THE MOLOTOVS ON MAKING MUSIC WITH AN IMPACT

Photo Credit: Nick Benoy

The Molotovs have cemented themselves as one of the most promising rising talents on the new wave punk and indie music scene with their first album release, Wasted On Youth, an 11-song record addressing the complexities of coming of age.

Despite their young age, the London-based sibling duo, Matt (17) and Issey (19), are on a rapid upward trajectory with over 600 gigs under their belt in just a few years, including a support slot alongside The Libertines.

With their eagerly-anticipated debut album, recorded with producer Jason Perry and mixed by Dead Pony’s Blair Crichton, the siblings achieved utmost chart success. Midweek, they found themselves challenging Lily Allen to the top spot in the Official Album Charts.

They are a pair recognised for championing youth voices, and their advocacy and support for grassroots music venues. Just last December, they put on a Christmas show in Soho in support of the Big Issue’s ‘STOP, TALK AND SUPPORT’ poverty campaign, and played a separate Christmas show at Bush Hall in aid of Music Venue Trust.

Last month, we had the honour to chat with Matt and Issey about their stories behind the album, why advocating for causes is so important to them, and what fans can expect from their upcoming tour later this year.

Firstly, congratulations on your first album release, you two! It’s brilliant what you’ve already achieved with it. What do you hope listeners will take away from the album?

Issey:  A feeling of optimism and hope, mostly. We feel like the general mode of the band at the moment is something that’s a little more insular. We want something that’s more extroverted and gives people agency, rather than making them feel powerless.

You speak directly from the hearts of the youth about the complexities of social media, negativity and self-esteem issues. When I’ve interviewed artists in the past, they always say that writing about struggles is therapeutic. Would you say the same?

Matt:  Yeah, I think I’d agree with that a bit, to an extent. We just want to instil hope in young people, and enthusiasm more than anything. We don’t write introspective lyrics just about ourselves and our own insular struggles. We talk about wider society and our environment.

Issey: It’s therapeutic in the way that you feel like you’re doing something and you can, in some way, make a difference, instead of just kind of sitting in your hands and letting it wash over you.

My personal favourite from the album is Daydreaming. What are your favourites?

M: I like Today’s Gonna Be Our Day. I like Living With Yourself, I think that’s a good young person’s song about individualism and being strong minded, like I think we all should be. But yeah, I mean, I like Daydreaming. I like Nothing Keeps Her Away, one of my more tender moments on the album.

I: I think Today’s Gonna Be Our Day is particularly strong. It’s got a very joyous feel about it. Also, I really like Geraldine. I think the music harmonies and the kind of layers on that add a really nice moment to the album.

With Wasted On Youth, you found yourself in a chart war with “a new unsigned band, Lily Allen,” to quote yourself. All jokes aside, how did it feel knowing that the first LP was doing so well that it was in comparison with an established household name?

M: Well, it just really let us know that a lot of young people are actually listening to what we’re saying and taking ownership over our group. And I think that’s a really positive thing and something we’ve always been striving for. It’s really nice to see that. It’s nice to know we’ve got a really strong fan base and people really believe in us and that people are ready for something new.

I: We’ve built up our fan base through live gigging and building personal connections with people, kind of one by one, gig by gig, little by little. So I think people still feel in touch with that kind of way of doing things. But I really appreciate Lily Allen, you know, I grew up listening to her in the car.

Where did you both learn to play music?

M: We learned at home. We always had a guitar in the house. It was my dad’s and he got it in the 90s, I think. It was wedged between a wardrobe and a wall, and I always thought it looked really cool. I think he caught me playing it and was just like, “Do you want to learn?” I was like, “yeah,” so he got me a few lessons. As soon as I learned the power chord, I didn’t need any more lessons. I used to stand in front of the TV, watching gigs and playing along. I started busking around 10, and then the band started when I was like 11. We took massive ownership over busking. It’s the DNA of the band.

I: I started self-taught on bass. When we started the band, I knew a bit of guitar, but got promoted to bass.

What does the songwriting process look like?

I: Matt is the songwriter. He comes into the studio, and he’s writing lyrics, chords and melodies.

M: I do it mostly at home as well. I might write lyrics on the job, or just out and about. If I hear someone say something good, I always write it down.

Where do your musical inspirations come from?

M: I’m a big fan of The Kinks, The Beatles, Happy Mondays and Oasis. The Undertones are massive to me.

I: For me, it’s The Libertines, The Primitives, Transvision Vamp, and Blondie, obviously.

In December, you guys were a part of some brilliant campaigns. You did the Christmas ‘Stop Talk and Support’ gig with The Big Issue, and you’re both avid supporters of grassroots venues. Why is it important for you two to be part of these causes?

M: The whole grassroots venue thing, I mean, we wouldn’t be here without it, would we? We want to give back to our community. We want to see the music scene flourish and really come back and be a thing of the youth, because we’ve got these giant dinosaurs playing in stadiums.

I: We’ve been supporting grassroots since we started. That’s where we honed our craft and got our practice in. You can’t expect us to have a huge generation of bands that are now playing at stadiums without them going through this stage first. Grassroots venues are the Petri dish where we all form.

So next year, you’re heading out on tour across the UK. You’re doing some really iconic venues, like Kentish Town. You’re doing O2 Academy in Birmingham. So how does it feel to have sustained such a loyal fan base across the UK?

M: It’s great that people are actually taking a proper interest in what we’re trying to say and that young people take ownership over our songs, like I said before. It’s nice to see it scaling up. I just got told that I’m the youngest person to enter the top three charts since Billie Eilish in 2019, and Justin Bieber before that. I just feel really proud about it all.

I: It means a lot that it means so much to other people. It’s a full circle moment that we’re playing O2 Kentish Town because our first gig as The Molotovs was supporting The Libertines there. So, to be headlining it ourselves, yeah, it’s pretty spectacular.

What songs are you most excited to play live from the new album?

M: All of them, to be fair.

I: Today’s Gonna Be Our Day always gets a good reaction, and I think people really have connected to that song. That’s always a classic. Or Johnny [Johnny Don’t Be Scared, B-side of Rhythm Of Yourself].

What can the fans expect for the tour?

M: It’s very spontaneous. I want us going into it with no preconceived ideas, and not taking anything at face value.

I: I think we’ll give the same performance whether we’re busking on a street corner or if we’re playing at Cardiff Castle. We’ve always been a what-you-see-is-what-you-get band. We’re looking to elaborate more on the visual front, so fans can look forward to that for sure.

This autumn sees a jam-packed schedule for The Molotovs. Over September and October, they will be venturing across the UK and Ireland in iconic venues including Chalk (Brighton), O2 Academy 2 (Birmingham), O2 Forum Kentish Town (London) and The Button Factory (Dublin). Their tour sold out so quickly that they recently upgraded some venues and added an extra London date to meet demand.

They really are showing no signs of slowing down and we cannot wait to see what’s next in store for the electrifying duo.

Text Copyright 2026 © Casey Brockbank/ADRENALINE Magazine.