Reminiscent of 90’s alt-icons like Fiona Apple, Ash Molloy is vulnerable, raw, and unfiltered in her approach to music. A multi-instrumentalist with a degree in neuroscience, she’s full of surprises as she bares it all with her deep-cut takes on sexuality, body-shame, and life as a woman. Not fitting the mold in her small town of St John’s, Newfoundland, Ash is an absolute force of an artist, making a name for herself with her unique vocals, cutting lyrics, and sheer tenacity to get her message and music out into the world.

The majority of the music for her newest release, “Viv,” was already written for a woman by that name. Ash had never met her but loved how her name looked so she kept it. Now she has a song and a tattoo on her body named after a woman she only wound up meeting a month ago. It’s a song about losing yourself in the summer and that feeling you get when you’ve drank a little too much and start looking at people a bit differently.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically? To me, this song evokes a very specific feeling, making it easy to visualize. I wanted the visuals to match that precise feeling. The song itself is about that moment when you’re a bit drunk and you start to open up to yourself and other people. You begin to experience “sonder,” the intense realization that everyone around you has their individual life and story, containing both the saddest and most joyful stories you’ve ever heard. The music itself reminds me of those carefree summers when you’re 14 and have nothing to do but get in trouble. It’s a time when you’re not worried about anything.

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)? These two distinct feelings led me to make specific choices for the visuals. In the tattoo video (view here: Tattoo Video), I used a 2008 digital camera to create a nostalgic atmosphere, taking the viewer back to a time when not everyone carried a camera in their pocket, and moments remained just moments. In other visuals (view here: Other Visuals), I aimed to evoke a different sense of nostalgia, this time with an 80s look. This approach captures the more fun and carefree aspect of the song, with vibrant colors and a bold statement, much like how you feel when you’re drunk.

3. What was the process of making this video? For the tattoo video, the process was intentionally organic. I got the idea to get the tattoo on a Monday, went thrift shopping to find a suitable camera, and called my friend to join me on Tuesday. The next day, my friend and I found the cheapest tattoo parlor that accepted walk-ins and filmed our journey there.