Artist Spotlight: Molly Grace
Whether she's throwing a dance party on tour or dreaming up the next era of her music, Molly Grace is following what feels most true to herself. We caught up with the pop artist to talk touring, queer joy, and what's next.
By: Spencyr Aronson
June 29th, 2026
Sounds by Spencyr: Hi Molly! Thanks for sitting down with me today. Before Molly Grace became a stage persona, I'd love to hear a bit about who you were growing up, and whether there's a specific childhood memory that sneaks into the way you perform and share yourself as an up-and-coming pop star today.
Molly Grace: Oh gosh, that is such a sweet question. Growing up, I always wanted to be a pop star. I was very into choir and theater and all of those things, and I loved Hannah Montana. I had my wig and my dance mat; I just loved putting on performances.
This story isn't actually a memory of my own, but it's one my mom loves to tell. Apparently when I was in preschool, I was at a recital, and everyone was singing “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles. Everyone was kind of mumbling along, and my mom said I was front and center, dancing and really hamming it up.
Do you know that one line from Euphoria? It goes “Maddy knew who she was from a very young age.” That’s you!
MG: Totally.
Can you recall a specific moment when it really hit you that being a singer was your ultimate goal?
MG: It really was always kind of an inherent knowing, I suppose. When I was graduating high school, I was thinking, “Okay, now for real, what are we going to do?” I also loved theater and all these other things, and I thought maybe I’d go in one of those different directions. I just always really loved the songwriting aspect of it all.
When I got to college and started playing shows and making my own music, I thought, Nothing else will ever be enough. It’ll always have to be this.
Did your choir and theater background positively influence how you’ve managed to create bigger, more layered songs?
MG: Absolutely. I did a cappella for many years in high school and throughout college, and two of my idols are Michael Jackson and Ariana Grande, who are two of the best vocal arrangers. Between all of that, I love going crazy and adding a million stacks of harmonies, especially in a power ballad where big layered vocals are really appropriate.
I've also been pulling up Spice Girls songs in sessions all the time, because that 90s and 2000s sound is something I really love. I want all those strings, those shimmery vocal layers, the horns. That flavor is definitely peeking into the new music.
Jumping to the present, I know you have a really busy week coming up with the last show of the Lover Girls leg. By the time this interview is live, it'll all be wrapped. Is there an aspect of this leg you'll miss most, and how did you approach building this set list differently than a normal headline show?
MG: The point of this tour was really to focus on fans and my community, and to engage intimately with an audience. Going to the merch table after the show, really just being present. These shows were for us. This was also a much smaller operation than I normally tour with. It was just me and my Lover Girls, and we were setting all the sound up ourselves. I've really loved it, first because of the connection I've had with my fans. A lot of them have been coming to shows for years. It was their third or fourth or fifth show, which is really crazy.
As for the set list, the point of these shows is to dance all night and keep the energy really high throughout the entire set. We also have DJs at these shows, so it's been a DJ set, then [my] Molly Grace set, then another DJ set. On the Blush tour I did last fall, there were moments where we had the ballads, and I did a whole acoustic portion where we strip things back. This time, I intended for everyone to be on their feet the whole show, so I definitely left out a few of the power ballads.
Speaking of these DJs who have been performing at each of these shows, I love that you specifically partnered with queer performers in each city. Were there any [DJs] who really surprised you in the best way possible? What was it like handing that piece of the show over to them?
MG: It's been honestly amazing. I love going out dancing, so it's been really cool to tap into the local scenes. Most of the DJs outside of LA were people I had never met. I basically just went and found all the gay bars in each city and asked who's spinning, who's playing every sapphic dance night in this city.
They've all been incredible, but in New York City we had a DJ named ellen.j, and I just thought she was incredible, and such a kind person as well. For LA, I actually had two of my friends, DJs Rossi & Shana Sarett. They host a lot of joint parties around LA where they do back-to-back sets. They just understand the assignment. Selfishly, I really enjoyed myself.
That LA show sounds like it was a blast. What has it been like [being] on the road with your Lover Girls given that you already have such a close friendship?
