London-based, New Zealand-raised Molly Payton shares new single and video ‘Do It All The Same’ and announces her forthcoming EP Compromise, set for release on October 26 via The Orchard. LISTEN HERE + WATCH HERE

The single marks Payton’s first new music of 2022, a year marked by Molly’s noted presence on the live scene, with support slots alongside the likes of Arlo Parks, Oscar Lang, Tom Odell, Wallice, and festival appearances including Liverpool’s Sound City, The Great Escape, Boardmasters and more. Set to grace further festival stages this year, Payton will also join Beabadoobee as the main support for the ‘Beatopia’ tour through Australia and New Zealand next month.

A love song at its core, ‘Do It All The Same’ is dedicated to the stability and safety of a grounding force amidst the mess of life elsewhere. Converging around the chorus’ lead mantra of “given the choice, I’d do it all the same,” the crashing indie-rock track was written at a time when Payton was questioning whether she could continue to pursue her dreams whilst juggling hospitality jobs with meagre music budgets. She explains, “This song came about after I’d had a particularly bad run of things. I was out of money and about to start a tour I couldn’t afford and really doubting my future. When you’re living that way it makes you really appreciate any consistency you can get your hands on, and for me that was my partner. ‘Do It All The Same’ isn’t anything profound or groundbreaking, It’s just me thanking another person for being there for me.” 

After moving to and coming of age in London from age 16, personal events saw Payton spend an unexpected stint back in New Zealand, a period which she chronicled on her 2021 mixtape Slack. Epitomised by lead-track ‘Honey’, which has amassed over one million streams to date, Slack’s thematic undercurrent saw Payton 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 had been one big compromise, and the songs are all about compromise in a way.” Payton says, “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, airbnbs 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 state 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 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, ‘Do It All The Same’ forecasts a bright future 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.