like I hit a roadblock, I would just constantly pray and journal and ask for God to guide me, ask to understand what it is exactly God wanted me to learn from the situation. Through this process, I was able to get a lot hard-won answers which guided me to my current position and working with Andrija and Steve. Obviously, my story is not completely written yet and I still have soooo much left to learn and work on, so I’ll keep you posted on any new spiritual revelations that come up! 😉

I guess… I just want the world to know that I’m a good person, that I care deeply about YOU, my friends, family, music, God, and the world at large… and I just sincerely hope that I get these songs out to the world and that a lot of people deeply connect with them – that you cry, laugh, dance, jam out, and feel something profound while listening to them!

I’m SOOOOOO excited to share the new music with you all, so follow along on my socials for more updates about the upcoming release!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh, man, there are just too many good places in SoCal to go to in one week, but I’ll try my best!

With my hypothetical bff, I would definitely throw a beach day into the mix at Huntington Beach or Malibu (assuming it’s a hot fall or summer day) with a stop at Duke’s in either location. We’d eventually make our way over to K-Town for some killer Korean BBQ, and I’d definitely want to show them some of our culinary delights, so I’d make a res at Girl and the Goat, Bavel, and/or N/Soto. 😀 If we wanted some great drinks, I’d take them to Augustine Wine Bar in Sherman Oaks or The Varnish for great tunes and cocktails. If dancing were on the agenda, I would HAVE to take them to my favorite Latin dancing event called Sudamericana that my friend, Paola, runs. For fun, quirky things, I’d want to take them to the Last Bookstore in DTLA (for beautiful art installations and some great books), Garden of Oz in Beachwood Canyon (to marvel at the folk art), and Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo (to watch classic movies on the big screen). If great music were on the list, we’d for sure hit up an event my friend, Ryan Cross, hosts called Monday Night Jazz Eclectic at Sofitel. There’s too many more to name, so I’ll stop there!! 🙂

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh my god, there are so many wonderful people who have helped me along my path. My partner, Nico, for his unconditional love, encouragement, care, support, and light-hearted sense of humor. (You a real one!) My dad – for his unending support of my music and my personal journey, for introducing me to many of my favorite artists and shaping my musical education, for his practicality and pragmatism. My mom – for driving me to every single singing lesson, rehearsal, audition; for rushing across town to bring me important sh*t that I forgot at home ‘cuz I am disorganized!! ALL of my teachers – Betty Schneider, Marty Buttwinick, and various college professors – for instilling in me a love of music and the arts, constantly encouraging and thoroughly training me to be the best artist I could be. Andrija Tokic, with whom I created some INCREDIBLE art in Nashville this July! Steve Seskin – for taking a chance on me and writing some beautiful, heart-wrenching songs with me last summer. My friends – for always having my back and being my chosen family. NSAI – for doing so much good work on behalf of songwriters everywhere and facilitating many fruitful meetings for me. And last, but most important – to God, for whom I do and dedicate everything.

Website: https://www.mollykruse.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollykrusemusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mollykrusemusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mollykrusemusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPsuj74rCEytXq3pq2aGMnA

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4YbRXAlljWdWc4Ff93bsKz TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mollykrusemusic?lang=en

Image Credits
Sean Kennedy, Allison Flanagan, Oscar Garcia