MOLLY MILLER TRIO
Everything in Molly Miller’s career has come organically. The Los Angeles guitarist and songwriter has followed the path in front of her with a sense of curiosity and openness, proving that if you’re meant to do something, you’ll do it. From creating the Molly Miller Trio with Jennifer Condos and Jay Bellerose in 2016 to playing and touring with artists like Jason Mraz to teaching guitar at the University of Southern California, Molly brings a passion for music and a sophisticated, raw style to everything she does.
“The best things in life happen naturally, which has been true for me,” Molly says. “I’ve been able to have a diversified career that has served me very well and I think it all informs each other. Not only does it keep me busy, it keeps me challenged. I’m fortunate that everything I do brings me joy and the goal is to grow from it as well.”
Molly’s latest endeavor is The Ballad of Hotspur, Molly Miller Trio’s third album and follow-up to 2021’s St. George. The album, a collection of instrumental Americana jazz songs tinged with folk and Surf Rock vibes, harkens back to 2020 when musicians were forced off the road by the pandemic. Molly realized she could take advantage of the moment to write new music, so she and Jennifer began sending ideas back and forth. Eventually, the trio found themselves in the same room again.
“These songs came to life when the three of us played them together,” Molly says. “There’s something that’s really specific about the three of us. There’s a shared vision of what the music should be. We come from an eclectic mix of backgrounds, but it all melds together.”
The band went into LA’s Valentine Studios to record the album in April of 2022 after two years of writing and laid down the tracks in only two days. The trio self-produced the LP with the help of sound engineer Jason Wormer (T Bone Burnett). The aim was to capture the dynamic energy of the group’s live show in the studio, almost like snapping a photograph of a particular moment in time. “There’s no such thing as perfect, but the more real and alive a recording is the better it feels,” Molly notes. “To me, music is simply capturing an instance in the room.”
The Ballad of Hotspur draws its name from a character in Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1, unfurling as a saga. Although the songs vary in style and tone, the overall piece draws the listener on an epic journey as the musicians embrace bold, playful instrumentation alongside moments of quiet reflection. From bluesy opener and first single “Cine” to jazz-tinged “Blues to Greens” to Western-inspired “66 West,” The Ballad of Hotspur showcases evocative glimpses into Molly’s experiences and thoughts over the past few years.
“Although they are instrumental, when I’m writing a song I almost always have lyrics moving through them in my head,” Molly says. “It might be a mantra or a message. So while people aren’t hearing literal song lyrics, there’s always an emotional space I’m writing and playing from that I think you can hear.”
The album is yet another facet of Molly’s impressive career. She’s been playing music since age seven, originally performing in a family band with her four siblings and drawing inspiration from artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Beach Boys, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. In high school, she got into jazz, an obsession that continued into her years studying at USC, where she eventually earned her BM, MM and Doctorate in Musical Arts. A few weeks after graduating in 2016, Jason Mraz asked Molly to play with him. The same year, she became the Chair of the Guitar Department at the Los Angeles College of Music. Since then, Molly has balanced performance and teaching, becoming a professor of Studio Guitar at USC in 2022. Along with Mraz, she’s played with artists like Black Eyed Peas, Scary Pockets, Sin Bandera, and Pomplemoose at the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall and Coachella, and Molly Miller Trio has toured as an opening act for Mraz and performed at Monterey Jazz Festival, Dizzy’s at Lincoln Center, and SF Jazz.
Guitar is everything to Molly, whether she’s writing songs, playing live or sharing her talent with her students. It’s her voice. It’s a place of stillness. It’s a way of tapping into deeper thoughts and emotions. And, most importantly, it’s how she can be of use in the world.
“I found something that can connect with people and allow them to feel something,” she says. “I can connect with them by teaching or by playing. It makes me a better person, calms me down, and allows me to express myself. It’s amazing to me that my job can also be a source of such deep joy.”