Sixteen-year-old Molly Millington is riding a high after winning fRETfEST’s Regional Song Contest.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The singer-songwriter from Woy Woy Bay has won a mentorship package with showcase company fRETfEST and a performance slot on the Fanzone stage at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Molly impressed fRETfEST founder Al Buchan with her original song Somebody Else from her new EP Cool Like You, produced by Trent Crawford at The Sound Hole with sound engineering by award winning singer-songwriter Shane Nicholson.
Mr Buchan said Molly is “effervescent, vibrant, engaging” and has a “good head on her shoulders”.
“Molly was the standout song writer with a good grasp of self-expression and word craft,” he said.
“This is somebody who is going to be valuable in working together. She also has parents who are supportive and interested in pursuing her dreams.
“To be able to work with someone who is young, enlightened and present and is able to represent themselves well is admirable.”
The Year 11 student said it was the first song competition she had entered and was elated by the result. She is particularly excited about performing on the Fanzone stage on January 27.
“I’m so excited because last year I saw the stage and thought, ‘I’d wish I could play on that stage’ and now I’m actually going to play on it,” Molly said.
The songstress said she was heading to the festival on Saturday for the second year in a row and was looking forward to busking and performing.
“It’s very inviting and people are telling you to be yourself which is really nice and everyone’s really open to new sounds,” Molly said.
The teenager describes her sound as “country folk” or “country pop” and said she “fell in love” with music at Byron Bay Bluesfest when she was 14. Two years later she was invited to play in one of the tents at the event.
“I love performing but I used to get really nervous but now I really enjoy it and it’s really exciting,” Molly said.
Writing is a passion of Molly’s and provides her with an outlet for her thoughts.
“I like knowing that other people are going through what I’m going through; they can connect to what I’m saying,” she said.
“A lot of the time [my writing] is metaphorical – it’s like word pictures. I don’t specifically write about one person. I write about groups of people.
“It’s like if I see something that’s happening I might write about it through my perspective.
“I put myself in other people’s shoes.”
Molly is unsure of what her future holds but said she would love to pursue music for the rest of her life.
“I will always write because it’s just something I need to do. Even if I’m not writing for myself, I will write for other people,” she said.
Fourteen-year-old Luke Furbank from Bathurst was named runner-up in the Regional Song Contest and has received a Tanglewood guitar. The contest is in its third year.
fRETfEST is credited with helping kick-start the careers of successful singer-songwriters including Pete Murray, Kate Miller-Heidke and Tom Busby of Busby Marou.
Molly’s festival gig guide
Saturday, January 21: Peel Street stage, 3.30pm-4pm (Tamworth Songwriters’ Association)
Monday, January 23: Tamworth City Bowling Club, 4.30pm-4.50pm (Tamworth Songwriters’ Association)
Thursday, January 26: Peel Street stage, 10am-11am (fRETfEST)
Friday, January 27: Cafe 2340, 10.30am-10.50am (Tamworth Songwriters’ Association)
Fanzone stage, 7pm-9pm (fRETfEST)
Saturday, January 28: The Pub, 11am-1pm (fRETfEST)
Busking: Molly and her friend and fellow musician Luke will be busking outside Millers from 9-10am most mornings and Shop 2/369 Peel Street after lunch for about an hour.
To keep up to date with Molly’s movements, see her Facebook page.
