Molly Payton shares new single ‘Handle’ + new EP

London-based, New Zealand-raised Molly Payton shares her new single ‘Handle’, the latest look at her forthcoming EP Compromise, now confirmed for release on November 11th via The Orchard. ‘Handle’ is Payton’s second single of 2022, and follows her earlier offering ‘Do It All The Same’ as well a recent stretch supporting Beabadoobee last month through Australia and New Zealand. The past year has seen Payton mark a noted presence on the UK live scene too, having supported the likes of Arlo Parks, Oscar Lang, Tom Odell, Wallice, and performances at Liverpool’s Sound City, The Great Escape, Boardmasters and more.

“I love the trouble and the things it’s brewed,” Payton sings on the atmospheric ‘Handle’ as uneasy hums of string erupt into a soaring chorus; “What is love without something to lose?” On the track’s origins, she reflects; “I wrote ‘Handle’ last year in early winter. We couldn’t afford an airbnb so we were staying at my manager’s mother in law’s house in Greenwich, pet sitting her Tortoise. I moved to London at 16, and for the first few years I was in such a rush to experience everything that I ended up burning out a bit. Then I experienced a huge loss which upended my life and led to me moving home to New Zealand. I really felt a bit like I was never going to be okay again, and even after moving back to London I struggled for a long time. Two years on, I’m sitting in this garden in Greenwich and the sun comes out and my boyfriend’s upstairs, and I just got that ‘wow things are okay now’ kinda feeling. Although initially the song was for him, when I listen to ‘Handle’ now it reminds me of that feeling of peace and relief I felt that day, so really I think the track is now for me more than anyone.”

After coming-of-age in London from her mid teens, Payton chronicled this unexpected stint back in New Zealand on her 2021 mixtape Slack. Epitomised by lead-track ‘Honey’, which has amassed over one million streams to date, Slack’s thematic undercurrent saw her acknowledge the ways in which she had let her past interfere with her present. The Compromise EP continues this introspective streak, refusing to gloss over the unsettled origins from which it was raised, and titled in wry acknowledgement of the turbulence and upheaval which bonds its 4 tracks. “The last three years of my life have been one big compromise, and the songs are all about compromise in a way.” Payton adds, “I just turned 21, and I feel I’ve had to grow up quite fast.”  After returning to the UK in 2021 with a new partner in tow, the promise of the honeymoon phase soon gave way to a disorientating period of sofa-surfing, house-sitting, pet-minding, air bnbs and near constant uncertainty for the pair. Racking up a staggering 20 moves in the space of 6 months, whilst trying to hold down a hospitality job and a packed touring schedule, this constant stage of flux saw Payton gripping for any semblance of certainty and routine. The urge to create however never left, and Molly turned to another steadying force in her life, longtime producer Oli Barton-Wood (Nilüfer Yanya, Porridge Radio, Sorry) to help her set the foundations for Compromise.

Praised for her evocative lyricism and evolved songwriting, and now turning heads for her captivating, elevated live shows, a bright future is forecast for Molly Payton. Driven forward by her unwavering ardency, even in the face of chaos, the 21-year-old has already earned wide critical acclaim from the likes of Pigeons & Planes, i-D, Dork, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, Clash, Steve Lamacq at 6Music, BBC Radio 1 and beyond, a streak sure to continue with Compromise.

Molly Payton – Live Dates 

03 Dec | Melbourne, AU | The Croxton Ballroom – supporting Palace
06 Dec | Brisbane, AU | The Tivoli – supporting Palace
08 Dec |  Sydney, AU | Roundhouse – supporting Palace
27 December |  Taupo, NZ | Le Currents festival
31 December | Wanaka, NZ |  Rhythm & Alps festival
07 January 2023 | Whitianga, NZ |  Coromandel Classic