Molly Dean performs in The Current studio
by Andrea Swensson and Molly Dean
March 07, 2016
Joined by Nick Gaudette on bass and Cloud Cult's Daniel Zamzow on cello, the stripped-down acoustic configuration of this session gave Molly Dean the space to stretch out and show off her powerful vocals. Watching her loop her own harmonies over one another and open up into big, mournful melodies, I couldn't help but ask: What does it feel like to be able to sing like Molly Dean?
"It feels pretty ... good?" she said, laughing. "It feels good. I mean, I love to sing. I've always loved singing and I've always loved being loud. This is a good creative blend of the two."
Her singing was the centerpiece of a collaboration with Graham O'Brien, Moon & Pollution, which elevated Dean's stature in the Twin Cities community. Now she's returned to her more roots-oriented solo endeavor, and teamed up with Dave Simonett of Trampled by Turtles to produce her rich and textured new album, The Natural Minor.
"Going into recording this album, I knew that I wanted to have someone else guide the ship, because there was such a large cast of people coming into play. Dave is someone that I knew through musical circles, and someone I really respect as a songwriter, and someone who understands exactly what I would be going through," she said.
The Natural Minor features Molly's core band of Nick Gaudette, Daniel Zamzow, Shannon Frid-Rubin (also of Cloud Cult), and Paul Jennings, plus special guests like JT Bates, Erik Koskinen, Frankie Lee, Dave Carroll, and Bryan Nichols. She refers to the talented cast of characters on her album as a "dream team."
In addition to playing two songs from The Natural Minor, "Lock & Key" and "Warrior's Heart," Molly Dean also debuted a new rendition of an unrecorded song, "Timbre and Trail," that hints at a more Americana-leaning future direction.
Songs Performed
"Lock and Key"
"Warrior's Heart"
"Timbre and Trail"
The first two songs appear on Molly Dean's album The Natural Minor; "Timbre and Trail" is a previously unrecorded song.
Hosted by Andrea Swensson
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