Molly Brosnan in the Kingdom

Molly Brosnan is new on the scene here in Kerry but has been working hard for years to perfect her unique sound and backing it all up with study and artistry!

Molly, so wonderful to speak to you!

Tell everyone where you hail from in Kerry and your ties to music.

So lovely to speak with you too, thanks for having me! I’m situated in Tralee Co. Kerry, regularly busking in the town centre, and gigging in local pubs and restaurants. I’ve been singing since I could speak, my parents aren’t musicians by any means but they love music and growing up I acquired their love and passion for it. Music is therapy, it makes you feel things you didn’t know you could or maybe had difficulty expressing without it, it makes you feel understood, and allows you to tap into a story whether that’s to relate to someone else’s or create your own, it’s a beautiful part of my life I don’t know what I’d do without. In 2019, I started singing lessons with Tralee Vocal Academy, Lisa taught me how to bring emotion to a piece of music, how to perform, giving me the confidence and tools to start performing in front of an audience. A few months later I began performing on a Sunday night in the Greyhound Bar Tralee, with The Jazz Trio, and I was hooked, I had never felt such a rush as I did that first night, it was then I decided that I wanted to pursue music as a career. A year later I enrolled in the Kerry College Of Further Education and began studying Music Performance, I organised a concert in aid of Pieta House, in which we gained the attention of Irish singer-songwriter Imelda May, and raised over €1000. In 2021, I joined Jigsaw as a Youth Advocate, fulfilling my second passion in mental health, and in 2022 I was a lead organiser in a concert “Re-Energise” that was a part of Kerry Mental Health and Wellbeing Festival. Since then I’ve been writing original music, gigging locally in Tralee, and have performed at Salty Souls Sea Sessions at Banna beach.

How have you found the music scene in Kerry?

Kerry is filled with some of the most talented musicians, songwriters and composers I have had the pleasure of meeting. I started performing roughly about the same time a major

By Lisa Curran

catastrophe put the world on it’s head, I had only really dipped a toe in the water when COVID-19 hit and everything was under lock-down, which although a time of tragedy and heartbreak for many, including myself, I found it was a great opportunity to write music. I got back to performing at the start of last year and have found it very difficult to break into the scene, It’s difficult to get gigs, and awfully challenging to find an accompanist, especially someone who can commit their time and be dependable. Although it has been difficult to break into the scene two people have made things a little easier for me and other local musicians – Mark O’Sullivan manager of the Square Bar, more popularly known as “An Cearnóg” in Tralee, was the first person to offer me a gig, and a chance and I couldn’t be more grateful for that, and secondly Michal Wagner, upon my very first gig Michal introduced himself to me and has given me some much-needed guidance and advice since, Michal, a local musician, lead singer of Queenless Kings, runs the open mic on a Thursday night in the Cearnóg bar and never have I come across a more enjoyable night, a place for talented musicians to gather and fill the room with music. If you haven’t gone down to the Cearnog on a Thursday night it’s a must!

Where did your musical influence come from?

As I mentioned previously, my parents have always loved music, we blast the radio on a drive, and have Spotify playing every weekend, morning or night. The artist who made me fall in love with singing, as I’m sure many other people can say, was Adele, I’d blare “Set Fire To The Rain” whenever it was my turn on the upstairs computer as a child, singing along, and feeling every word. As I got older, my taste in music expanded, Florence and the Machine, Eva Cassidy, Glen Hansard, Etta James, Paolo Nutini, Aurora, Amy Winehouse, Hozier, I could go on. I can’t express how much love I have for music.

What are your goals for the year to come with your original music?

It is my goal to release an EP before the end of 2023, I love writing music and telling a story, I want to make people feel seen and heard, to be able to relate to my music, and while it is my dream to become a successful musician in the industry If my music has the ability to reach a small minority, I will have done my job.

Where can people follow your journey?

I post most of my musical journey on Instagram and TikTok under the name @mollykatebrosnan but you can also find me on Facebook.