Named the 2023 and 2024 Americana Artist of the Year at the Midwest Country Music Awards, Molly Brandt is making a name for herself in the independent music scene. With a musical background that includes stints as a classical pianist and jazz vocalist, Brandt found her songwriting voice when she turned to roots music, using a tapestry of Americana styles to tell vivid, gritty stories.
She released her first singles in 2022 and was soon performing at venues and festivals across the Midwest, including Blue Ox, Big Turn, Rochester Thaw, Boogiedown, and Boats & Bluegrass. Brandt dazzles when she takes the stage — first with her presence and statement outfits, then with her powerhouse vocals. Her ever-evolving sound ranges from honky-tonk to countrypolitan to alt-rock.
Her debut album Surrender to the Night blended honky-tonk, countrypolitan, and alt-rock influences, delving into blue-collar struggles, dive bar revelries, long car rides, and cold-blooded revenge. Her second studio album American Saga (2024) explored an even broader range of roots music with soundscapes of disco, blues, alt-country, bluegrass, and psychedelia.
Brandt’s work has been praised by the Star Tribune, Racket MN, Adventures in Americana, The Bluegrass Standard, and The Current, and her song “Mr. Texas” appeared in Netflix’s hit show The Hunting Wives. Her third studio album, Museum of Being, releases June 12, 2026.