Meet Molly Raney of Poppet in Capitol Hill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Raney.

Molly, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been playing and studying music since I was eight years old. I started with piano then as a teen I began my vocal training and also briefly picked up the violin. I studied music very intensively through my teens and early twenties. A whole gamut of genres including opera, jazz, choral, and Hindustani. However, it was not until I began participating in my local underground music scene in Davis, California. At age 20 that I began writing and arranging my own music. When I decided to put my first garage band recorded tracks onto the now-archaic my space in 2008, I chose the name Poppet. It has stuck with me through the last decade and I still relate to its meaning, despite the numerous changes myself and my music have gone through.

Since 2008, I have toured nationally and internationally, leading large scale multimedia performances, collaborated with a number of wonderful folks, and released two full-length albums, 4 EP’s and five music videos. It is not always easy I still run on a self-funded shoestring budget, I still experience discrimination as a solo female artist, I still keep other jobs simultaneously. But I believe in the importance of what I do as a performance artist and that ultimately keeps me going.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As previously mentioned, My path as a musician has never been easy or straightforward. I have faced many barriers, one of the most prominent being gender discrimination. I have been insulted to my face, ignored, disregarded, and up to this day not listened to or taken seriously in certain interactions, despite the fact that I have been performing and writing music for over a decade. Cis men still frequently offer unsolicited advice to me about the way I choose to perform or how I arrange my music. I find suggestions implying that I do not know. The import of my own lyrics or understand how to write or arrange insulting and disheartening. As someone who struggles deeply with self-esteem, I have unfortunately swallowed many of these comments and interactions and allowed them to keep me from persevering.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a multimedia performance artist, musician, and producer. I have been writing and performing my own music nationally and internationally for the last decade. I maintain a ‘DIY or die’ attitude which has pushed me to learn about all the elements music, performance and music production.

I am best known for my live performances which include elements of performance art and dance. I believe my greatest strength as a performer is the ability to convey the nuances of deep-seated emotions that we as humans often struggle to find the words to express. The connections I have made with others through expressing these vulnerabilities and hardships are the most gratifying part of my work.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Confidence.

Contact Info:

• Website: poppet.us
• Email: poppet@poppet.us
• Instagram: instagram.com/poppetsblackbirds
• Facebook: facebook.com/poppetmusic

Image Credit:
Alexander Pomper, Daniel Sharkey, Steffi Walkowa, Ali Bibbo

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