MG: Amazing. I don't know what I would do without them. I'm really lucky. I went to school with both of them, and they're close friends who have obviously become even closer since we've been touring together. Touring can be a lot. You're not getting enough sleep, and there's a lot to keep track of. I feel so lucky that my team is also my friends, because they're both just such incredible, capable women.
If there's something I need to get done, I ask [McKenna or Bella] and they've always got it. If I'm having a hard moment, I can talk to them and they'll give me hugs. It really is a dream situation.
To close out the whole tour, you're playing a set at Nashville Pride, which is going to be so amazing. Playing any Pride event is incredible, but specifically since it's your hometown, what does that feel like?
MG: So excited for Nashville Pride. Since I moved to the city, that has honestly just been the goal. Especially since I came out. I've been to the parade many times, and it's just very surreal. There are going to be fans there and new people I'm playing in front of, but it's also going to be all my friends. My dad is even flying in for the show.
It's also different from the Lover Girls show in that we're going to have a full band, which I'm really excited about. I haven't played with a full band in a long time, so it’ll be great to get up there and put on a show. A lot of the set is similar to Lover Girls, but there are extra songs, of course.
One fun one for you: I know you have a tattoo on your upper arm to commemorate Blush. If you could get a tattoo of anything today, what would it be?
MG: Great question. Something I've been thinking about is getting an olive branch on my arm, maybe on my hand. My government last name is Zaytunian, which is Armenian, and Zaytune means olive in Armenian. So it could have a double meaning: a nod to my family and my name, and also, whenever I'm shaking someone's hand, I'm literally extending an olive branch. That's definitely on my list.
I also want flowers, of course, and sparkles.
Oh my god, I’m obsessed with the double meaning. I'd love to hear more about your Armenian heritage. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it doesn't come up that often in [your] interviews.
MG: Yeah, I don't talk about it all that often. I grew up going to Armenian church every Sunday and Armenian camp. Now that I live in LA, I've been eating a lot of Armenian food, because we have a lot of it here.
My Armenian culture informs a lot about who I am. A lot of those cultures, like Armenian, Greek, and Italian are very warm and welcoming. Growing up it was always big family gatherings, lots of cousins always came into my house and ate, lots of loud talking, lots of music playing. I feel like that has probably prepared me for being in such an extroverted career in ways I don't even fully realize.
I love that it ties back so perfectly with how present and welcoming you are with fans at these shows. Your debut album has such a distinct visual and sonic world around it, very sparkly and bold. Going into your second project, is there anything you're approaching differently?
MG: The new music I've been working on definitely feels like an extension and a natural progression into a new era. It doesn't feel like a pivot at all. Something I've realized as I've been thinking more about my artistry is that the music I love most is funk and disco. That's when I'm in my personal bag. As I'm making new music and thinking about future visuals, I've been really leaning into that. Still very sparkly, still lots of pink, but a bit more honed into my own personal style and my exact little niche in this pop world.
Pinterest helps a lot with the visual process, but also my best friend Mary Clark has incredibly good taste. Whenever I pick an outfit or make any visual decision, I ask [her] what she thinks. It helps to have people in your life who know the culture and can help you shape things.
For the writing process, I've been keeping it more intimate. A lot of the songs coming up are co-written, but I'm working with one producer and honing in on a couple of close collaborators. I've also gotten back to writing alone, which is something I wasn't doing much of for a while, and it's been really fun.
To begin wrapping things up, are there any up-and-coming artists you've been listening to that you want to shout out?
MG: I really love Maris. Also, Michael Stolar just released his debut album and he's incredible. I've been obsessed with Eli and Isaac Dunbar, too.
Last one: if you could go back in time and tell the version of yourself who had just watched “F.E.M.M.E.” take off, what would you say to her?
MG: A couple of things. One, get off your phone! It's very exciting, but get off your phone. Two, let yourself really be excited and sit in the moment a little bit more.
Not that I wasn't thrilled when “F.E.M.M.E.” was blowing up, but I am a very "what comes next" kind of person, and this is becoming a big lesson for me: allow yourself to celebrate the fact that you're having a success, and then think about what's next. So yeah, let yourself sit in it a little longer.
Thank you so much, Molly! Good luck at [Nashville] Pride. I can’t wait to watch from afar.
MG: Of course, thank you for having me!