For Burch, ‘Flower’ rises from self-doubt
On her new, sophomore album “First Flower,” Austin, Texas-based vocalist Molly Burch includes a dedication “to anyone who has ever experienced anxiety or self-doubt.” She’s the first to admit that dedication pretty much covers everybody. “It really does,” she said by phone. “But that’s what I was feeling when I was making it. My first album (‘Please Be Mine,’ in 2016) was about heartbreak, basically. When I wrote those songs I had no expectation of even releasing them. But when I got to the second, I was feeling so much anxiety that it felt like a real accomplishment to write anything, and that’s what a lot of the songs are about. I was able to use that anxious
‘When I started singing it was really about impersonation. ’ MOLLY BURCH Austin, Texas-based vocalist
energy to write, but that took a long time. That’s why I called it ‘First Flower.’ I liked that image of growth.” At the Lilypad in Cambridge on Sunday, she’ll share a bill with the New York-based acoustic duo Olden Yolk. Born in Los Angeles, Burch studied jazz vocals at the University of North Carolina, then moved to her current home in Austin, where her music took on more twang. As a singer, Burch is steeped in vintage jazz, and her deep and elegant voice is the perfect vehicle for the songs she writes. She has a theatrical streak as well: The single from her album “Wild” is about envy for a more glamorous woman, and in the video, she plays both the “wild” girl and the wallflower. The video harks back to her childhood, when she fantasized about being one of her pop heroes. “When I started singing it was really about impersonation. I used to stand in front of the mirror and pretend I was Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. Even in high school, I was really shy and guarded about my voice. When I’m onstage now, I get to channel some of the classic singers that I love, and that’s my favorite thing in the world. I used to play guitar onstage, but for this tour, I have a five-piece band, so I just play some minimal keys, so I’m able to be super present.” Burch says her music really took shape once she moved to Austin a couple of years ago. “I learned to write for my voice and started to find that balance between jazz and pop. When I moved to Austin, I was feeling alone and lost, so a lot of songs came out of that. Once I was able to find other musicians and start making a living, it became a lot more manageable, and there are still a lot of places to play. I probably wouldn’t be playing at all if I’d gone home to L.A.” Though her album is racking up critical praise, she says she hasn’t shaken all the self-doubt yet. “It’s always going to be there in some ways. My life is still this roller coaster of emotions. I’m just trying to be more positive and grateful about it.”
Molly Burch, with Olden Yolk, at the Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge, Sunday. Tickets: $12; brownpapertickets.com.